Cut a rug in Cut Off to support a good cause

For 40 years, the Cut Off Youth Center has been holding a fair to raise money to help fund the center’s social and recreational programs.

The 2007 event will be held on the center’s grounds at 205 West 79th St. in Cut Off, Friday, Nov. 9, to Sunday, Nov. 11.

The fair opens Friday at 5 p.m. On Saturday, the festivities begin at 3 p.m. with a cake-decorating contest upstairs at the Youth Center building. Sunday will open with a parade at 11 a.m. starting at Cut Off Elementary School (177 West 55th St.) and finishing at the center.

The fair will have plenty of music and dancing to accompany the alligator sauce piquante, fried oysters, soft-shell crab, fried shrimp, roast beef, pork stew, cracklings, gumbo, hamburgers and hot dogs being served up to visitors.

Treater commences the good sounds on Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. The Blue Eyed Soul Revue follows from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

At 9 p.m. Friday, waltz and jitterbug contests will be held, but the real fun may take place at the potato-dance competition. Couples will try to hold a potato between their heads while dancing a waltz. Those not able to keep the spud suspended above the shoulders will have to take a seat.

The swamp-pop band Party of Two opens at 3 p.m. Saturday, playing until 9 p.m. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., the All-Star Cheerleaders from Larose will put on an exhibition. The Chee-Weez band takes the stage from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

On Sunday, visitors will come to attention when the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band plays from noon to 1 p.m., but can put themselves at ease when Waylon Thibodeaux, “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler,” takes over from 1 to 5 p.m. The swamp-pop outfit LA 985 will rock the fair from 5 to 8 p.m.

At 6 p.m., a $6,000 raffle will be conducted, and throughout Saturday and Sunday various items will be auctioned.

The fair is offering five 4-hour, pay-one-price sessions on rides, one on Friday and two each on Saturday and Sunday.

A Cut Off Youth Center Teen Queen, Miss Queen and Mrs. Queen will be crowned at a pageant held at the center on Saturday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 4. Admission is $12 for the pageant and dinner.

Also on Sunday at the Youth Center, a Little Queen will be selected. Admission is $5 at the door.

Call Daniel Callais at (985) 632-7616 for more information.