Crime Blotter: Reported offenses in the Tri-parishes
November 28, 2012
Gumbo’s Greatest Hits revealed
December 3, 2012
The Mississippi River levee in Gramercy and Lutcher ignites with 110 bonfires on Christmas Eve, but the 23rd-annual festival celebrating this long-running tradition begins 10 days earlier in the St. James Parish community.
Although the bonfires are pared down for the festival (only one teepee-styled fire is lit on Friday and Saturday night), numerous events beckon tourists from around the country, Festival of the Bonfires President Rhonda Lee says.
“We get visitors from all over the country,” Lee says. “I think it’s because of the tradition of lighting the bonfires.”
The most popular element of the festival is Friday’s Gumbo cook-off, Lee says.
“This year we’ll probably have 50 teams,” she says. “You buy a sampler, and they have four cups in there so you get to sample four gumbos.”
Several bands perform live throughout the weekend. No Idea closes the festival Sunday evening and other performers at the three-day festival include Kenny Cornett and Killing Time, Bag of Donuts and The Topcats.
Competitors can partake in a children’s pageant, gingerbread house contest, cookie contest, 5K race and a car show. There’s also the Million Mutt March (with dog races, tennis ball fetching and the pet owner and animal look-alike contest) benefitting the local animal shelter.
The festival runs from 2 p.m. to midnight on Friday, 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The 5K race, half-mile kids’ run/walk and Million Mutt March are Sunday before the grounds open.
Then on Christmas Eve, Santa’s trail is lit atop the levee.
“It is amazing,” Lee says.
Most bonfires are shaped like teepees, but organizers always build a few that gel with a particular theme. Sometimes they are homages to sports teams, such as LSU and the Saints, and others deal with Louisiana’s history and culture.
“Every year we have two to three specialty bon fires, and they build it whatever the theme is,” Lee says. “It’s unreal what these people come up with.”
The Christmas Eve lighting begins at 7 p.m., Dec. 24. The first bonfire is visible from La. Highway 44 south of La. Highway 3213.
Festival of the Bonfires runs from Dec. 14-16 at Lutcher Recreation Park, La. Highway 3193. Admission is $4. For more information, visit www.festivalofthebonfires.org.
Festival of the Bonfires offers a glimpse of tradition to those who can’t make it to the Christmas Eve lighting of 100-plus bonfires atop the Mississippi River levee in Gramercy and Lutcher.
