LIKE ITS SIGNATURE DISH, GUMBO, Louisiana is a mix of many distinctive influences: 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 hand craft 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.