Interesting First District Facts

  • Includes the following Parishes: Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, and portions of Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Tangipahoa, and Terrebonne
  • 86.02% urban, 13.98% rural (based on 2010 population)
  • Population (2010): 755,445
  • Median Income: $50,954
  • Area: 4,032.32 square miles 
  • St. Bernard Parish proudly holds the title of "Oyster Capital of the World" and hosts the Violet Oyster Festival once a year. 
  • Hammond is home to Southeastern Louisiana University, which is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation.
  • The city of Ponchatoula, also know as the "Strawberry Capital of the World" is home to the Strawberry Festival, which is the second largest free festival in Louisiana, drawing crowds of over 250,000 people.
  • Metairie is home to The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest continuous bridge over water in the world. Metairie is also home to the New Orleans Zephyrs baseball team. The minor league club has played its home games at Zephyr Field since 1997 and is a member of the Pacific Coast League.
  • Plaquemines Parish is home to the very first Mardi Gras in the United States and is one of the main contributors to seafood production in Louisiana, producing millions of pounds of shrimp, oysters and crabs each year. 
  • Houma is commonly known as Louisiana’s Bayou Country because nearly 65% of the parish is wetlands or open water. 
  • Folsom is home to the Global Wildlife Center.
  • Lacombe is home to Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
  • The Northshore is home to an array of wildlife, swamp, and eco-tourism attractions.
  • The town of Jean Lafitte was once a hideaway for pirates. 
  • Fairs held: Fall FunFest (Covington), Gretna Heritage Festival (Gretna), Slidell Heritage Festival (Slidell), Andouille Festival (La Place), Blues and BBQ Challenge Festival (Hammond), Seafood Festival (Mandeville), Strawberry Festival (Ponchatoula), Ozone Film Festival (Covington), Celtic Nations Heritage Festival (Madisonville), Independence Italian Festival (Independence), Louisiana Renaissance Festival (Hammond), Wooden Boat Festival (Madisonville), Strawberry Jam'n Toast To The Arts Festival (Ponchatoula), Three Rivers Art Festival (Covington), Louisiana, Bayou Lacombe Crab Festival (Lacombe)
  • The famous spice-maker Zatarain's was founded in Gretna in 1889.Portions of the movie "A Love Song for Bobby Long" were filmed in Gretna.
  • Bayou Liberty in Slidell is featured in a boat chase scene in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die when James Bond is chased in a motor boat.
  • Kentwood is known as the “Dairy Capital of the South”, and is best known as the hometown of pop singer Britney Spears and sister Jamie Lynn Spears.
  • The book, "Dead Man Walking", and movie about the book, was based on a murder that took place just south of Franklinton at Frickie's Cave (aka Frickie's Gourge).
  • Formally a Confederate camp and Union hospital during the civil war, Audubon Park in uptown New Orleans has amenities such as tennis courts, a golf course and over 300 acres of green space for locals and tourists to enjoy. 
  • The Abita Brewing Company -- In 1986, Abita Brewing Company was established as a microbrewery, and in 1994 they added a brew pub & restaurant. Abita's beer is brewed with the pure water of the artesian wells in Abita Springs.
  • Movies filmed in the area:
  • 1995 — Dead Man Walking
  • 1995 — Kingfish
  • 1997 — Kasi Lemmon's Eve's Bayou
  • 2007 — Gretchen Zieske
  • Notable Residents:
  • Justin Wilson (chef)
  • "Pistol Pete" Maravich (5 time NBA All-Star and NCAA record holder in average points per game and points scored in one season) 
  • Harry Connick Jr. (musician, actor, and American Idol judge)  
  • Amanda Shaw (Cajun fiddler and bandleader)
  • Rachel Reynolds (Price is Right model)
  • Karl Wilson, NFL DT/DE 1987-1995
  • Frankie Ford (rock and roll performer)
  • Emmett Hardy (early jazz great)
  • Lash La Rue (Western film actor)
  • Mel Ott (baseball hall of famer)
  • Joe Clay (rockabilly musician)
  • Brendan Benson -- Solo artist and front man of The Raconteurs.
  • Al Copeland -- founder of Popeye's Chicken franchises and Copeland's.
  • Ellen DeGeneres -- Comedian, talk show host
  • Pete Fountain -- clarinetist
  • Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown: world-famous multi-instrumentalist and Grammy Award winner (1924-2005)
  • Tony Canzoneri: world boxing champion
  • Chris Duhon: former Duke University point guard and current Chicago Bulls reserve point guard; helped Duke to the 2001 NCAA men's basketball championship.
  • Mike Fontenot: 2nd baseman for Chicago Cubs. Played college baseball at Louisiana State University.
  • John Besh: Chef and owner of LaProvence Restaurant, Restaurant August and Luke. Recently was a finalist on the Food Network show Iron Chef America.
  • Juvenile: famous southern rapper, whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
  • Rich Clementi: Mixed martial arts fighter and UFC veteran who trains and resides in Slidell.
  • Matt Forte: Running back for Chicago Bears. Played at Tulane University and Slidell High School.
  • John Goodman -- Golden Globe and Emmy-winning American actor.
  • Paul Mares -- jazz musician
  • Candice Stewart -- first African-American woman to represent Louisiana in the Miss USA pageant.
  • Danny Granger-- Professional Basketball player. Forward of the Indiana Pacers
  • Jackie Smith, National Football League tight end and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Collis Temple Jr., first African-American athlete at Louisiana State University
  • Robert Higgs, a prominent American economist, currently resides in Covington.