We’ve got ‘Good Eating’ right here in Lafourche

As the name indicates, the Bon Mange Festival in Gheens is about good eating, but there’s plenty more fun to be had.

Held on the grounds of the Vacherie-Gheens Community Center, the festival will have a best car, truck and motorcycle show for the first time ever, and this year will offer carnival rides for the first time in more than a decade.

And for the second year in a row, the food offerings will have pastalaya – jambalaya with noodles instead of rice. The dish went over big at last year’s festival and will do so again this year, said Kearney Toups, community center board president.

“It was real good,” he said.

Besides the pastalaya, main dishes at the fair include shrimp gumbo, chicken gumbo, white beans and rice, red beans and rice, cracklins, fried catfish, baked chicken and dressing, salads and desserts.

The fair opens Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m. for the food and rides and closes at 10 p.m.

Gates open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. Musical acts are Wayne Foret, noon to 4; Gary Thibodaux, 4 to 8 p.m. and Swing Arm from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

On Sunday, gates open at 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Treater with Charles Mann will play most of the day from noon to close. All performances will be held inside the air-conditioned community center building.

The festival will also have a country store stocked with clothes, crafts and knickknacks for those on the lookout for bargains.

Registration for the car, truck and motorcycle show is $15 in advance and $20 on Saturday, the day of the show. Prizes for best of show and winners of the individual car, truck and motorcycle divisions will be handed out. The contest also has Top 20 and People’s Choice categories.

Participants need to be at the fair by 11 a.m., said Susan Falgout, community center board member. The show will be held behind the community center building.

Also on Saturday, a Bon Mange Festival king will be crowned in a ceremony from 7 to 8 p.m. The name of the king is kept under wraps until the time of the event. The queen was crowned at a ceremony last year and will be present at the fair.

Although his name is unknown, Falgout said the king is always someone who has helped in the community.

As for the carnival rides, Toups said expect to see a carousel, Ferris wheel and the Octopus, plus at least three or four other rides.

Started in 1973, the Bon Mange Festival was called the Gheens Festival for many years. Toups said the name was changed because of the prominence of the food offerings. Bon mange means good eating in French.

All proceeds from the festival benefit the Vacherie-Gheens Community Center located at 1783 La. Highway 654, around three-and-a-half miles from La. Highway 308.

For more information, call Falgout at (985) 532-5960.

2008 Bon Mange Ms. Queen Amy Perret, Queen Kyla Becnel and Teen Queen Melissa Berthelot enjoy last year’s festivities.