Category Archives: Press Release

Samantha Fish headlines FREE festival in Louisiana

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Posted in Local Events and Activities, Press Release

Lake Charles is the “Festival Capital of Louisiana”, hosting 75 festivals per year. In just three short years, This is Home Fest has seen a meteoric rise to the top as one of Lake Charles’s premiere cultural events each year. Born out of necessity, TIHF began in 2021 as a grassroots effort to rebuild the spirits of Southwest Louisiana residents after suffering a barrage of natural disasters; a 1,000-year flood event, Winter Storm Uri, and direct hits by two major hurricanes Laura and Delta, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic. Planned in just a few short weeks, the inaugural festival in October 2021 would not have been possible without the support of the Tarver family and Lake Charles Toyota. By appreciating the tremendous value in events that create cultural experiences in the community for residents to experience and enjoy, they have improved quality of life for residents of Southwest Louisiana. In the three years since, Lake Charles Toyota’s ongoing support as the festival’s presenting sponsor has made it possible for growth and improvements, with the addition of a second stage in 2022, and an enhancement of the VIP experience in 2023.

What to expect from This is Home Fest 2023

This Is Home Festival is a celebration of Southwest Louisiana’s deep cultural roots, live music, food, and art that brings people from all walks of life to enjoy and celebrate together. Louisiana’s unique culture lies deeply rooted in music, and the 2023 lineup promises to be an incredible showcase of top local and regional talent. This year’s headliners include Louisiana multi-instrumentalist, Yvette Landry, Texas country star, Kate Watson, and the electric blues powerhouse, Samantha Fish. Other performers include the Lake Charles vocal group, Bonavox, SWLA’s Swampland String Band, Southeast Texas southern rockers, Ole Lonesome, as well as performances by local high school marching bands from LaGrange and Washington-Marion, and the St. Louis Show Choir.

“We choose to make investments in events that create experiences and memories for our community.”

Corey Tarver, Lake Charles Toyota General Manager

The festival is growing in 2023, with a new partnership with the Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, a location change from Ryan St. near the Calcasieu Courthouse to the Lake Charles Civic Center Amphitheater grounds is an exciting improvement. This will allow for a Kid’s Zone featuring several family friendly activities, as well as use of Millennium Park. This space will allow for more room for food and art vendors, and improved parking accommodations.

Festival Director, Jay Ecker, presents Corey and Eric Tarver with a signed festival poster.

“This is our community. We grew up here, and we’re raising our kids here,” says Lake Charles Toyota General Manager, Corey Tarver. “We can spend our marketing budget on traditional commercials, or we can choose to make investments in events that create experiences and memories; things that our kids look forward to and become traditions for our family. We believe This is Home Fest is one of those events.”

Festival Details

This is Home Fest will be held April 22, 2023 starting at noon. Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome. VIP tickets are available for purchase at thisishomefest.com and include a brunch at Panorama Music House at 10AM.

ExpressWash Coming Spring 2023

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Posted in Press Release

Lake Charles Toyota is celebrating 25 years of Tarver family ownership and they’re marking the occasion with an expansion at 3905 Gerstner Memorial Blvd. Work is underway on this $3 million investment into the local economy, which will include a 90-foot, state-of-the art ExpressWash tunnel, vacuum stations, and the fastest electric vehicle (EV) charging technology available at this time. 

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McNeese Basketball Names Official Dealership

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Posted in Press Release

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer announced on Sunday that Lake Charles Toyota will be the Official Dealership of McNeese Basketball.

Lake Charles Toyota has been a long-time supporter of McNeese State University and McNeese Athletics and first partnered with the new administration last summer when it created the Toyota Tailgate at the Cowboys Country Fest.

“The Tarver family and Lake Charles Toyota have been monumental supporters of McNeese Athletics for years,” said Schroyer. “When I initially came to McNeese one of the first things I noticed was the love and support that Tarver Family has for Cowboy and Cowgirl Basketball. That support has continued to grow as we have gotten to know one another, and their giving towards McNeese both on and off the court has been a game changer. We are so excited that they stepped up to become the official car dealer of both men’s and women’s basketball, and look forward to more things to come”

McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer announced on Sunday that Lake Charles Toyota will be the Official Dealership of McNeese Basketball.

In addition, Lake Charles Toyota partnered with Legacy Jewelers to present the Cowboy Block Parties every Friday night this fall prior to home football games which has featured some of the top musical talents in the region. The block parties have become a highlight to McNeese football weekends.

“Our family began on campus at McNeese when I met (wife) DeWanna and we have spent our entire lives supporting the university,” said Phillip Tarver, Lake Charles Toyota owner.

“Our boys grew up behind the Pokes’ bench. They were ball boys in elementary school and when it came time for them to go to college, they chose McNeese for themselves. These days we bring our grandkids to the games and cheer for the blue and gold. McNeese is a part of our family. We take pride in being able to invest a part of our business into the university and move these programs forward.” 

“This is a continuation of our family philosophy of investing our resources in our community and specifically, this campus,” said Corey Tarver, Lake Charles Toyota Partner and General Manager. “Our roots run deep here, and we are grateful to this community for trusting us with their business and their money.” Corey Tarver.