Willis Felecien Sevin
October 2, 2013
Not your average QB: THS star shines, despite desire to be halfback
October 9, 2013The engine of an organization that shelters and entertains a south Lafourche community, French Food Festival volunteers are indispensable.
The festival’s helping hands replace vendors as the weekend’s food merchants and thus divert all proceeds to the Larose Civic Center, but they also deal with the logistics of keeping a festival that draws 30-40,000 people humming along.
The south Lafourche mainstay returns for the 40 year. The Southeast Tourism Society has honored the festival as a Top-20 event in the region in October. It marks the third time in the past four years that STS has bestowed the honor upon French Food Fest.
The festival sees similar reverence from the people it entertains. The festival features more than 40 food booths with cultural cuisine, particularly specialized seafood dishes, alligator sauce picante, funnel cakes and more.
The sound and sights of live auctions (including the popular pageantry crowns) and live music (Gary T, Ruff N Ready, Chee Weez, Walyon Thibodeaux, Chubby Carrier, Amanda Shaw, Seabrook and the Hurricane Levee Band, among them) reverberate throughout the pavilion while revelers eat and socialize.
Outside the pavilion, the younger crowd frequents a carnival mid-way with pay-one-price rides. Folklife demonstrations further cultural traditions for those interested in learning
Jena Detillier was named the 2013 French Food Festival Queen last month, organizers announced last month Amber Brady is FFF Teen Queen.
The festival’s fourth day, replete with rock stars, returns for its second year. Steve Augeri, former lead singer of Journey, Baton Rouge’s Allison Collins Band and Zebra take an outdoor stage on Thursday to jump-start the weekend. The “French Food Festival Rocks” party at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, which cost $25, can be purchased on www.fffrocks.thundertix.com.
There’s also the Glow in the Dark 5K Bridge Run, which takes participants across the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge on La. Highway 308. It is similar to other color runs, where runners are doused in vibrant hues, but it’s after dark, beginning at 7 p.m. Registration is $25.
Various sporting events, such as the 3-on-3 basketball tournament and pirogue races, are scheduled throughout the weekend.
Festival admission is free. The gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday, 11:30 on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
