Join Peggy Sweeney-McDonald, host, creator and author of Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… Life Stories about Food, for the third Preserve Louisiana Cultural & Architectural Tour to the charming town of Natchitoches, Louisiana scheduled for Friday, October 26 to Sunday, October 28, 2018.  Sweeney-McDonald, in partnership with Preserve Louisiana, will explore the culture, architecture and history of Natchitoches.

This year Natchitoches celebrates the 30^th Anniversary of the Steel Magnolias film based on the Broadway play written by native Robert Harling in memory of his sister. The film was about love and friendship, loss and grief but most of all the story was about how a family and a community lived through it all.  It brought international attention to this lovely town.  “We will visit the film locations, including a tour of the “Steel Magnolia Home” and sip a cocktail on the front porch to provide a perfect Fall weekend to remember,” Sweeney-McDonald said.

Preserve Louisiana’s Cultural & Architectural Tours traveled earlier this year to New Iberia to explore the Cajun culture, cuisine and dancing with stops at Tabasco, Rip Van Winkle Gardens and Shadows on the Teche. 

                                                                        New Iberia.Louisiana Tour - February 26-28, 2018

In January 2017, we traveled to Natchez, Mississippi, where we enjoyed antebellum homes, a rum distillery tour and a gourmet meal prepared by cookbook author Regina Charboneau at her home, Twin Oaks Plantation.  Both tours included a Saturday evening dinner and the Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… show.

                                                                                Natchez, Mississippi Tour - January 2017

This October, the group will explore Natchitoches with tours of Oakland Plantation, the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Melrose Plantation where artist Clementine Hunter began painting her famous folk art, Fort St. Jean Baptiste Historic Site, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fameand Northwest Louisiana Museum along with the historic Front Street District on the Cane River Lake.  A taste of Natchitoches will include lunch at the famous Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant, a catered lunch in a rustic barn at Melrose Plantation, Friday dinner at Mama’s Oyster House with local blues music and a festive dinner on Saturday evening with the Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… live show at the popular Merci Beaucoup Restaurant. Sweeney- McDonald will emcee the popular show with local foodies who will share their life stories about food including Rose and Johnnie Cox, owners of Merci Beaucoup, Arlene Gould, Executive Director of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rhonda Gauthier, Curator of the Fort St. Jean Baptiste Museum and Marlyn Monette, best selling cookbook author (So Good Makes You Want To Slap Your Mama) who has previously appeared in the show and is also featured in the book.

                                                                                  Melrose Plantation in Natchitoches, LA

“These trips are more than a cultural and architectural tour as we will be mingling and dining with local Natchitoches personalities and hearing their personal and touching stories around their culture and food,” Sweeney-McDonald said. 

                                                                               Meanwhile... Storytellers in New Iberia, LA

Preserve Louisiana’s second Cultural & Architectural Tour will travel to the heart of Cajun Country with host, creator and author of Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… Life Stories about Food, Peggy Sweeney-McDonald, on February 16 – February 18, 2018.

Sweeney-McDonald, in partnership with Preserve Louisiana, will explore the culture and history in the heart of Cajun Country.

                                                                    Peggy and Jimmy McDonald Cajun dancing at Landry's

“After a successful tour in January to Natchez, we are excited to be travelling to New Iberia, Avery Island, Jefferson Island and St. Martinville.  We will savor the difference in this part of Cajun Country where Spanish, French, Acadian, African-American and Native American roots mingle to provide a weekend to remember. These trips are more than a cultural and architectural tour as we will be mingling and dining with local New Iberia personalities and hearing their personal and touching stories around their culture and food,” Sweeney McDonald said. “It will truly be a tasty journey of ‘Meanwhile, Back in Cajun Land.”

                                                                                   Checking out the Hot Sauce at Tabasco!

The tour will visit the newly renovated Tabasco Factory and Jungle Gardens, Shadows On the Teche Plantation, The Bayou TecheMuseum, The Joseph Jefferson House, Rip Van Winkle Gardens, the Evangeline Tree and Monument and the Museum of the Acadian Memorial. Attendees will also enjoy delicious cuisine at the Little River Inn, the Original Landry’s (not the chain) with Cajun Dancing to the Cajun Express Band, the Jefferson Café and a wonderful dinner on Saturday evening at the lovely Antique Roseville with the Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… show. Sweeney- McDonald will emcee the popular show with local foodies sharing their life stories about food including Bonnie Breaux - 2017 Seafood Queen and Executive Chef of Café Sydnie Mae, Tuesday Sunshine - Pastry Chef of Indulge Bakery, Author Stanley Dry - the Louisiana Life Kitchen Gourmet columnist, former senior editor of Food & Wine magazine and accomplished cookbook author of The Essential Louisiana Cookbook and Linda Freyou - chef/owner of Antique Roseville. We will also have Happy Hour with Architect Paul J.Allain and tour his award winning historic office building on the Bayou Teche.

Preserve Louisiana’s Cultural & Historical Tour includes transportation, a two-night stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites, all meals, tours and the Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… show. Single Rate is $675 and Doubles rate is $575/each,

For more information and booking, please call Peggy Sweeney-McDonald at (310) 709-2851 or peggy@superstareventsla.com or register at www.preserve-louisiana.org/preserve-louisiana-tours/

Preserve Louisiana is Baton Rouge’s premiere historic preservation organization committed to the safeguarding of our state’s cultural and architectural heritage for generations to come. The Foundation, a member-based group, also provides technical preservation assistance on a fee for service basis.

We are excited to be partnering with the Community Action Partnership of Orange County for a fundraiser. All proceeds will go towards the Hope for the Holidays Campaign benefitting low-income families in Orange County, California during the holidays. The festive event will be held on Sunday, October 1, 2017, and take place at the Old Ranch Country Club located at 3901 Lampson in Seal Beach, California 90740. A cocktail party will begin at 5:00PM with music, appetizers, cash bar and a silent auction. The first ever "Hope for the Holidays" themed Meanwhile Back at Cafe Du Monde... Life Stories About Food monologue show will begin at 6:15PM.  

What better way to celebrate the Baton Rouge Bicentennial then to share Baton Rouge food stories!  We are excited to partner with the East Baton Rouge Library located at 7711 Goodwood Boulevard to produce the Meanwhile, Back at Cafe Du Monde... show with Baton Rouge foodies sharing their life stories around food on Sunday, August 13, 2017 at 6:00PM.  Doors open at 5:30PM.  This is a free community event with refreshments to follow including gourmet donuts and the signature "Peggy-Meanwhile" beignet/donut created by Kara Castille of Thee Heavenly Donuts.

Before moving back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana from Los Angeles last year, Peggy Sweeney-McDonald partnered with drama teacher Hank Amigo at Hale Charter School for a 6th Grade Introduction to Drama/Meanwhile, Back at Cafe Du Monde... workshop. The 42 sixth graders wrote their food stories and performed them in a fabulous show for their parents, families and friends. It was a huge success, a sold out crowd of 200 people and the ticket sales went to the drama department to help support their future productions.

Meanwhile, Back at Cafe Du Monde... celebrated its 7th Anniversary with a fun filled show of Baton Rouge foodies at the LSU Museum of Art on May 13, 2017 at The Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The event was a fundraiser for the LSU Museum of Art and funds raised will be used for art education.  Renee Bourgeois, the Event Manager, of the museum produced the event along with Peggy Sweeney-McDonald of Superstar Events-LA.  A champagne reception was held in the Museum following the show with fabulous seafood enchiladas by Chef Jim Urdiales of Mestizo's Cajun Mexican Restaurant, delicious Sundried Tomato Orzo Salad by Heirloom Cuisine with beignets, of course, and gourmet donuts by Thee Heavenly Donuts including a signature "Peggy" Meanwhile... donut created by Kara Castille!

Creator/Author, Peggy Sweeney-McDonald, is leading a Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde... one week teen writing/performance workshop at the East Baton Rouge Library from July 24-28 from 10:00AM – Noon (Monday-Friday).

Taking the inspiration from the live Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… live shows and book by Pelican Publishing, the teens will create their food stories starting with the popular, “If I were a food, I would be ______ and why?” then move on to write and perform their own food stories from their memories of life around food. The workshop ends with a live show for family and friends on Saturday, July 29^th at 6:00PM. 

The workshop is free and open to teens from 6th - 12th grade. Call 225-231-2770 to register. The workshop will take place at the East Baton Rouge Library located at 7711 Goodwood Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Lousiana. 

We are excited to annouce that the LSU Museum of Art will host the seventh anniversary show of Meanwhile, Back at Café Du Monde… Life Stories About Food on Wednesday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. This unique food story show will be held in the museum’s Bert and Sue Turner Gallery on the third floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts, followed by a champagne reception in the fifth floor museum. Proceeds from this event will benefit the LSU Museum of Art.

Storytellers will include Pam Bordelon, The Advocate, Pam’s Party Line; Missy Crews, former Miss Louisiana; Kara Castille, owner of Thee Heavenly Donuts; Jim Engster, president of Louisiana Radio Network; James Fox-Smith, publisher of CountryRoads  Magazine; Bill Profita, talk show host at 107.3; Jim Urdiales, owner/chef of Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Restaurant and Peggy Sweeney-McDonald, creator/producer of the show and president of Superstar Events-LA. Additional storytellers will be announced at a later date. Paul Arrigo, president of Visit Baton Rouge, will be returning as emcee.

Additional support has been provided by Glazer’s Distributor’s, Heirloom Cuisine, The Heavenly Donut and Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Restaurant.

Tickets are $40 for LSU MOA members and $50 for the general public and includes show and the champagne reception. Limited seating will be available. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling 225-389-7210.

For more information about this event, please contact Renee’ Bourgeois at renee@lsu.edu or by calling 225-389-7206.