Proposed parish pipeline provides promise
May 3, 2011
Rebecca Cheramie
May 5, 2011Hungry for some great Cajun cuisine? Awesome swamp pop music that rocks your soul?
Then mark your calendar for May 6-8 when Lockport Food Festival presents “La Fete Du Monde.”
The event was originally held in downtown Lockport as a means of raising money for the Holy Savior Catholic School. But because of a rule change in the Catholic church, it was discontinued, publicity chairwoman Dee Dee Gaubert said.
But people had grown to love the annual event by then. So, six non-profit groups united to bring La Fete Du Monde back to the downtown area.
Today, the festival is sponsored by six local non-profit organizations: the Lion’s Club, Lockport Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, Bayou Lafourche Folk Museum, the Town of Lockport and the Lockport Fire Department, Gaubert said.
And it’s getting a bit later start than usual because Easter arrived later this year. Past festivals were held in the fall until back-to-back hurricanes – Ivan in 2004 and Katrina in ’05 – caused cancellations. Beginning in 2006, the event was moved to April. “If we hadn’t changed the dates (this year), the festival would have concluded on Palm Sunday,” Gaubert explained.
True to its roots, La Fete du Monde is a feast for food connoisseurs. The Cajun cuisine ranges from homemade jambalaya and gumbo to seafood po-boys, onion mums, alligator sauce picante, griads, crawfish pies, fried fish and crawfish etouffee. There’s also the usual fest fare – nuggets, hamburgers and hot dogs. And returning to this year’s event are Edwith and Velma Dufrene, who are known to locals as the couple that makes the beignets.
Slated to perform Friday are Gary T Band and Velvet Sky; on Saturday, Jake & the Nifty Fifties, Wayne Foret, Treater and Velvet Sky again; and Kenny Fife & Bac Trac and Party of 2 on Sunday.
No south Louisiana festival would be complete without a carnival midway, and the Lockport Food Festival doesn’t disappoint there. Gaubert said a pay-one-price armband admits festival-goers to all the amusements, like the bumper cars, the Ali-Baba Sizzler and the other rides. Armbands are available at the festival or in advance at Lockport Town Hall.
The fun gets underway at 6 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
“We’re hoping for another great turnout this year,” Gaubert said. “People in the area support us and visitors from away come to experience what a south Louisiana festival is all about. Hopefully, this year’s won’t disappoint. We’ve got a good lineup of music, our food is delicious and very reasonably priced, and there are rides for the kids to enjoy. This is definitely a family affair.”
For more information, contact Gaubert at (985) 532-5909.
