Louisiana’s I-12 Retirement District has a rich and vibrant cultural life.

From great theatrical productions to outstanding festivals, from progressive art galleries to sidewalk shows, from “Bayou Jam Concerts” to the “Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra”, the arts are thriving.

Our cultural life is a major contributor to both our economy and our quality of life.

St. Helena Parish
St. Helena Parish offers a quality of life that includes serene beauty, rolling hills, forests of tall pines and peaceful tranquility, 50 to 80 feet above sea level. St. Helena Parish is the home of the St. Helena Parish Forest Festival, an annual event that spotlights the forestry industry. Much of St. Helena is rural, so there are many communities with a small town atmosphere and friendly people. St. Helena Parish was first inhabited by the American Indian. The Houma, Bayou Goula, Tangipahoa and Choctaw Tribes settled along the rivers, streams and lakes in the area. The woodlands were utilized by these people for hunting and gathering. Although the population of the Indian tribes declined with the arrival of the white men, the Indians are still commemorated in the names of the local rivers and towns.

St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish has a rich cultural heritage and history. The incredibly diverse community contributes to our unique cultural identity. There are dancers, musicians, actors, preservationist, historians, poets, writers and working artists across St. Tammany. St. Tammany residents and visitors participate in many annual outdoor fairs and festivals ranging from art and music to livestock, seafood, and crafts. We are home to four live theatres with full seasons of plays and performances, several ballet and dance companies and over 60 non-profit arts organizations.

Approximately 23% or 127,698 acres of St. Tammany parish is green space that has been set aside by the Louisiana Nature Conservancy and the state for state parks. This provides residents and visitors opportunities for fishing, hunting, bird watching, hiking and just enjoying the outdoors. There are nine golf courses, six museums, and two state parks, Fairview-Riverside and Fontainebleau and Fort Pike Historic Site in St. Tammany Parish.

Tangipahoa Parish
Tangipahoa Parish offers an unsurpassed quality of life that comes natural with the rich history and culture of the area. The history of Tangipahoa Parish began in 1869 when portions of St. Tammany, Washington, St. Helena and Livingston Parishes were taken to form a new parish, Tangipahoa. The name is derived from the “Tangipahoa” Indians that had settled in the area centuries before.

Today Tangipahoa Parish represents the state of Louisiana in microcosm. The north end has its piney rolling hills like those found in north Louisiana to the south end of the parish showcasing swamps, marshes, and cypress trees. Regardless of the terrain, the people of Tangipahoa bring warmth that few places can match.

Washington Parish
Washington Parish is comprised of beautiful countrysides, including rolling hills, pine forests, farms, waterways and rural back roads. The pace of life is a little slower and less stressed, but that doesn’t mean they are without abundant activities in which to take part. Washington Parish residents can enjoy fairs, festivals and events of many types nearly year-round, including the largest free parish fair in the country each fall, and one of the largest Mardi Gras parades outside the metropolitan area each year. There is an active art association, a small community theatre offering one or two productions each year, and two museums.

The residents of Washington Parish look forward to the start of construction of the Bogue Chitto State Park west of Franklinton. There are two major rivers, and abundant hunting, fishing, boating, and bird watching opportunities. There are three golf courses in the parish.

Louisiana’s I-12 Retirement District parishes have every lifestyle from urban areas, water front property, golf course property and large farms.