After a long day-to-day grind, weekends provide the perfect opportunity to unwind.

The best part about weekends in Shreveport-Bossier is that there are becoming more and more options for events and activities to do. Remember when people only got together at each other’s houses?

Now new restaurants, coffee shops and bars are popping up regularly. It reminds me of mushrooms after a good storm; there is a steady flow of concerts and performances to be found and a growing collection of mini-festivals. Art and film have seen a significant increase in attention over the last few years.

This is wonderful, but in some ways has taken the spotlight from our heritage – live music.

Local bands have mostly continued to struggle on through late night shows and house parties. There is an occasional big fish that swims through the pond, but for the most part, it can be hard to catch the show you want, especially if you work a job or have kids.

All of the shows start late, cost money and are generally choked with smoke.

Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation (SPAR), however, hopes to change this. In partnership with the City of Shreveport, they are featuring a weekly Free Fridays Forever event in the Red River District.

Different bands and performances are slated for each week, but the idea will stay the same: free open-air shows under the Texas Street bridge with a family-friendly atmosphere. Fatty Arbuckle’s, who shares space under the bridge, provides alcohol sales for those 21+.

Several good shows have already happened. Local group The Lackadaises hosted their vinyl release at the beginning of this month to a full audience. Other groups such as Vagabond Swing, Engine and Shayliff are friends to the stage as well.

Hopefully the program makes it through the winter and continues to provide free, friendly entertainment into the new year. The idea is to have a regular activity that gets people downtown more often and doesn’t hurt your wallet. Pretty cool.

-Nodly

– See more at: http://heliopolissbc.com/Article/free-fridays-forever-spar-city-bring-live-music-red-river-district#sthash.LUSyrVyE.dpuf