For generations, African American veterans have served this nation with courage and dedication, yet their stories have too often faded with time. In celebration of Veterans Day, the Iberia African American Historical Society and the Shadows-on-the-Teche, in partnership with the Robert B. Green AL Post 533 & All American VFW Post 12065, invited the public to join a commemorative cemetery walking tour honoring African American veterans the St. Matthew Cemetery (Fulton Street, New Iberia).

A portion of the proceeds supported a full year of care for a veteran’s grave site, including grass cutting, landscaping, and basic preservation. Participants placed a commemorative flag at the grave they adopted and receives a personalized veteran profile that shared the story behind the name, including the branch of service, years served, military conflict, and a photograph, when available.

This act of remembrance extended beyond a single day. By adopting a grave, participants helped restore dignity to the final resting places of African American veterans whose sacrifices built and defended our freedoms. Together, we ensured their service is never forgotten and their memory endures through continued community stewardship.

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, New Iberia Chapter, proudly served as an event sponsor, supporting efforts to research and preserve the stories of African American veterans interred at St. Matthew Cemetery.

Event cover image: “4511 World War I Draftees.” IA and Carroll Martin Photo Collection at the Iberia Parish Library in New Iberia, LA. Digital image found in the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning database.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Festival took place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, October 11 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana displayed and sold their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products were also available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages. Funds raised from this event were used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

SPONSORS

We marked the beginning of festival weekend in New Iberia with family fun, live entertainment, and food and drinks. Attendants enjoyed a variety of old-fashioned style carnival games, decorated a Rice Krispie Treat with The Frosted Apron, did a little crafting, and had their face painted. Rylan’s Ranch Petting Zoo brought their farm with them! Attendees got a chance to see baby goats, baby pigs, fluffy chickens, ducks, and rabbits. The line for balloon animals stretched through the gardens! 2NL Jazz Combo and Andy Smith provided the night’s live entertainment.

Federal troops marched through Southwest Louisiana during the Bayou Teche Campaign from April-November 1863 extending control from the Mississippi to the Western borderlands and North toward Alexandria, LA. Local teacher Loren Klein explored the stories of Union and Confederate soldiers, civilians, and those enslaved in the region.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Loren Klein is an Academically Gifted Science teacher at Edgar Martin Middle School in Lafayette and has been teaching science and history for 19 years. He is a lifelong lover of military history with a focus on naval history. He began researching the Civil War in Acadiana as a part of his YouTube channel that focuses on Louisiana geography and history. 

Klein has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Bachelor of Arts in History, and Master of Science in Education with a concentration in Gifted Education. Before teaching he has worked in fields ranging from technical writing to soil engineering. He has won several teacher of the year awards. 

Klein wears a lab coat to work every day.

From the Louisiana Maneuvers, defense of the Gulf of Mexico, and POW camps across the state, Louisiana had an outsized role in the United States war efforts during WWII. Kim Guise, Senior Curator at the National WWII Museum, presented on the contributions of the Pelican State during WWII.

Celebrate Louisiana Art with Tommy Whitehead, author of Clementine Hunter: Her Life and Art, in a virtual webinar with our partner, the National Trust’s Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios.

At fifteen years of age, Clementine Hunter, born at Hidden Hill Plantation in 1887, moved with her family to Melrose Plantation (Natchitoches, LA) to sharecrop. She later became a housekeeper and cook at Melrose. While working as a cook, Hunter found discarded paint left behind by a visiting artist at Melrose—a find that would change her life. A self-taught, primitive artist, her distinctive style made her an iconic American folk artist, and her work has been exhibited in museums across the country. In 1955, at the age of 68, Hunter completed her most famous work, the African House Murals. This series of nine panels depicts the early 20th century landscape and scenes of daily life at Melrose Plantation and are currently on display in the African House. In the 2010s, the African House was accepted into HAHS to tell the story of Clementine Hunter and her art.

Shadows-on-the-Teche partnered with the Iberia African American Historical Society to host a special Juneteenth performance of Zebulon’s Dream, written and performed by acclaimed poet Suzanne Wiltz. Prior to the performance, Pastor Zachary P. Mitchell, Sr. of Word of Hope World Outreach Church and Chairman of the Shadows Advisory Council, performed a libation ceremony.

ABOUT ZEBULON’S DREAM

Zebulon’s Dream is a poetry cycle written in the voice of Suzanne Wiltz’s maternal ancestor, Zebulon Richardson. He was rumored to have been separated from the family during slavery times and never heard from again. In this poetry cycle “Zebulon” is in conversation with the historical markers in Franklin, Louisiana and, by extension, with the history that has chosen to be commemorated. In addition to Suzanne’s poems, an original mixed media painting commissioned by artist Marla Chirdon, will be displayed and incorporated into the program. Zebulon’s Dream also discusses the mystery of Zebulon’s fate. In 2025, Zebulon’s Dream is made possible through the Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant, a program of South Arts.

Zebulon’s Dream is dedicated to Suzanne Wiltz’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Jones (1923-2010), known affectionately as Maw, and to the memory of Zebulon Richardson.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Suzanne Wiltz is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Tulane University. Her poetry has appeared in Pumpernickel House: The Overgrown Door, The Southwestern Review, The Heartland Review, Spires and MockingHeart Review, among other publications. She also has contributed to The Upper Room and Protocols for a perpetual imaginary (New Orleans), edited by Ross Louis. She edits two newsletters - Poetry Newsletter and The Spark. Suzanne has been awarded grants by South Arts, Acadiana Center for the Arts, and Lafayette Economic Development Authority. In 2022 she was a Fellow of the Wild Seeds Writers Retreat, a program of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. She serves on the Boards of Directors of Alliance Française de La Nouvelle-Orléans and Morgan City Live Community Concert Association. Suzanne is a member of Just Write (New Orleans) and Green River Writers (Louisville). Suzanne and her beloved cat, Mikey Alexander, live in Louisiana.

Funding for this project has been provided by the State of Louisiana and administered by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of either the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities or the State of Louisiana.

Paul Schexnayder lead a downtown murals tour that celebrates murals and street art in New Iberia. Tickets for the tour included refreshments.

Bus transportation for the tour was generously donated by Azalea Estates.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Paul Schexnayder is a Louisiana-based painter, author, and illustrator whose work explores atmospheric conditions and their influence on daily life. Through a signature motif of vertical brushstrokes—evoking the moss-covered landscapes of the South—Schexnayder captures the invisible presence of water vapor in color, shape, and form. His mixed-media compositions often incorporate architectural elements, flora and fauna, and symbolic characters, weaving together narratives filled with mystery, memory, and the passage of time.

A graduate of Louisiana State University with a BFA in Painting and Drawing, Schexnayder has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows throughout Louisiana, including at the Zigler Art Museum, the Louisiana State Museum, and Festival International, where he was named the Official Poster Artist in 2008. His work is featured in numerous private and institutional collections, including those of Governor Kathleen Blanco, Festival International, and Lourdes Hospital.

Beyond the canvas, Schexnayder is also an acclaimed author and illustrator. His children’s books, including The Gumbo Gators series and I Know Louisiana Colors (Pelican Publishing), reflect the same regional richness and storytelling found in his visual art. Through both paint and prose, Paul Schexnayder continues to celebrate and preserve the culture, history, and rhythm of Louisiana.

To view more of Schexnayder’s work, visit his website.

Celebrate Louisiana Art with the opening of the Weeks Hall, Avant Garde exhibition running from May 10 to July 26. See rarely displayed Weeks Hall art that surveys work throughout his life.

Get Ready for a Night of BINGO, Bites, & Big Wins!

Gather your friends and join us for Bingo! with Heart, a fun-filled evening of games, great food, and giving back—presented in partnership with Simple Faith Coffee Company and hosted at The Main Cup in Loreauville.

This adults-only (21+) night out benefits Shadows, with at least 20% of the jackpot going directly to support our ongoing operational needs.

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Here’s How It Works:

• Your $20 CASH buy-in gets you a game book with 10 games of BINGO (3 cards per game).

• There will be 9 regular games + 1 blackout/coverall game.

• At halftime, you can boost your chances (and the jackpot) with:

  • A Half Book (5 more games) for $10

  • A Single Coverall Card for $5

All halftime sales go straight into building the JACKPOT—so the more we play, the more we give!

The coverall winner splits the jackpot with Shadows, but you're welcome to give back more if your heart says yes!

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Come Hungry!
The Main Cup kitchen will be open with a special dinner menu just for the event.

Reservations encouraged!
Call 337-944-6003 to reserve your spot or get more info.

Let’s play BINGO, enjoy good food, and make a difference—one number at a time.

We screened the documentary Resurgence: From Ida to Recovery, which explores the devastating impact of Hurricane Ida on Louisiana and the subsequent efforts to recover and rebuild.

Produced by Nicholls State University with funding from the Bayou Community Foundation, it features firsthand accounts from residents, community leaders, meteorologists, and government officials.

Dr. John P. Doucet, Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology and McIlhenny Professor of Human and Environmental Genetics at Nicholls State University, will be present for the Q&A.

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY
Resurgence: From Ida to Recovery is a documentary produced by Nicholls State University that chronicles the impact of Hurricane Ida on Southeast Louisiana, particularly in Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle. The film presents personal accounts from residents, government officials, community leaders, and meteorologists, offering a comprehensive view of the storm's devastation and the region's ongoing recovery efforts.

Supported by a grant from the Bayou Community Foundation’s Bayou Recovery Fund for Hurricane Ida Relief, the documentary aims to raise awareness about the importance of coastal preservation and the resilience of communities facing environmental threats.

Dr. John Doucet discussed how hurricanes have shaped settlement patterns across South Louisiana. The great 1893 hurricane at Cheniere Caminanda, which killed more than 2,000 people and caused mass devastation, remains the deadliest storm in Louisiana’s history.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Born and raised in the coastal marshes of Bayou Lafourche, Dr. John P. Doucet is a genetics researcher and professor at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where he serves as Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology and McIlhenny Professor of Human and Environmental Genetics. In addition to science and technical writings, he is the author of 13 Cajun culture plays, two books of poetry, and a monthly column on coastal culture and science for *Point of Vue* magazine (Houma, Louisiana). His article, “A River Ran Through It,” appearing in *Louisiana Folklore Miscellany* Vol. 29 (2019), is a personal history of his hometown, the wetlands village of Golden Meadow, Louisiana. His award-winning play, “Tant que Duera la Terre,” is a dramatization of life on the Louisiana Coast during the Great Cheniere Hurricane of 1893.

Dr. Shane Bernard, author of Teche: A History of Louisiana’s Most Famous Bayou, discussed the environmental history of the Bayou Teche, the vital waterway that connects New Iberia to the world.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Shane K. Bernard holds a Ph.D. in History from Texas A&M University and degrees in English and History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is the author of Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues (1996), The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (2003), Cajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors: A Young Reader’s History (2008), and Teche: A History of Louisiana’s Most Famous Bayou (2016).

Since 1993, Bernard has served as historian and curator to McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand products, and Avery Island, Inc.

He has been interviewed about south Louisiana history and culture by numerous media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, NPR, The History Channel, the New York Times, and the National Geographic Society.

In 2015 he was chosen as a Research Fellow at UL Lafayette's Center for Louisiana Studies. Bernard is married, has two children, and resides in New Iberia, Louisiana, a short distance from Bayou Teche.

In 1960, Leona Tate was one of “The McDonogh Three” who integrated New Orleans public schools. More than 60 years later, Tate, along with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, returned to McDonogh 19 to open an anti-racism community center to heal their community.

Dr. Leona Tate and Molly Baker, HOPE Crew, in conversation.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

On November 14, 1960, six years after separate black and white schools were ruled unconstitutional in the *Brown v. Board of Education* ruling, Leona Tate became one of four 6-year-old girls in New Orleans to integrate white-only public schools in the Deep South. On that day, she, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost enrolled in McDonogh No. 19 School in the Historic Ninth Ward. A fourth girl began classes minutes later at William Frantz School. The Integration of New Orleans public elementary schools marked a major focal point in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. With worldwide attention focused on New Orleans, federal marshals wearing yellow armbands escorted The New Orleans Four to the schools at 9 a.m. By 9:25 a.m., the two former all-white public elementary schools in the Deep South were desegregated.

In 2009, Leona Tate established the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. (LTFC) to purchase McDonogh 19, the school she, Tessie Prevost, and Gail Etienne integrated. As the volunteer Executive Director from 2009-2021, Dr. Tate led teh organization to provide free summer camps, after-school tutoring, adult literacy, Christmas toy drives, and a monthly food pantry. Under her leadership, LTFC also staffed the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum, a free community museum dedicated to the history of the historic Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood.

In 2020, LFTC and development partners, Alembic Community Developers, bought and renovated the historic McDonogh 19 campus, which reopened as the Tate, Etienne, and Prevost (TEP) Center in 2022. It is a mixed-use development dedicated to the history of New Orleans Public School Desegregation, Civil Rights, and Black Life. Dr. Tate's mission for the TEP Center is to create a safe space and community anchor where the public can learn, support, and train for anti-racism activism and social restorative justice.

In 2023, Tate was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from St. Thomas Christian University and Macalaster College in recognition of her service to the New Orleans community and beyond.

Although operating the TEP Center demands much of her time and attention, Leona values quality time with her family. She is a mother of 3, a grandmother of 12, and a great-grandmother of 8. Leona's love for community anchors the mission of the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. and the TEP Center.

Molly Baker serves as HOPE Crew Manager in the Preservation Services and Outreach department at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Her focus is growing interest in the building preservation trades by engaging a younger, more diverse audience in hands-on preservation opportunities. Additionally, she has partnered with HOPE Crew Director Milan Jordan to expand the program, finding the place where architecture education and preservation experience intersect by working with architecture students on campus stewardship, community engagement, and documentation techniques. Molly was drawn to building preservation by her belief in the value of learning about history through the structures that hold stories of our past. She holds an A.S. in historic building preservation from Belmont College, a B.A. in history from Northwestern State University, and was honored to serve as the 2023-24 NPS Harrison Goodall Preservation Fellow.

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair took place in the Shadows gardens. Vendors from around Louisiana displayed and sold their original work. A variety of handcrafted products were available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages. Funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

Dr. Sarah Hyde, author of Schooling in the Antebellum South, explored private and public education systems before the Civil War in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Sarah Hyde received her doctorate from Louisiana State University in 2010. Her first book, Schooling in the Antebellum South: The Rise of Public and Private Education in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, was published by LSU Press in 2016. Her most recent book is a work of historical fiction titled Rebel Bayou, co-authored with her husband, Dr. Sam Hyde, and published by the University of Louisiana Press. Sarah is a professor of history at River Parishes Community College and resides in Baton Rouge with her husband and four children. 

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The 7th annual Farm Fest marked the beginning of the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia with family fun, live entertainment, and food and drinks. Attendants enjoyed a variety of old-fashioned style carnival games, decorated a baked good with The Frosted Apron, did a little crafting, and had their face painted. Live entertainment provided by 2NL Jazz Combo and Andy Smith.

Thank you to our sponsor McIlhenny / TABASCO!

In April 1954, a month before the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Western District of Louisiana ordered the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as the Southwestern Louisiana Institute, to admit African American students into its fold. The permanent injunction, in the case known as Constantine v. SLI, came in July 1954, two months after Brown. The federal court's decision resulted in the university becoming the first higher education institution in the Deep South to desegregate, forever changing the historical landscape and destiny for decades to come.  

Ruth Foote discussed the 76 black students who integrated the university 70 years ago.  

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ruth Foote, author, historian, and community volunteer is an award-winning journalist who served as the co-founder and editor of Creole Magazine. Foote has also freelanced for The Acadiana Advocate and The Times of Acadiana. She received her M.A. in Public History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche and First Horizon Bank hosting an opening of four brand new exhibits at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Tickets to attend the opening included a year-long membership in the Friends of the Shadows.

Opening festivities included light catering and a credit bar* for the Shadows Old Fashioned.

For the year prior, staff at the Shadows worked on researching, writing, designing, and producing new exhibits that:

• provide an overview of national, state, and local history from the Antebellum to the Jim Crow period;

• showcase artifacts found onsite during archaeological digs;

• highlight the men and women who worked for William Weeks Hall, the last private owner of the Shadows;

• and share an inside look of William Weeks Hall as an eccentric artist and gay preservationist.

Funding for the exhibits was provided by a grant from the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area with matching funds from the Marder-Vaughn Center for Interpretation and Education at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche held its Second Annual Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest. The contest was open to the public and held at the Sliman Theater, located at 129 E. Main Street in New Iberia.

Using The Hill We Climb by poet Amanda Gorman as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday. The theme of the competition was “Freedom and Justice for All.”   

Winners of the competition were announced in two categories: middle school and high school. Cash prizes were awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Students who placed will have the opportunity to read their poems.

Judges for the competition were former Louisiana Poet Laureates Darrell Bourque, Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, and John Warner Smith.

The Shadows participated in SOLA Giving Day!
Early Giving began April 4!

In May 2023, the Shadows-on-the-Teche opened with a new visitor experience that explores the lives and experiences of those who lived and worked at the Shadows and the Weeks family plantations. Together with a public historian, visitors investigate the full history of enslaved life, labor, and freedom; the Weeks family plantation life before and after the Civil War; and the gay artists and authors who worked to preserve the legacy of the Weeks family and the stories of enslaved and freed people in Iberia Parish and across Louisiana. This new experience is only the first in a multi-phase reinterpretation of the site.

Phase 2 includes installing 4 new exhibits in the Shadows Visitor Center that will provide an overview of national, state, and local history from the Antebellum to the Jim Crow period; showcase artifacts found onsite during archaeological digs; highlight the men and women who worked for Weeks Hall, the last private owner of the Shadows; and share an inside look of Weeks Hall as an eccentric artist. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area awarded the Shadows a grant that is funding the printing and installation of the exhibit panels. But, we are still in need of exhibit cases and mounts to showcase objects from our collection and listening stations to share oral histories with visitors.

How will Shadows use the SOLA Giving Day funds?

Your donations will be used to purchase:

• 2 exhibit cases,

• a selection of mounts to properly display objects, and

• 2 listening stations

What is SOLA Giving Day?

SOLA Giving Day is an online fundraising tool offered to 501(c)3 nonprofits, churches, and schools serving South Louisiana. The event provides an easy-to-use platform that connects donors and dollars to organizations and their funding needs. This annual spring fundraising campaign spans 4-weeks and culminates with a 24-hour designated day of giving to encourage the community to contribute as many charitable dollars as possible to support the participating organizations. Since its inception in 2018, SOLA Giving Day has generated over $8.47M to benefit more than 425 unique South Louisiana nonprofits.

How is the Shadows funded?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows is responsible for it's own operating budget and does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows.

Attendees tried original handcrafted, garden inspired cocktails from local distilleries and appetizers from a local, veteran owned community garden.

The event took place in the gardens of the Shadows-on-the-Teche.

Additional Info

• Individuals MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER to attend event. NO EXCEPTIONS!

• Shadows reserves the right to card individuals upon arrival and refuse entry with no refund to those under 21 years of age.

• Smoking is NOT allowed in Shadows Gardens.

• Pets are not permitted on Shadows grounds.

• Participants will be walking on grass, gravel paths, and brick walkways. Plan footwear accordingly.

Funds raised through this event will be used to support the work of the Shadows.

Participating Distillieries

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair took place in the Shadows gardens. Vendors from around Louisiana displayed and sold their original work. A variety of handcrafted products were available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages. Funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

Community gardens are places where neighbors can gather and cultivate plants and vegetables. Phanat Xanamane saw community gardens as a catalyst to revitalize the Westend neighborhood of New Iberia. Today, Envision Da Berry continues their work through the community garden, fresh market, neighborhood park revitalization, and champions grassroots community efforts. Attendees joined us as Phanat Xanamane explored the last ten years of community activism that started with a community garden.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Phanat Xanamane is an interdisciplinary urban designer residing in New Iberia, Louisiana since 2010, where he initiates community revitalization projects. He co-founded a not-for-profit, Envision da Berry that has already built a combination of fresh produce market, as well as community gardens, and has hosted multiple public art festivals and community planning events successfully reframing an area in decline as part of a vibrant tourist economy with cultural, culinary and historical significance. An important part of the success has been a performance, entertainment and social media campaign. As an openly gay Asian refugee, he has led an organization that has broken down the many racial and social barriers to provide a counter-localism for the future of the small town American South. 

Weeks Hall became known for hosting elaborate cocktail parties that captured the imagination of locals and visitors. Historian Dr. Kristen Burton explored Louisiana’s famous cocktail culture that stretches back to the nineteenth century. Attendees joined us as we sipped an old fashioned and followed the creation of timeless cocktails, the elaboration of nineteenth and early twentieth-century mixology, and the powerful bond created between Louisiana culture and the art of drinking.

Thank you to our event sponsor, Distillerie Acadian!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Kristen D. Burton earned her Ph.D. in Transatlantic History in 2015 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Burton is a historian of cultural and social history, specializing in the history of alcohol production and drinking cultures across the early modern Atlantic World. She has taught history courses at the university level at the University of Texas at Arlington, Louisiana Tech University, and Loyola University New Orleans. From 2018-2021, she joined the staff at The National WWII Museum to create original classroom curriculum on the history of WWII, lead professional development workshops for teachers, and host the museum’s podcast, To the Best of My Ability. In the fall of 2021, Dr. Burton joined the faculty in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at The University of Alberta to teach courses on US History, the history of gender and sexuality, and the history of food and drink.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair took place in the Shadows gardens. Vendors from around Louisiana displayed and sold their original work. A variety of handcrafted products were available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Once they "shopped 'til you dropped," attendees headed down Main Street to enjoy the first day's festivities of the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff hosted by the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce! Funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

The 6th annual Farm Fest marked the beginning of the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia with family fun, live entertainment, and food and drinks.

Attendees enjoyed a variety of old-fashioned carnival games and turned a cupcake into a bumblebee with The Frosted Apron. They got crafty at the Art Tent where they could get their face painted, decorate a rock, and more.

Farm Fest welcomed 2KB Farm and Petting Zoo, who brought the farm with them! Attendees saw goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigs, and even a cow.

Balloon animals were back and better!

Attendees enjoyed Bambino’s burgers, Jolet hot dogs, Chili Fritos, and other festival fare along with cold beverages, including beer and wine. Live entertainment was provided by 2NL Jazz Combo and Andy Smith.

As part of the event, Farm Fest raffled off FOUR prizes for kids this year:  John Deere ride-on tractor, John Deere pedal tractor, and two tractor themed holiday decorations.

The Iberia African American Historical Society and the Shadows-on-the-Teche partnered with Provost Farm and Da Berry Fresh Market for a special program exploring the relationship between African Americans and agriculture.

Chef Sheri L. Raleigh, owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC and founder of @blackwomenchefs and @giftsfromtheancestors on Instagram, hosted a free seminar of Louisiana Creole foodways. This program was offered jointly by the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning and the Shadows.

The Gifts from the Ancestors Foodways Project explores Louisiana Creole food, culture, and family heritage. The GFTA Foodways Project event included a food demonstration and an interactive presentation that included food genealogy, family heritage, and Acadiana history.

Chef Sheri shared experiences from her digital cookbook, Gifts From the Ancestors - Okra & Tomatoes, 25 Recipes Celebrating the Heart of Acadiana. She also previewed her upcoming work, Creole Celebrations, Kreyol a lété fèt!

Door prizes for the workshop were graciously donated by Tabasco and Conrad Rice Mill.

ABOUT THE CHEF
Chef Sheri is a native of Lake Charles, La. and a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Food Hospitality and Nutrition.

Cast Iron Skillet Culnaire, LLC was established in 2012 offering culinary edutainment and team building classes. Chef Sheri served as an administrator and educator in public education for 35 years. The proceeds from the digital cookbooks help to fund the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Education Fund benefitting aspiring black women chefs in collaboration with the Texas Restaurant Association Foundation.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche held its First Annual Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest. Using I, Too by poet Langston Hughes as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday. The theme of the competition was “Freedom and Justice for All.” 

Winners of the competition were announced in two categories: middle school and high school. Cash prizes were awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Students who placed had the opportunity to read their poems.

Judges for the competition are Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, current Poet Laureate of Louisiana, Darrell Bourque, Poet Laureate of Louisiana, 2007-2011, and John Warner Smith, Louisiana Poet Laureate, 2019-2021.