page_title: Grand Isle, Louisiana
section_title: Arts and culture
hierarchical_section_title: Grand Isle, Louisiana / Arts and culture
caption_attribution_description: BEACH SCENE, 09/1972. Grand Isle, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Person and dog running along the surf seen from behind.
context_page_description: Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the gulf. As of the 2010 census, the town's resident population was 1,296, down from 1,541 in 2000; during summers, the population, including tourists and seasonal residents, sometimes increases to over 20,000. Grand Isle is statistically part of the New Orleans−Metairie−Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area, though it is not connected to New Orleans' continuous urbanized area.
  Grand Isle's main street is the seaside start of Louisiana Highway 1, which stretches 436.2 miles away to the northwest corner of the state, ending near Shreveport. LA 1's automobile causeway at the west end of the island is the only land access to or from Grand Isle.
  Direct access to Grand Isle's seat of parish government is 95 miles away in suburban Jefferson Parish.
context_section_description: Fishing is an important part of Grand Isle's culture. The island is a premier destination for avid fishermen as anglers adore the more than 280 species of fish in the surrounding waters. In 1928, the annual Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, fishing tournament, was established on the island and is now one of the premier salt water fishing rodeos in the United States. The Cajun rodeo draws over 15,000 people annually offering tourists the opportunity to witness the big catch, enjoy local seafood, and mingle with locals.
  The island also has well maintained beaches. Grand Isle State Park, on the east end of the island, is the only state-owned and operated beach on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The beach is a popular destination for people living in South Louisiana. In 2010, Yahoo Travel named Grand Isle one of America's Top 10 winter beach retreats. In 2011, Yahoo travel names Grand Isle one of the Top 5 island getaways.
  The island is home to the Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 29°15′55″N 89°57′23″W located on the eastern end of the island.
caption: Enjoying the Grand Isle beach, 1972
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