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THIBODAUX, LA – The Let Freedom Ring Festival will return for its 23rd annual event on July 4, 2024, at Peltier Park in Thibodaux. The community-funded event has grown to include live bands, food trucks, a corn hole tournament, craft vendors, petting zoo, silent and live auctions, and a bicycle decorating contest and parade.
Admission to the festival is free, and families are still welcome to attend the park with their own food and drinks. Events include:
- 7:30 a.m. – The festivities kick off with a free breakfast provided for all veterans and first responders. Food is delivered to nursing homes and hospitals for those unable to attend in person.
- 3:00 p.m. – The opening ceremony will feature a color guard from Tiger Battalion JROTC of Thibodaux High School, a flag-raising by local veterans, and a bugle rendition of Taps and 21-gun salute by the United Veterans League. Food trucks and vendor booths open at 3:00 p.m. and close at 8:30 p.m. This year’s food trucks include The Bayou Lemon, Bayouland Cooking, Coneheadz Snowballs, FlamiNguyen and Kona Ice of Bayou Kool Breeze. Other booths will feature Busy Being Amazing, Cheramie Farms Petting Zoo, Southern Feathers Aviary and Visions, and Vibes, LLC.
- 3:30 p.m. – A cornhole tournament offers cash prizes in two categories. Registration is $10 for the Social category, and $15 for the Advanced category. Winners will be announced at 7:00 p.m. if the tournament is complete. The silent auction begins at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. Auction items have been donated by the community.
- 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. – The Whitney Rae Band will perform country hits from the 1990s-2000s and classic rock.
- 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. – The live auction will feature items donated by local businesses and community members.
- 7:00 p.m. – The bike decorating contest judging begins at 7:00 p.m. Trophies are awarded for Most Patriotic and Most Creative in two categories: 12 and under, and over 12. Entry is only $10. Participants must register no later than 6:30 p.m. Prizes are provided by Louisiana East Side Riders Bike Club. Immediately after the judging, the bike parade will begin. The parade is free and open to all.
- 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. – The Whitney Rae Band returns to the stage for more country and classic rock.
- 9:00 – 9:30 p.m. – The evening concludes with a professional fireworks extravaganza, funded by the Lorio Foundation.
The festival was founded by the City of Thibodaux, Vietnam Veterans of Thibodaux and Tiger Battalion & Company, Inc., the nonprofit booster organization for the Thibodaux High School JROTC program. Premier sponsors for 2024 include Lorio Foundation, Bayou Signs and Nick’s Refrigeration of Thibodaux.
“This festival is a way for us to bring together our whole community to celebrate what it means to be an American, and the people who help to protect it,” said Lydia Szanyi Boudreaux, Chair of the Let Freedom Ring Festival Committee and President of Tiger Battalion Booster Club. “For the battalion, it’s an invaluable way to introduce our students to community service and teach them to be responsible citizens. The festival is an investment in their future.”
For more information, visit us at www.letfreedomringfest.com, or on Facebook at LFRFest or Instagram at @letfreedomringfestival.
