Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser has announced that October 2026 will mark Louisiana’s 12th annual Folklife Month, a celebration of the state’s living traditions and the individuals who sustain them. Six tradition bearers are recognized for keeping Louisiana art and occupational heritage thriving.
Each of this year’s tradition bearers represents the true spirit of Louisiana, practicing traditional crafts, arts, and lifestyles passed down through generations.
“Our culture is our state’s calling card, but it doesn't just happen by itself. It is kept alive every day by the dedication and passion of our people,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “These six honorees are the heartbeat of Louisiana's living heritage. By sharing their skills and artistry with the next generation, they ensure the unique spirit of Louisiana remains vibrant and true for years to come. I encourage everyone to join us at these wonderful events this October to say thank you to these incredible tradition bearers.”
Dale Bordelon – Waterfowl craftsperson, duck caller, and decoy maker (Effie, LA) will be honored on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 11:15-11:45 a.m. at the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, Atelier Stage (on the lawn of the Hilliard Art Museum), 710 East St. Landry Blvd., Lafayette, LA. For more than 30 years, Bordelon has preserved the skills and knowledge tied to Louisiana’s waterfowl traditions, crafting cane duck calls, cypress wood decoys, and cypress dugout pirogues the same way they have been done since the mid-1800s – by hand. His methods honor traditional techniques passed down through generations, and his stories reflect the history embedded in these practices. Bordelon is a dedicated teacher and tradition bearer who has thrived in the modern age. Through online platforms, he shares instruction on duck calling and waterfowl customs, reaching new audiences and ensuring these skills continue to be transmitted. His storytelling bridges past and present, blending humor with lived experience to preserve outdoor culture in “Sportsman’s Paradise.”
Rose Fisher – Rivercane harvester and weaver (Trout, LA) will be honored on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 1 p.m. The celebration will be held at Jena Choctaw's 16th Annual Pow Wow in the Pines, 551 Tuska Hina, Trout, LA. She is a talented artist, teacher, and environmental steward. Inspired by the stories of her grandfather, she joined a class at age 15 to learn traditional basket weaving that was lost to her tribe in the 1930’s. She studied historic collections to learn the patterns and designs of her ancestors and has since made tremendous effort to preserve this cultural knowledge by practicing and teaching members of the Jena Band and other tribes.
Becky Thomas-Meziere – Pine needle basket maker (Natchitoches, LA) will be honored on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 2 p.m. The celebration will be held at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest History Museum, 800 Front Street, Natchitoches, LA. Becky is also an enrolled member of the Clifton Choctaw Tribe with family ties to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. As a young child, Becky’s mother handed down traditional Native American methods and techniques such as gathering long leaf pine needles from the local forest, using raw material to make baskets, and the art of weaving. A master basket weaver with over 30 years of experience, she is known for her beautiful handwoven baskets that can be seen all over the world in both private collections and museums.
Carl Parfait – Shrimp and trawl netmaker (Bourg, LA) will be honored on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 3 p.m. The celebration will be held at the Rougarou Fest, Community Stage, 86 Valhi Blvd., Houma, LA. Carl Parfait, a native of Dulac, was raised along the waterways of Terrebonne Parish, where he learned the shrimping trade from an early age. Inspired by his father, who prepared his own trawl nets each season, Parfait learned to make trawl nets at age 16, and by 18, he was building his own. He further honed his skills under the guidance of Abel “DaDa” Boudreaux, a respected net maker who taught him the technical details of net construction.
Ivy Billiot – Woodcarver (Raceland, LA) will be honored on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 3 p.m. The celebration will be held at the Rougarou Fest, Community Stage, 86 Valhi Blvd., Houma, LA. A member of the United Houma Nation, Ivy Billiot is a self-taught woodcarver who creates colorful, meticulously rendered fish, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife out of native Louisiana woods. Honing his skills in a community of master craftsmen and working in a traditional American Indian medium, Billiot employs modern flourishes to create lively, often whimsical forms.
Fred Johnson, Jr. – Advocate of Social Aid and Pleasure clubs and second line traditions (New Orleans, LA) will be honored on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 2:00-3:00 p.m. The celebration will be held at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, 3rd Floor Venue Room, 400 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, LA. Fred Johnson Jr. is a widely known community activist and a steward of New Orleans social aid and pleasure club and second line traditions. He began learning of these street parade traditions from his uncle Roy “Sundown” Johnson, following him to a club called Holly’s on Orleans and North Villere. His Uncle Roy was a member of the Sixth Ward Diamonds, and Johnson followed their parades. Years later, when legendary banjo jazzman Danny Barker passed away, Johnson and jazzman Gregg Stafford (along with a traditional jazz funeral) honored Barker with a second line, marking the beginning of the Black Men of Labor Social and Pleasure Club organization. Founded in 1994 by Johnson, Gregg Stafford, and Benny Jones Sr., the Black Men of Labor pay homage to African American labor and its impact on the culture of New Orleans.
For more information, visit LouisianaFolklife.org
