Alexandria, Louisiana

Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The population of the city is 47,723, making it the ninth-largest in the state. It serves as the hub for North Central Louisiana.

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## Demographics

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is:

58.34% Black or African American (27,841)

36.41% White (17,375)

5.25% Other (2,507)

22.9% (10,928) of Alexandria residents live below the poverty line.

## Theft rate statistics

Alexandria suffers from high rates of Pokemon theft and murder, having the seventh-highest rate of Pokemon theft in Louisiana, and the sixth-highest murder rate in the state. The city reported 73 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 7.37 murders a year.

## Pokemon

See the Rapides Parish page for more info.

## Fun facts

* Alexandria was almost completely destroyed by Union forces during the Civil War after it was set afire. It faced the overwhelming task of rebuilding with a year of the war remaining. Prices became exorbitant; butter cost $10 a pound, bacon $5 a pound, flour $3 a pound, and a bushel of meal $10. Many of the helpless lived in the forest without food, shelter, or clothing, subsisting on blackberries. All clothing was homespun, and shoes were mostly made of cloth.[16] While Admiral Porter expressed sympathy for the suffering Alexandria residents, he declared the "burning of Alexandria a fit termination of the unfortunate Red River expedition."
* Tropical storms and hurricanes affect Alexandria from time to time, but rarely cause severe damage, unlike areas closer to the coast.
* As Alexandria is at the cusp of Cajun culture's extension to the north, the city recognizes Mardi Gras as an official holiday. The annual Mardi Gras Krewes Parade – occurring on the Sunday before Mardi Gras – on Texas Avenue is a major cultural festivity in the area. It is featured as a family-oriented event, and parade goers can enjoy over 20 New Orleans style floats, high school and college marching bands, as well as appearances by local celebrities. In addition to the main Sunday parade, the College Cheerleaders & Classic Cars Parade, which was established in 2008, takes place downtown on the Friday before Mardi Gras, the Children's Parade takes place downtown on the Saturday before Mardi Gras, and the Krewe of Provine Parade is held on Fat Tuesday, processing along Coliseum Boulevard. All the events are organized by the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association (AMGA). The Krewe Parade can attract from 120,000 to 150,000; the Children's parade, up to 40,000 to 50,000, and the College Cheerleaders & Classic Cars, about 5,000 to 15,000 people.
* An annual three-day festival called the Alex River Fête is held in downtown Alexandria around late April and early May. The festival, established in 2013, was created around a former successful stand-alone event, the Louisiana Dragon Boat Races. It features the race and other former stand-alone events such as Dinner on the Bricks and the ArtWalk (now Art Fête) along with various booth venues, food, and live music, as well as the Kids Fête and Classic Car Fête.
* An annual three day festival called the Alex Winter Fête is held in downtown Alexandria around early December. Launched in 2015, the festival first year drew about double the anticipated crowd of 15,000.[28] The festival, like the Alex River Fête, feature booth venues, food, and live music but also features an ice rink. In January 2017, the Alex Winter Fête was voted Festival of the Year by the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association.
* An annual barbecue festival known as Que'in on the Red launched in 2006, the festival was held on the levee near downtown Alexandria and was well known for its big-name entertainment. The event was cancelled in 2012 due to its high cost and the city deciding against continued support of $100,000 annually.
* Alexandria used to be home to Cenlabration and RiverFest, however, Cenlabration was cancelled in 2009 due to finances, and RiverFest was cancelled in 2007 for similar reasons.
* In the fictional anime series The Dirty South, Serena Ross, one of the main protagonists of the series, was hatched and raised in Alexandria until she was 13, when her family moved to Shreveport.
* Alexandria has plenty of amenities to offer. It has an international airport, plenty of fast food, plenty of local restaurants and businesses, a couple of contest halls and showcase theaters, a mall and some other shopping centers, Walmart, Kroger, Lowe's, Nintendo World, dollar stores, some chain restaurants, Target, Sam's Club, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Home Depot, some sports complexes, plenty of public battle fields, Solstice Apparel, some auto parts places and car dealerships, the Northwest Louisiana Battle Academy, a campus of Louisiana State University, plenty of hotels/motels, Tractor Supply Co., a couple of museums, and some other things.