Louisiana's Playground

Visit Lake Charles
  • 4.9 (16)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Biweekly

Louisiana’s Playground is a podcast about all there is to experience in Lake Charles. Join hosts Brady Renard and Jillian Corder as they share fresh perspectives from locals, businesses, and area experts about the best-kept secrets of Southwest Louisiana. This podcast will give you all the tools you need to build your own personal Lake Charles itinerary. Louisiana’s Playground explores what it means to be bold and outspoken, yet laid back and homey. Tune in bi-weekly for a taste of all Southwest Louisiana has to offer; from authentic Louisiana dishes, luxurious resorts and spas, perfect party locations for adult and group trips, and endless ways to play all day. Live it up in Lake Charles and listen at visitlakecharles.org/podcast.

  1. Sep 9

    100 Years of Live Theater in Lake Charles

    Guests Brett Downer and Heather Partin, two longtime Lake Charles Little Theatre board members, join hosts Brady and Jillian on Louisiana's Playground to mark the theater's 100th anniversary season. They trace the company's origins to founder Rosa Hart, who wrote to Hollywood stars and once landed Lake Charles in the pages of Life magazine, and explain how an all-volunteer operation has survived fire, flood, and hurricanes for a century. It becomes a case for why live theater still matters in the age of AI. Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org. Stop by Spicy Rico in Sulphur, a locally owned build-your-own Mexican spot off Beglis Parkway serving burritos, bowls, and house-made salsas. Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    100 Years of Live Theater in Lake Charles

  2. Aug 26

    Robin Barnes and Rusty Metoyer on What Connects Louisianians

    Lake Charles native Rusty Metoyer and New Orleans singer Robin Barnes connect Southeast and Southwest Louisiana through music, food and family history in this episode of Louisiana's Playground. Robin Barnes' Louisiana Love album and Discovering Home video series bring the two artists together to explore the culture, traditions and connections that run across the state. Barnes scrapped a finished debut album after a tumor scare made her realize she might not get to pass nine generations of Louisiana family history to her daughters. What she built instead is Louisiana Love, a 14-track record tracing her Creole, Cajun, Zydeco and New Orleans roots, with a who's who of Louisiana artists she reached out to as a fan. Lake Charles native Rusty Metoyer, who carries on the Creole music tradition his grandfathers kept alive, is one of those artists. In this episode, Brady Renard and Jillian Corder sit down with both musicians to talk about how the collaboration came together, the double meaning behind their duet "Don't Let Go," and Discovering Home, Robin's companion video series that brings her to Lake Charles to learn trail rides, boudin and a part of Louisiana she thought she already knew. It's a conversation about authenticity, family and preservation, and why the food and music of Louisiana connect a state that likes to joke it's really several states in one. Before the interview, Brady and Jillian visit Pitt Grill for Envie Eats, a classic Lake Charles diner open since 1972, for gumbo, a breakfast po' boy, the egg bowl and a pork fricassee plate lunch with homemade banana pudding. Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    Robin Barnes and Rusty Metoyer on What Connects Louisianians

  3. Aug 12

    Inside the Brewhouse at Crying Eagle

    Guest Ryan O'Donnell, the brewmaster and executive director of brewery operations at Crying Eagle Brewing, joins hosts Brady and Jillian on Louisiana's Playground to talk through the science and the art behind more than 600 beers, from a pickle sour to a Munich Dunkel finished with local honey. He explains why lagers take patience, how a Disney World dessert became a fan-favorite sour, and why a brewery is really a community gathering place. It all comes back to the two Lake Charles locations that keep locals and visitors coming back. Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org. Stop by Crying Eagle Brewing near McNeese State University for a brewery, beer garden, and restaurant with specialty pizzas and a rotating tap list. Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    Inside the Brewhouse at Crying Eagle

  4. Jul 29

    The Today Show Gave Us 30 Seconds. We Are Taking 30 Minutes.

    Guest Devan Corbello, the Director of Public Relations at Visit Lake Charles, joins hosts Brady and Jillian on Louisiana's Playground to break down how Lake Charles landed a Today Show shout-out as an affordable alternative to Las Vegas, and what the "Vegas dupe" label gets right and misses. The trio digs into the earned media strategy behind the segment, the southern hospitality that can't be faked, and everything Lake Charles offers that a quick TV mention never had time to cover. Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org. Stop by Saltgrass Steakhouse inside Golden Nugget Lake Charles for an award-winning steakhouse serving Angus beef, seafood, and southern classics right off the casino floor. Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    The Today Show Gave Us 30 Seconds. We Are Taking 30 Minutes.

  5. Jul 15

    100 Reasons to Love Lake Charles

    Hosts Brady and Jillian mark 100 episodes of Louisiana's Playground with a countdown of the 100 things they love most about Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana, sorted into everything from the food that started it all to the natural beauty most people drive past. Guest Kyle Edmiston, the President/CEO of Visit Lake Charles, opens the episode to mark the show's move into a new multimedia studio and its first full video episode. The final entry on the list is the one that makes every other entry possible. Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org.  Stop by Tokyo on Nelson Road for an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant serving sushi, hibachi, and the only hot pot between Houston and Lafayette.   Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    100 Reasons to Love Lake Charles

  6. Jul 1

    Made in SWLA, Built for America

    Guest Matthew Lundmark, the founder of Lundmark Creative, a Lake Charles-based video production and marketing company, joins hosts Brady and Jillian on Louisiana’s Playground to go behind the scenes on Visit Lake Charles’ most recent video series, Made in SWLA, Built for America. The series’ creator delves into his most meaningful moments, the hardest shots to capture and the spirit behind the series that kept it moving forward.  Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org.  Stop by Big E’s Kitchen in Sulphur to fill up on Louisiana-style home cooking with daily specials that change throughout the week.  Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    Made in SWLA, Built for America

  7. Jun 17

    Why Lake Charles Should Be on Every Bride's Radar

    Guest Sara Lasher, Owner and Lead Planner at Sara Lasher Weddings and Events, joins hosts Brady and Jillian on Louisiana’s Playground to make the case for Lake Charles as a premier wedding destination. From live oak canopies and lakefront sunsets to historic venues and Cajun catering that stuns out-of-towners, Sara breaks down why couples do not have to leave Southwest Louisiana to have the wedding of their dreams. Whether you are a local bride or planning from out of state, Lake Charles has more to offer than most realize.  Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org.  Stop by The Cajun's Wharf Grill & Bar for a taste of Southwest Louisiana flavors pair with a fun environment.  Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    Why Lake Charles Should Be on Every Bride's Radar

  8. Jun 3

    Be You, Be Proud, Be Festive in Lake Charles

    Guest Dawn Wheat, the organizer for SWLA Pride Fest, joins host Brady and guest co-host Devan on Louisiana’s Playground to discuss the upcoming SWLA Pride Fest celebration. The all-day festival is packed with activities celebrating freedom, authenticity, and culture.  Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org.  Stop by Lazy K Meat Co for a Southwest Louisiana-style plate lunch or one of their many fresh creations like boudin, tasso, or their specialty, deer burritos.  Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC.

    Be You, Be Proud, Be Festive in Lake Charles
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Louisiana’s Playground is a podcast about all there is to experience in Lake Charles. Join hosts Brady Renard and Jillian Corder as they share fresh perspectives from locals, businesses, and area experts about the best-kept secrets of Southwest Louisiana. This podcast will give you all the tools you need to build your own personal Lake Charles itinerary. Louisiana’s Playground explores what it means to be bold and outspoken, yet laid back and homey. Tune in bi-weekly for a taste of all Southwest Louisiana has to offer; from authentic Louisiana dishes, luxurious resorts and spas, perfect party locations for adult and group trips, and endless ways to play all day. Live it up in Lake Charles and listen at visitlakecharles.org/podcast.

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