Cypress Sawmill fest a Patterson favorite

For 18 years, Patterson has shared its roots at its annual Cypress Sawmill Festival.

The celebrated event was hailed in 2006 by the Louisiana Association of Fairs & Festivals as the “Festival of the Year.”

And for good reason, too. The family festival features continuous live music with top area performers – Waylon Thibodeaux, The Molly Ringwalds and Foret Tradition are among the headliners; competitive sporting events; a passe’ partout (two-person saw contest); arts and crafts booths; a Cajun cooking contest; a street fair with rides and games for the kids; and, of course, great food and fun.

The brainstorm of a group of seven St. Mary Parish residents, the Cypress Sawmill Festival was created to generate funds to build a museum dedicated to the sawmill industry, Patterson’s one-time bread and butter trade. In the late 1800s, lumber schooners used East St. Mary Parish’s waterways en route to sawmills that lined Bayou Teche, the lower Atchafalaya River, Bayou Ramos and Bayou Boeuf.

“Patterson was, at the time, the king of the cypress industry,” said festival director David Boudier. “By 1908, it was the site of the largest sawmill in the world, which produced 150,000 board feet per day.

“Our purpose for the festival is to preserve the existence of the cypress sawmill, which is a memory to some but a history lesson to most,” he added. “And we do it by showing off our culture.”

This year’s festival is set for April 4-6 at Kemper Williams Park. Admission is $10 per car per day, $5 per car on Friday or visitors can purchase a $20 weekend pass.

Friday’s events include the 3rd annual Cypress Sawmill Golf Tournament at the Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild in Patterson, arts and crafts fairs and, that evening, performances by the KQKI Country Music Showdown and Flash Back.

The rides, provided by Mitchell Brothers Amusement, include an Amazon jungle, rock climbing and bungee jumping.

On Saturday, there’s a sawmill display in the museum, a Zoo-Zoom petting zoo, gumbo cookoff and music throughout the day by Southern Skkyy, The Original Tramps, Satisfaction and Big Cat Daddy. At 9 p.m., fireworks will light the sky in honor of law enforcement, firefighters and rescue personnel.

Sunday’s fun includes the 18th annual Classic Car & Truck Display, a motorcycle poker run, and passe’ partout. Thibodaux, the Ringwalds and Foret also perform.

For more information, call (985) 395-4905 or visit www.cypresssawmill.com.