LIKE ITS SIGNATURE DISH, GUMBO, Louisiana is a spicy stew comprised of many distinctive elements: African-American, Cajun, Creole, Latin, French, Cuban, Isleño, Native American and practically everything in between. To experience this unique culture firsthand, step into the Louisiana Folklife Village and discover many of the state’s generations-old traditions and cultural highlights. Here, you can see artists create elaborate sculptures for Mardi Gras floats, blacksmiths forge decorative ironwork for French Quarter balconies, musicians meticulously handcraft accordions and Mardi Gras Indians bead their suits. Learn how to knit a shrimp net, build a pirogue or glitter a Muses shoe. These are only a few of the dozens of traditions featured in the Louisiana Folklife Village that bear witness to our state’s unique cultural and diverse history.