Before 2016, the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center hosted about 65 events a year, many of them equestrian. Today, the Ascension Parish-owned property logs more than 300 event days annually—and its role has expanded well beyond the arena.
Since 2016, Lamar-Dixon has evolved into a multiuse venue for sports, concerts, festivals, trade shows and community events. The grounds include two climate-controlled gymnasiums for basketball and volleyball, seven lighted soccer fields, a turf football field, a walking trail and three stocked fishing ponds. A monthly Senior Citizen Sock Hop draws more than 600 seniors.
“Beyond driving millions of tourism dollars directly into our local business community through concerts and expos, it provides incredible everyday value to our families,” Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment says.
The facility has also become a destination for larger concerts and festivals. Rock the Country, Boots on the Bayou and the Flambeau Music Festival have brought performers including Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Kane Brown, Sam Hunt, Hank Williams Jr., Riley Green, Lee Brice, Tracy Lawrence, Nelly and Parker McCollum to Ascension Parish.
The crowds generated by those events extend the center’s reach into the broader local economy, bringing business to area hotels, restaurants, retailers and fuel stations. Consumer and trade events such as the Louisiana Outdoor Expo, Merry Market and ATT Expo add to that activity.
“When you look at our progression from a venue hosting 65 events a year to a powerhouse hosting over 300 event days annually, it highlights the versatile nature of this property,” Lamar-Dixon General Manager Kyle Rogers said. “We have built an infrastructure capable of welcoming tens of thousands of fans for national concert tours one weekend, hosting regional consumer expos the next, and seamlessly pivoting to serve as a vital staging hub for first responders when natural disasters strike.”
That ability to pivot is a less visible but significant part of Lamar-Dixon’s role. Since Ascension Parish purchased the property in 2009 using grants and private donations, the grounds have served as a disaster recovery and emergency response staging area, including during the 2016 flood and Hurricane Laura.
Parish officials now want to pursue more regional and national sporting events, concerts and trade shows, along with multiday festivals and athletic tournaments. Plans also call for infrastructure and visitor amenity upgrades to accommodate larger crowds.
“As Ascension Parish continues to grow,” Cointment says, “our vision for Lamar-Dixon is to build on this momentum, attracting larger regional events while preserving it as a vibrant community space.”
