We invite you to join us at the following special events to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-11) :

• Wednesday, May 7 - Iberia Parish Day at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center  

• Thursday, May 8 - Unveiling of "Becoming New Iberia" interpretive kiosk at the New Iberia City Hall plaza in front of the fountain. 

• Friday, May 9 - Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne will stop at TABASCO®/McIlhenny on Avery Island at 1 p.m. for a press conference.    

• McIlhenny is now offering food tours Tuesdays-Thursdays from 1 - 4 p.m. Tours cost $49 per person for 6 tastings and leave from the TABASCO® Country Store. Call 337-373-6139 for reservations. Same day reservations need to be made by noon.

• SOCIAL MEDIA/WEB TIP #32: What are the leading mobile, social, and digital media trends? Find out at the free Digital Marketing Forum on May 8 at the Louisiana Small Business Development Center in Lafayette. Connect with digital media experts who can help you fine tune your multi-media strategy! Register here.

• ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS: the Greater Iberia Chamber is facilitating the Shop Berry Small campaign in a partnership with the IPCVB, City of New Iberia and BestLife Iberia. We are promoting participating businesses on our website, social media, consumer newsletter, Iberia's Sweet Picks and in ads, including a banner ad on TheAdvocate.com. Take advantage of this free marketing opportunity! Click here to register.

• Promote your project with the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce's Operation Progress initiative. In an effort to be able to enumerate and promote the progressive activities taking place within Iberia Parish by civic, social, cultural and governmental entities, the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce, as your facilitator, is compiling a list of current activities and those planned for the near future. Submit your project by May 30, 2014. Details here.

• Re-development Incentive Grant Applications for 2014-2015 are now available. Louisiana Main Street Redevelopment Incentive Grants encourage economic development through community reinvestment and revitalization by providing matching funds support for the redevelopment of historic downtown commercial properties in order to foster renewed interest in shopping, working, living downtown, and cultural tourism development by providing final support for the restoration and redevelopment (using historic preservation practices) of historic downtown commercial properties. Deadline: June 12, 2014. Details here.

• The Delcambre Poker Run was featured on Louisiana Kitchen and Culture's web calendar and e-newsletter last week.

• We have a new travel app for smartphones. Download it here!

• Joshua Caffery will present his new book, Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana, on May 8 at 6 p.m. at the Old US Mint in New Orleans.

In 1934, Alan Lomax and his father, John, began a trip across Louisiana's Cajun country during the height of the Great Depression. Equipped with a sound recorder, the two men traveled the state recording African-American and Acadian music. These recordings are among the most important sources of information about Louisiana traditional music existing today. 

Caffery will examine the Lomaxes' journey while providing a musical history of coastal Louisiana. A native of Franklin, Grammy Award-nominated Caffery is a writer, musician and founding member of the Red Stick Ramblers. He is also a member of Feufollet, a Cajun/Americana band based in Lafayette. This free public event is presented by the Louisiana State Museum.