Mr. Randolph "Raymond" Brown
November 2, 2006
HONORING AMERICA’S SOLDIERS
November 7, 2006
Every November, when cool – not cold – weather settles into southern Louisiana, residents and visitors of Thibodaux are reminded of the city’s past and present in a fall festival that caters to everyone, young and old.
The 15th annual Thibodeauxville Fall Festival, named after the city of Thibodaux’s original name, offers music, crafts, food and fun for anyone attending. “(Thibodeauxville) began in 1992,” said Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce CEO/President Kathy Benoit, “as an effort to reacquaint the community to downtown Thibodaux. With malls, strip malls and shopping centers, people gravitated away from the downtown area. So this was an effort to get people back there, and it’s continued all of these years.
“It reminds people of the history, culture and heritage. It reminds people that … Thibodaux is a very historic and old town.”
This year’s festivities in downtown Thibodaux take place on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets, and start Saturday, Nov. 11, from 8:30 a.m. until around 5:30 p.m.
During that time, arts and crafts, food and drink and music and dance are on the menu. “There’s no admission,” said Benoit. “It’s fun all day long, and you don’t have to pay a penny.”
That is, unless you choose to enjoy the numerous dishes being served at the 28 food booths. If you do choose to enjoy the food, rest assured, you won’t be the only person doing so. “A lot of our food vendors run out of what they bring,” said Benoit. “We have jambalaya, fried fish, white beans, corn soup, oriental food, barbecue, sweet potatoes.”
And that’s not all. “We have shrimp dishes, and a lot of different seafood dishes,” she said.
According to Benoit, the food vendors consist of some professional caterers, but are mostly “backyard cooks.”
After, or while, filling up on food, the arts and crafts portion of the festival – roughly 160 vendors – offers an abundance of choices for shoppers. “We … have original art, original craft,” said Benoit. “Homemade, handmade items. It’s right at holiday time, (and people are) looking for Christmas ideas. They don’t want trinkets, they want nice original items.”
And that’s exactly what Thibodeauxville vendors offer, said Benoit. “Everything from baby clothes, to quilts and blankets. Paintings – original oil and water paintings. Wood items, like swings and chairs and toys.
“We even have a guy who makes homemade wine. It’s a real big hit,” she said.
Sound like a lot?
Well, there’s more.
Throughout the day, two stages provide musical entertainment. One features Treater Band and Souled Out, while the other features continuous Christian music.
Treater Band plays from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and Souled Out follows from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. “People love (Treater Band),” said Benoit. “They attract a tremendous crowd, and we love having them. They’re so entertaining.”
As for Souled Out? “Great, great music,” she said. “Lots of brass, lots of horns, and they really get involved. They go into the crowd, and they play their music while they’re mingling with the crowd. It’s awesome.”
Thibodeauxville also has offerings for kids, including rock-wall climbing, face-painting, a duck walk and more. “We (also) have a petting zoo, where children can ride a pony,” explained Benoit.
And one of the more popular events is the duck race. “We dump 1,500 rubber ducks in Bayou Lafourche, and they race across to the finish line,” said Benoit. “They’re numbered, and the number corresponds to a raffle ticket. If you’re holding that ticket, you’re the winner and there are cash prizes.
“It’s amazing,” Benoit went on. “The duck race always is so much fun. Grown people are standing on the side of the bayou, cheering on these rubber ducks. It’s a spectacle.”
But the day doesn’t stop there.
The Thibodaux Cajun Corvette Club will host the Clean Wheels Car, Bike and Truck Show on 2nd Street. “There are prizes for the best in different categories, and all that kind of stuff,” she explained. “That has added a new dimension to the festival and attracted some people who may not have otherwise gone to an arts and crafts show.”
But Benoit stresses that Thibodeauxville is much more than an arts and crafts show. “It’s a festival,” she said. “It started off as an arts and crafts festival only, but it’s evolved into something much bigger.”
Their goal? “We aim to please,” she said.
Considering the growth of the festival, Thibodeauxville has been quite pleasing, and will continue that trend this month.
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