Speakers, Live Raptors, Workshop, Photography Exhibit and Boat Tours to Highlight
10th Annual Eagle Expo and More
MORGAN CITY - The 10th Annual Eagle Expo and More, scheduled February 26 – 28, 2015, in Morgan City, Louisiana, will feature seminars from wildlife and nature experts, a live raptor presentation, boat tours to view eagles, a photography exhibit and opportunities to meet fellow birders.
Heading into its tenth successful year, the Eagle Expo is a tribute to the return of the American Bald Eagle to Louisiana, which was removed from the endangered species list in June 2007. Laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and greater public awareness and education have increased the bald eagle population throughout Louisiana and the United States. Currently, there are 284 active nests in Louisiana with a large concentration in the St. Mary and Terrebonne Parish areas.
In order to commemorate this noteworthy event celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau is sponsoring an “Eagle Expo” photography exhibit, January 26 – February 28, 2015, at its new Welcome Center located at 900 Dr. MLK Boulevard, Morgan City. Priority will be given to photographs taken during the last 10 years of Eagle Expos that reflect anything beautifully captured during the event including all forms of wildlife, fauna of the region as well as the people that call the Cajun Coast home. All other nature based photographs will be considered for remaining space. Photographs can be dropped off the week of January 12 - 16, 2015, and should be picked up the week of March 2-6, 2015. For more information and a release form contact 985-380-8224 or email info@cajuncoast.com.
This year’s Expo will include a NEW presentation by Extreme Raptors on Thursday, February 26th, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Patterson Civic Center. This presentation is a lively and informational presentation showcasing an array of Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Owls soaring overhead. Private schools, parochial schools and home schooled students will have the opportunity to attend an Extreme Raptors presentation on Wednesday, February 25th at the Patterson Civic Center at
10:00 a.m. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are required. Please contact info@cajuncoast.com or 985-380-8224 to place your reservation. Extreme Raptors will also visit the following schools: Franklin Junior High, Morgan City Junior High, Berwick Junior High, and Patterson Junior High. For more information on Extreme Raptors visit www.raptorproject.com.
A photography workshop taught by renowned wildlife photographer C.C. Lockwood will be held on Friday, February 27, 2015. C.C. Lockwood is known for his numerous publications and books, especially his eleventh book, Marsh Mission, which brought attention to the crisis of the vanishing Gulf Coast wetlands. His photography has been featured in prominent publications such as the Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. The workshop includes a seminar at
9:00 a.m. at the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau’s Welcome Center, with a field trip to Bayou Black beginning at 12 noon. A boat tour in Bayou Black will focus on birding and marsh landscapes. The workshop requires separate registration and payment of $195.00. Contact C.C. Lockwood at www.cclockwood.com or call 225-769-4766 to register. Space is limited.
Tours to view eagles will take place Friday, February 27th and Saturday, February 28th. Featured waterways include the Atchafalaya Basin, Bayou Black, Turtle Bayou and Bayou Long. Tours will be at 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Friday, and 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each featured boat tour offers something different to attendees.
The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest overflow swamp in the U.S. with 10 distinct aquatic & terrestrial habitats. Home to over 170 bird species, 50 mammalian species, 40 reptilian, 20 amphibian species and 100 species of fin fish and shellfish, the basin offers more than just eagles.
The Bayou Black Tour meanders through old oil and gas canals. Birds of prey including Bald Eagles, Ospreys and various species of hawks call this place home. Other birds likely to be encountered include various species of ducks, wading birds and song bird species.
The Turtle Bayou Tour includes two small natural bayous that provide for fantastic views and local wildlife. Aside from eagles other birds likely to be encountered include Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-shouldered Hawks, White Ibis, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Carolina Chickadees and various species of terns and gulls.
The Bayou Long Tour includes various waterways including Lake Verret, Bayou Magazille, Fourmile Bayou, Grassy Lake, Bayou Cherami, Bayou Milhomme, and Lake Palourde. On this tour you will be able to view Bald Eagles and their nests, Blue Heron, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, White Ibis, and various species of birds.
Friday evening will feature a dinner and presentation, A Life Gone to the Birds, by Al Batt, at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. This presentation is part of the Educational Series sponsored by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, a program of the National Park Service, and the Office of Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne. Programs in the series increase awareness and appreciation of the natural, historic and cultural resources of the Heritage Area. Presentations are posted at www.atchafalaya.org.
Al Batt of rural Hartland, Minnesota is a writer, speaker, storyteller and humorist. Al writes four weekly humor and nature columns for many newspapers, and does a show three times per week about nature on a number of radio stations. Al has been featured in the Smithsonian Magazine, the Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Bird Watcher’s Digest, WCCO Radio, KFAN Radio and Agri-Talk. He does commentaries for public radio. He writes a weekly "Nature's World" column and a weekly "Tales From Exit 22" humor column. He writes a number of popular cartoon strips that are syndicated nationally. He has written for a number of magazines and books, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He is a columnist for Bird Watcher's Digest and is a trustee of the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines, Alaska. He has written for movies and also speaks at various festivals, conferences and conventions all over the United States and Canada. Al provides clean humor with a message. According to Robert Mortensen, “Al is knee slappin’, belly laughin’, eyes-waterin’ fun. He is one of the most kind, genuine and motivating human beings due to his deep love of people and birds.” He has received the Ed Franey Conservation Media Award from the Izaak Walton League, was named birder of the year by WildBird magazine, was honored with the National Eagle Center's Hero Award, received an award from Bluebirds Across Nebraska for outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation, is a member of Ray Brown's Talkin' Birds Hall of Fame, is the Official Staff Ornithologist for the Bulletin Board in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was honored by Modern Woodman for conscientious and dedicated community service, is a member of the Freeborn County Softball Hall of Fame, serves on the board of the Environment for the Americas, is on the board of the Albert Lea Public Library Foundation, and was given the Thomas Sadler Roberts Award by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. Cost is $40.00 per person. Contact info@cajuncoast.com or 985-380-8224 to purchase tickets for the dinner and presentation.
Saturday, February 28th, will feature a breakfast and a variety of speakers in the morning with boat tours in the afternoon. Speakers for the morning seminars will include: Michael Sealy from the Department of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dr. Erik Johnson the Director of Bird Conservation with Audubon Louisiana and Co-director of the Louisiana Bird Observatory, Al Batt, a birding expert, and the LSU Raptor Rehab program.
Michael Sealy works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a Threatened and Endangered Species Biologist specializing in consultation for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the threatened gopher tortoise. He is also the national species lead for the Louisiana pine snake, a Candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, he manages Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act issues in Louisiana ranging from technical assistance, habitat impact assessment, mitigation and enforcement for bald eagles. Prior to his work at the USFWS, he worked as a coastal wetlands ecologist both as a private consultant and for the Louisiana Office of Coastal Restoration and Protection collecting ecological data used to assess coastal restoration projects related to CWPPRA and Mississippi River Diversions near New Orleans. While working on his degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Management at LSU, he conducted research on the Louisiana black bear in coastal Louisiana compiling habitat data by capturing and tracking bears from Morgan City to Avery Island.
Dr. Erik Johnson has a diverse background in ornithology, having studied birds on three continents, including in the rain forests of Brazil and Australia, as well on both ends of the Piping Plover's life cycle. Erik conducted his graduate studies at Louisiana State University where he continues to serve as adjunct research faculty and work with undergraduate and graduate students. Through his roles as Director of Bird Conservation with Audubon Louisiana and Co-director of the Louisiana Bird Observatory, Erik engages citizen scientists to help monitor birds and he works with a number of partners to implement conservation measures for species of concern in Louisiana, across the Gulf Coast, and in North and South America.
LSU Raptor Rehab is located at the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana and receives approximately 1,800 wildlife cases each year. The LSU Raptor Rehab treats these animals at no cost to the people who bring them to the facility with the goal to release them back into the wild. In the case that they are not able to release an animal back into the wild they keep the bird at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine to help educate veterinary students and the community about the importance of wildlife conservation. Their mission is “to carry out conservation medicine by providing veterinary care for injured wildlife, conduct conservation research, and educate the public about wildlife conservation in the state of Louisiana.
Full registration includes the seminars Saturday morning, breakfast Saturday morning, a t-shirt, one boat tour, and the Extreme Raptors presentation on Thursday evening. Registration fees start at $115 for adults and $65 for children for full registration. On day registration starts at $90 for adults and $55 for children includes seminars, one boat tour, and Saturday breakfast. Boat tours only start at $60 for adults and $40 for children.
The Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau has partnered with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LSU Museum of Natural Science, Conrad Industries, Johnny’s Propeller Shop, the Audubon Society, LUMCON, America’s Wetland Foundation, B & G Foods, Louisiana Office of Tourism, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to showcase not only the American Bald Eagle, but the numerous species of birds and wildlife found within the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding areas.
For a complete event schedule, costs, registration forms and listings of hotel rates, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau at 985-80-8224, visit online at www.cajuncoast.com/eagleexpo or email info@cajuncoast.com.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Friday, January 3, 2014
Speakers, Live Raptors, Workshops and Boat Tours to Highlight 9th Annual Eagle Expo
MORGAN CITY - The 9th Annual Eagle Expo and More, scheduled February 20 – 22, 2014, in Morgan City, Louisiana, will feature seminars from wildlife and nature experts, a live raptor presentation, boat tours to view eagles, and opportunities to meet fellow birders.
Heading into its ninth successful year, the Eagle Expo is a tribute to the return of the American Bald Eagle to Louisiana, which was removed from the endangered species list in June 2007. Laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and greater public awareness and education have increased the bald eagle population throughout Louisiana and the United States. Currently, there are 284 active nests in Louisiana with a large concentration in the St. Mary and Terrebonne Parish areas.
This year’s Expo will include a presentation by WINGS to SOAR on Thursday, February 20th, from 6 – 7:30 pm at the Patterson Civic Center. This presentation is a lively and informational presentation showcasing a variety of live raptors including a Falcon, Hawk, Owl, Black Vulture and Bald Eagle. Private schools, parochial schools and home schooled students will have the opportunity to attend a WINGS to SOAR presentation, Wednesday, February 19th at the Patterson Civic Center at 10 am. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are required. WINGS to SOAR will also visit the following schools: Franklin Junior High, Morgan City Junior High, Berwick Junior High, and Patterson Junior High.
A photography workshop taught by renowned wildlife photographer C.C. Lockwood will be held on Friday, February 21, 2014. C.C. Lockwood is known for his numerous publications and books, especially his eleventh book, Marsh Mission, which brought attention to the crisis of the vanishing Gulf Coast wetlands. His photography has been featured in prominent publications such as the Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. The workshop includes a seminar at
9 am at the Atchafalaya at Idlewild Golf Course’s Club House, with a field trip to Bayou Black beginning at 12 noon. A boat tour in Bayou Black will focus on birding and marsh landscapes. The workshop requires separate registration and payment of $195.00. Contact C.C. Lockwood at www.cclockwood.com or call 225-769-4766 to register. Space is limited.
Tours to view eagles will take place Friday, February 21st and Saturday, February 22nd. Featured waterways include the Atchafalaya Basin, Bayou Black, Turtle Bayou and Bayou Long. Tours will be at 9 – 11 am and 1 – 3 pm on Friday, and 9 – 11 am and 2:30 – 4 pm on Saturday. Each featured boat tour offers something different to attendees.
The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest overflow swamp in the U.S. with 10 distinct aquatic & terrestrial habitats. Home to over 170 bird species, 50 mammalian species, 40 reptilian, 20 amphibian species and 100 species of fin fish and shellfish, the basin offers more than just eagles.
The Bayou Black Tour meanders through old oil and gas canals. Birds of prey including Bald Eagles, Ospreys and various species of hawks call this place home. Other birds likely to be encountered include various species of ducks, wading birds and song bird species.
The Turtle Bayou Tour includes two small natural bayous that provide for fantastic views and local wildlife. Aside from eagles other birds likely to be encountered include Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-shouldered Hawks, White Ibis, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Carolina Chickadees and various species of terns and gulls.
The Bayou Long Tour includes various waterways including Lake Verret, Bayou Magazille, Fourmile Bayou, Grassy Lake, Bayou Cherami, Bayou Milhomme, and Lake Palourde. On this tour you will be able to view Bald Eagles and their nests, Blue Heron, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, White Ibis, and various species of birds.
Friday evening will feature a dinner and a presentation by Kathy and Gary Clark, at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. This presentation is part of the Educational Series of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, a program of the National Park Service, and the Office of Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne. Kathy Adams Clark has been a professional nature photographer since 1995. Her photos have been published in many places including AAA Journey, Nature’s Best, New York Times, Birder’s World, Family Fun, and numerous books and calendars. Kathy is the past president of the North American Nature Photography Association. She teaches photography and is a popular speaker at local and national events. She leads photo workshops to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Africa, Italy, Peru and Morocco through Strabo Tours. Along with the many publications her photos have been featured in, every week her photos appear in the “Nature” column in the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News written by her husband, Gary Clark. Gary has published featured articles in state and national magazines and has written four books including Texas Wildlife Portfolio, Texas Gulf Coast Impressions, Backroads of the Texas Hill Country, and Enjoying Big Bend National Park. He has won eight writing awards and is the recipient of the 2004 Excellence in Media Award and the 2010 Synergy Media Award for Environmental Reporting. Gary has been active in the birding community for over 35 years. He founded the Piney Woods Wildlife Society in 1982 and founded the Texas Coast Rare Bird Alert in 1983. He currently sits on the Board of Advisors for the Houston Audubon Society and Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and is a professor at Lone Star College. Together, Kathy and Gary have published six books and have one more in the works that combine their photography and writing skills. Cost is $35.00 per person.
Saturday, February 22nd, will feature a variety of speakers in the morning with boat tours in the afternoon. Speakers for the morning seminars will include: Michael Sealy – “Louisiana and the American Bald Eagle,” Bill Clark – “Eagle Quest,” Jane Patterson – “Birds of the Atchafalaya,” and Dr. Aaron Pierce – “Breeding Waterbirds on Louisiana’s Barrier Islands.”
Michael Sealy works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a Threatened and Endangered Species Biologist specializing in consultation for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the threatened gopher tortoise. He is also the national species lead for the Louisiana pine snake, a Candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, he manages Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act issues in Louisiana ranging from technical assistance, habitat impact assessment, mitigation and enforcement for bald eagles. Prior to his work at the USFWS, he worked as a coastal wetlands ecologist both as a private consultant and for the Louisiana Office of Coastal Restoration and Protection collecting ecological data used to assess coastal restoration projects related to CWPPRA and Mississippi River Diversions near New Orleans. While working on his degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Management at LSU, he conducted research on the Louisiana black bear in coastal Louisiana compiling habitat data by capturing and tracking bears from Morgan City to Avery Island.
Bill Clark is a photographer, author, researcher, and lecturer and has over 50 years experience working with birds of prey, including 5 years as Director of NWF’s Raptor Information Center. He has published numerous articles on raptor subjects; has traveled extensively world-wide studying, observing, and photographing raptors; and regularly leads raptor and birding tours and workshops, both home and abroad, with his company, Raptours. He regularly teaches evening and weekend courses on raptor field identification and biology, including for the World Birding Center and Valley Nature Center, and frequently presents lectures on raptor subjects. He has written a raptor field guide for Europe, and is writing others for Africa, Mexico and Central America. He is coauthor of the Photographic Guide to North American Raptors and the completely revised Peterson series guide, Hawks.
Jane Patterson is the current President of Baton Rouge Audubon Society, as well as the Education chair. She is still fairly new to birding, with just 8 years under her belt, but has gotten into it in a big way, especially from the educational perspective. Jane has started a bird club for kids in Baton Rouge, Kids Who Bird, and also teaches beginning bird classes for adults through the LSU Leisure Class system. She was honored at the National Audubon Conference in July 2013 with the Dutcher Award for outstanding service by an Audubon Chapter leader for her efforts in bird related education. During the day she is the Director for the State Office of Telecommunication Management, the phone company and internet provider for state government.
Dr. Aaron Pierce is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Graduate Program Coordinator for the Master’s in Marine and Environmental Biology program at Nicholls State University. Dr. Pierce received his Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Tennessee in 2005 and M.S. in Ecology from Purdue University in 2001. Dr. Pierce’s research focuses on wetland ecology and avian ecology to help improve the management and conservation of avian species and wetland systems.
Full registration includes the seminars Saturday morning, breakfast Saturday morning, a t-shirt, one boat tour, and the WINGS to SOAR presentation on Thursday evening. Registration fees start at $110 for adults and $60 for children for full registration. On day registration starts at $85 for adults and $50 for children includes seminars, one boat tour, and Saturday breakfast. Boat tours only start at $55 for adults and $35 for children.
The Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau has partnered with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LSU Museum of Natural Science, Conrad Industries, Johnny’s Propeller Shop, the Audubon Society, LUMCON, America’s Wetland Foundation, Buquet Distributing, B & G Foods, Louisiana Office of Tourism, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to showcase not only the American Bald Eagle, but the numerous species of birds and wildlife found within the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding areas.
For a complete event schedule, costs, registration forms and listings of hotel rates, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau at 985-395-4905, visit online at www.cajuncoast.com/eagleexpo or email info@cajuncoast.com.
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Heading into its ninth successful year, the Eagle Expo is a tribute to the return of the American Bald Eagle to Louisiana, which was removed from the endangered species list in June 2007. Laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and greater public awareness and education have increased the bald eagle population throughout Louisiana and the United States. Currently, there are 284 active nests in Louisiana with a large concentration in the St. Mary and Terrebonne Parish areas.
This year’s Expo will include a presentation by WINGS to SOAR on Thursday, February 20th, from 6 – 7:30 pm at the Patterson Civic Center. This presentation is a lively and informational presentation showcasing a variety of live raptors including a Falcon, Hawk, Owl, Black Vulture and Bald Eagle. Private schools, parochial schools and home schooled students will have the opportunity to attend a WINGS to SOAR presentation, Wednesday, February 19th at the Patterson Civic Center at 10 am. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are required. WINGS to SOAR will also visit the following schools: Franklin Junior High, Morgan City Junior High, Berwick Junior High, and Patterson Junior High.
A photography workshop taught by renowned wildlife photographer C.C. Lockwood will be held on Friday, February 21, 2014. C.C. Lockwood is known for his numerous publications and books, especially his eleventh book, Marsh Mission, which brought attention to the crisis of the vanishing Gulf Coast wetlands. His photography has been featured in prominent publications such as the Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. The workshop includes a seminar at
9 am at the Atchafalaya at Idlewild Golf Course’s Club House, with a field trip to Bayou Black beginning at 12 noon. A boat tour in Bayou Black will focus on birding and marsh landscapes. The workshop requires separate registration and payment of $195.00. Contact C.C. Lockwood at www.cclockwood.com or call 225-769-4766 to register. Space is limited.
Tours to view eagles will take place Friday, February 21st and Saturday, February 22nd. Featured waterways include the Atchafalaya Basin, Bayou Black, Turtle Bayou and Bayou Long. Tours will be at 9 – 11 am and 1 – 3 pm on Friday, and 9 – 11 am and 2:30 – 4 pm on Saturday. Each featured boat tour offers something different to attendees.
The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest overflow swamp in the U.S. with 10 distinct aquatic & terrestrial habitats. Home to over 170 bird species, 50 mammalian species, 40 reptilian, 20 amphibian species and 100 species of fin fish and shellfish, the basin offers more than just eagles.
The Bayou Black Tour meanders through old oil and gas canals. Birds of prey including Bald Eagles, Ospreys and various species of hawks call this place home. Other birds likely to be encountered include various species of ducks, wading birds and song bird species.
The Turtle Bayou Tour includes two small natural bayous that provide for fantastic views and local wildlife. Aside from eagles other birds likely to be encountered include Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-shouldered Hawks, White Ibis, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Carolina Chickadees and various species of terns and gulls.
The Bayou Long Tour includes various waterways including Lake Verret, Bayou Magazille, Fourmile Bayou, Grassy Lake, Bayou Cherami, Bayou Milhomme, and Lake Palourde. On this tour you will be able to view Bald Eagles and their nests, Blue Heron, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, White Ibis, and various species of birds.
Friday evening will feature a dinner and a presentation by Kathy and Gary Clark, at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. This presentation is part of the Educational Series of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, a program of the National Park Service, and the Office of Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne. Kathy Adams Clark has been a professional nature photographer since 1995. Her photos have been published in many places including AAA Journey, Nature’s Best, New York Times, Birder’s World, Family Fun, and numerous books and calendars. Kathy is the past president of the North American Nature Photography Association. She teaches photography and is a popular speaker at local and national events. She leads photo workshops to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Africa, Italy, Peru and Morocco through Strabo Tours. Along with the many publications her photos have been featured in, every week her photos appear in the “Nature” column in the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News written by her husband, Gary Clark. Gary has published featured articles in state and national magazines and has written four books including Texas Wildlife Portfolio, Texas Gulf Coast Impressions, Backroads of the Texas Hill Country, and Enjoying Big Bend National Park. He has won eight writing awards and is the recipient of the 2004 Excellence in Media Award and the 2010 Synergy Media Award for Environmental Reporting. Gary has been active in the birding community for over 35 years. He founded the Piney Woods Wildlife Society in 1982 and founded the Texas Coast Rare Bird Alert in 1983. He currently sits on the Board of Advisors for the Houston Audubon Society and Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and is a professor at Lone Star College. Together, Kathy and Gary have published six books and have one more in the works that combine their photography and writing skills. Cost is $35.00 per person.
Saturday, February 22nd, will feature a variety of speakers in the morning with boat tours in the afternoon. Speakers for the morning seminars will include: Michael Sealy – “Louisiana and the American Bald Eagle,” Bill Clark – “Eagle Quest,” Jane Patterson – “Birds of the Atchafalaya,” and Dr. Aaron Pierce – “Breeding Waterbirds on Louisiana’s Barrier Islands.”
Michael Sealy works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a Threatened and Endangered Species Biologist specializing in consultation for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the threatened gopher tortoise. He is also the national species lead for the Louisiana pine snake, a Candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, he manages Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act issues in Louisiana ranging from technical assistance, habitat impact assessment, mitigation and enforcement for bald eagles. Prior to his work at the USFWS, he worked as a coastal wetlands ecologist both as a private consultant and for the Louisiana Office of Coastal Restoration and Protection collecting ecological data used to assess coastal restoration projects related to CWPPRA and Mississippi River Diversions near New Orleans. While working on his degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Management at LSU, he conducted research on the Louisiana black bear in coastal Louisiana compiling habitat data by capturing and tracking bears from Morgan City to Avery Island.
Bill Clark is a photographer, author, researcher, and lecturer and has over 50 years experience working with birds of prey, including 5 years as Director of NWF’s Raptor Information Center. He has published numerous articles on raptor subjects; has traveled extensively world-wide studying, observing, and photographing raptors; and regularly leads raptor and birding tours and workshops, both home and abroad, with his company, Raptours. He regularly teaches evening and weekend courses on raptor field identification and biology, including for the World Birding Center and Valley Nature Center, and frequently presents lectures on raptor subjects. He has written a raptor field guide for Europe, and is writing others for Africa, Mexico and Central America. He is coauthor of the Photographic Guide to North American Raptors and the completely revised Peterson series guide, Hawks.
Jane Patterson is the current President of Baton Rouge Audubon Society, as well as the Education chair. She is still fairly new to birding, with just 8 years under her belt, but has gotten into it in a big way, especially from the educational perspective. Jane has started a bird club for kids in Baton Rouge, Kids Who Bird, and also teaches beginning bird classes for adults through the LSU Leisure Class system. She was honored at the National Audubon Conference in July 2013 with the Dutcher Award for outstanding service by an Audubon Chapter leader for her efforts in bird related education. During the day she is the Director for the State Office of Telecommunication Management, the phone company and internet provider for state government.
Dr. Aaron Pierce is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Graduate Program Coordinator for the Master’s in Marine and Environmental Biology program at Nicholls State University. Dr. Pierce received his Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Tennessee in 2005 and M.S. in Ecology from Purdue University in 2001. Dr. Pierce’s research focuses on wetland ecology and avian ecology to help improve the management and conservation of avian species and wetland systems.
Full registration includes the seminars Saturday morning, breakfast Saturday morning, a t-shirt, one boat tour, and the WINGS to SOAR presentation on Thursday evening. Registration fees start at $110 for adults and $60 for children for full registration. On day registration starts at $85 for adults and $50 for children includes seminars, one boat tour, and Saturday breakfast. Boat tours only start at $55 for adults and $35 for children.
The Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau has partnered with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LSU Museum of Natural Science, Conrad Industries, Johnny’s Propeller Shop, the Audubon Society, LUMCON, America’s Wetland Foundation, Buquet Distributing, B & G Foods, Louisiana Office of Tourism, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to showcase not only the American Bald Eagle, but the numerous species of birds and wildlife found within the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding areas.
For a complete event schedule, costs, registration forms and listings of hotel rates, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau at 985-395-4905, visit online at www.cajuncoast.com/eagleexpo or email info@cajuncoast.com.
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013
THE ODD COUPLE OPENS SATURDAY AT TECHE THEATRE
Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Female Version) will open at Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts on Saturday October 5th at 7:30 p.m. Directed by Ricky Pellerin, the play will star Debbie Box as Florence Unger and Denise Galatas as Olive Madison. Originally produced in 1985, the play was reviewed favorably by the New York Post and USA Today. Teche Theatre Players present The Odd Couple (Female Version) with the permission of Samuel French.
Admission costs $10.00 for general seating tickets. Advance tickets are on sale Fad News Stand located at 613 Main Street in Franklin. Performance dates and times are October 5, 7, 10, 11, 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 6 at 3:00 p.m. All performances will take place at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts at 501 Main Street in Franklin. The box office will open 90 minutes before the performances. For more information, call 337-828-ARTS.
Admission costs $10.00 for general seating tickets. Advance tickets are on sale Fad News Stand located at 613 Main Street in Franklin. Performance dates and times are October 5, 7, 10, 11, 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 6 at 3:00 p.m. All performances will take place at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts at 501 Main Street in Franklin. The box office will open 90 minutes before the performances. For more information, call 337-828-ARTS.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Franklin’s 14th Annual Harvest Moon Festival
The Franklin Merchants Association presents the 14th Annual Harvest Moon Festival. The festival will be held Saturday, October 5, 2013, from 9 am to 6 pm and will be complimented by the 4th Annual Tour du Teche.
Festivities will take place along Franklin’s Main Street and the Bayou Teche, which runs parallel to Main Street in the downtown historic district. There is no admission fee. The Harvest Moon Festival is a community-based downtown street festival celebrating the sugar cane harvest and the return of fall. Event’s for this year’s celebration include live entertainment, children’s activities, arts & crafts, a 5K run/walk, a classic car show and a BBQ cook-off.
The Miss Harvest Moon Festival Pageant will begin at 6:30 pm at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts, 501 Main Street, on Saturday, September 28th. Admission will be $5.00 per person. The pageant is sponsored by the City of Franklin, the Franklin Merchants Association and the St. Mary Parish Lions Club. For more information contact Pageant Director, Susan K. Thibodaux at 337-578-7854.
As part of the festival, Franklin’s downtown retail merchants will provide special sales and promotions to open the Christmas shopping season. Concession booths with local foods and arts & crafts will line the downtown area around the music stage. Vendor applications are due September 16, 2013. Contact Joan Adams at 337-578-1505 for additional information and/or an application.
Live entertainment, on the stage in the center of Main Street, will include 5 O’clock Shadeaux beginning at 10 am, followed by Steven Breaux and Friends at 1 pm and then the Mike Dean Band at 4 pm. After the bands from the Harvest Moon Festival end, Johnny Chauvin and Mojo will begin performing behind the Blevins building from 6 to 9 pm, for the Tour du Teche paddlers that will overnight in Franklin.
Children’s games and activities will be open to children age 12 and under and will include a spacewalk, bean bag tossing and pick a duck.
Teche Action Clinic will host its Adeline Guienze Breast Cancer Memorial Fund 5K Run/Walk. The 5K will begin at 8 am on Saturday, October 5th at the Courthouse Square. Contact Alfreida Edwards at 985-397-1096, Florence Beverly at 337-828-2550 ext. 2145 or Paulette Lofton at 337-828-2550 ext. 2104 for more information on the 5K.
The Classic Car and Motorcycle Show will take place on Main Street. Registration is $25.00 for those who register before September 25th. Late registration (September 26th to the day of the show) will be $30.00. The show will begin at 9 am and awards will be presented at 3 pm. There will also be a BBQ Cook-off. The entry fee is $100.00 for this Tasters’ Choice Competition. All competitors will need to attend a mandatory set-up and cooks’ rules meeting on October 4th for the competition to be held on October 5th. For more information contact Chief Chuck Bourgeois at 337-828-6328, 337-828-6329 or firechief821@franklin-la.com.
The St. Mary Chamber of Commerce will host the 2013 Harvest Moon Lamppost Decorating Contest. There is no entry fee, decorating begins on September 14th and judging will take place on October 1st. To register, contact the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce at 337-828-5608.
For more information about the Harvest Moon Festival, contact Joan Adams at 337-578-1505 or visit www.facebook.com/franklinharvestmoonfest.
Tour du Teche Slated October 4-6th, 2013
Tour du Teche is a 135 mile canoe/kayak/pirogue race through the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun Country and will take place this weekend on October 4th, 5th, and 6th. This race is entering its fourth year and is now organized by Executive Director Nicole Patin and Directors General Ray Pellerin and Ken Grissom. Partners include Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau, St. Mary Parish, St. Landry Tourist Commission, St. Martin Tourist Commission, and Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Paddlers for this race will pass through four parishes, woods, swamps, cane fields, and a dozen of the friendliest communities around. The race will begin in Port Barre, Louisiana at the Port Barre Boat Launch and travel 135 miles down Bayou Teche where it will end in Berwick, Louisiana at the Southwest Reef Lighthouse on the Atchafalaya River.
Tour du Teche will have three racing stages: Stage 1: Gabriel, Port Barre to St. Martinville, 49 miles; Stage 2: Chitimacha, St. Martinville to Franklin, 59 miles; Stage 3: Roughneck, Franklin to Berwick, 27 miles. There will be shorter race routes, Voyageur divisions, open for participants such as: Crawfish, Port Barre to Breaux Bridge, 34 miles; Acadian, Port Barre to St. Martinville, 49 miles; Hot Sauce, St. Martinville to New Iberia; 24 miles; Sugar, St. Martinville to Franklin, 59 miles; and Oil & Gas, Franklin to Berwick, 27 miles.
Tour du Teche will overnight in St. Martinville on Friday, October 4th and in Franklin on Saturday, October 5th. Paddlers will be greeted at their stop in Franklin on October 5th with Franklin’s Annual Harvest Moon Festival featuring live music; a children’s carnival; teen activities; an antique, hot rod, classic car and motorcycle show, concessions and special retail promotions. The finish line, located in Berwick, will also have events awaiting paddlers on October 6th. Arts and Crafts vendors will open their booths at 11 am, along with jambalaya dinners. Musical entertainment will be by DJ Jason Rulf from 11 am to 2 pm and Gone Pecan from 2 to 5 pm. New additions to this year’s event will be a car show, a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, petting zoo and carnival style games. The arts and crafts show and the car show will have no booth or entry fee. Contact Misty Pillaro, at the Town of Berwick, at (985) 384-8858 for additional information on the arts and crafts show and car show.
Awards will take place at 1 pm and at 4 pm. The public is encouraged to come out to all the activities taking place in Franklin and in Berwick, to welcome paddlers and join in on the fun!For additional information contact Nicole Patin at (337) 394-6232, visit www.tourduteche.com for a registration packet, or email info@tourduteche.com. You can also contact the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau at (800) 256-2931, visit their website at www.cajuncoast.com, or email info@cajuncoast.com for extra information.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Fourth Annual Promenade d’art de Franklin – Slated September 28, 2013
Fourth Annual Franklin Art Walk (Promenade d'art de Franklin)
The Franklin Art Walk is a Main Street Program event. The City of Franklin and its Main Street Board invite art connoisseurs to take a stroll along Franklin’s Main Street to explore Franklin’s creative culture by visiting with store merchants and the artists they host. You can speak with the artists and browse through their merchandise, which are both unique to south Louisiana. Purchase beautiful art from talented artists and take home souvenirs from your time in Franklin.
Musical entertainment for the Art Walk will be by Alfred Hill, Ted Foulcard and Jada Hawkins beginning at 3:30 pm and ending at 5:30 pm at the Hanagriff’s lot on Main Street.
A new addition to the Art Walk this year will include novelists Rhonda Dennis and Lynn Shurr. Rhonda Dennis is the author of the Green Bayou Novel Series, and Lynn Shurr is the author of the Mardi Gras and Sinners Series. Bring your books and get them signed, or you can purchase them the day of the event and get them signed.
There will be a few new attractions to the Art Walk this year, also. The Techeland Arts Council will host Une Assemblee de Connaisseurs d’Art (A Gathering of Art Connoisseurs) from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at The Lamp Post, which is on the corner of Jackson and Main Streets. The Techeland Arts Council will share its purpose, people, pictures and pieces of its production No Hitchin’.
Shadowlawn will host Parker Felterman who is the 14-year-old author of The Revolver. There will be music by the Bayou Saxophone Ensemble, which is an eight-piece saxophone group from Thibodaux. Additionally, St. Mary Landmarks Society will display political posters of past Franklin elections at Teche Ridge Office Supply, which will showcase Franklin’s contribution to Louisiana politics.
Franklin is slowly becoming a place where the arts thrive. I’m looking forward to this year’s Art Walk, and I think we have a little something for everyone to experience and enjoy!
Mark your calendar for the Fourth Annual Franklin Art Walk, September 28, 2013, from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. You can experience culture, history and hospitality all in one town—all of the things that make Franklin a special place. For more information contact Arlana Shields at (337) 828-6345, or by email at ashields@franklin-la.com.
The Franklin Art Walk is a Main Street Program event. The City of Franklin and its Main Street Board invite art connoisseurs to take a stroll along Franklin’s Main Street to explore Franklin’s creative culture by visiting with store merchants and the artists they host. You can speak with the artists and browse through their merchandise, which are both unique to south Louisiana. Purchase beautiful art from talented artists and take home souvenirs from your time in Franklin.
Musical entertainment for the Art Walk will be by Alfred Hill, Ted Foulcard and Jada Hawkins beginning at 3:30 pm and ending at 5:30 pm at the Hanagriff’s lot on Main Street.
A new addition to the Art Walk this year will include novelists Rhonda Dennis and Lynn Shurr. Rhonda Dennis is the author of the Green Bayou Novel Series, and Lynn Shurr is the author of the Mardi Gras and Sinners Series. Bring your books and get them signed, or you can purchase them the day of the event and get them signed.
There will be a few new attractions to the Art Walk this year, also. The Techeland Arts Council will host Une Assemblee de Connaisseurs d’Art (A Gathering of Art Connoisseurs) from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at The Lamp Post, which is on the corner of Jackson and Main Streets. The Techeland Arts Council will share its purpose, people, pictures and pieces of its production No Hitchin’.
Shadowlawn will host Parker Felterman who is the 14-year-old author of The Revolver. There will be music by the Bayou Saxophone Ensemble, which is an eight-piece saxophone group from Thibodaux. Additionally, St. Mary Landmarks Society will display political posters of past Franklin elections at Teche Ridge Office Supply, which will showcase Franklin’s contribution to Louisiana politics.
Franklin is slowly becoming a place where the arts thrive. I’m looking forward to this year’s Art Walk, and I think we have a little something for everyone to experience and enjoy!
Mark your calendar for the Fourth Annual Franklin Art Walk, September 28, 2013, from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. You can experience culture, history and hospitality all in one town—all of the things that make Franklin a special place. For more information contact Arlana Shields at (337) 828-6345, or by email at ashields@franklin-la.com.
78th Annual Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
The 78th Annual Shrimp and Petroleum Festival Slated for Labor Day Weekend
Louisiana’s oldest chartered harvest festival is scheduled to celebrate 78 years of tradition and family fun, this upcoming Labor Day Weekend, August 29th – September 2nd, 2013.
The Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival will be held in Morgan City, only 90 miles from New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Most festivities are held within the beautiful Downtown Historic District and are free to the general public. Great food, continuous free live music, traditional events, children’s activities and new events will highlight this five-day extravaganza.
The 50th Labor Day Art Show & Sale will start on Wednesday, August 28th and continue through Thursday, September 19th, located downtown at the Everett Street Gallery. Hours to view the exhibit will be daily during the festival from 11 am to 5 pm.
Thursday, August 29th; the official ribbon cutting will open the festival at 5:00 pm on Second Street under the US Highway 90 Bridge. Also, on Thursday, The Mitchell Brothers Carnival rides and games will begin at 5 pm and continue through Monday at 9 pm. Bracelets will be offered Thursday, August 29th from 5 to 9 pm, and Monday, September 2nd from 12 noon to 4 pm and 5 to 9 pm. Bracelets are $20.00 each.
Indulge your taste buds and satisfy your appetite at the 25th annual Cajun Culinary Classic, a showcase of local “home style” cooking featuring delicious Cajun & Creole dishes, as well as a variety of desserts and other cuisines. The Cajun Culinary Classic is open 5 pm to 11 pm Friday, 12 noon to 11 pm Saturday & Sunday, and 12 noon to 9 pm Monday. Local non-profit groups and civic organizations benefit from the proceeds.
The 36th Traditional Arts & Crafts Show & Sale will open on Friday, August 30th at 5 pm under the US Highway 90 Bridge and continue through Monday, September 2nd at 9 pm. The event features over 100 artists and crafters from south Louisiana with unique merchandise and artistic masterpieces.
Children’s Day activities will begin with children’s field & game events Saturday, August 31st at 9 am. Children of all ages can participate in sack races, three legged races and more. Professional storytellers will entertain kids as well as their parents with their wonderful stories after the field and games events. The Children’s Day Mini Street Parade will begin at 11 am also on Saturday. Decorated bicycles, wagons, strollers and four wheelers are welcome to participate. The Children’s Day King and Queen will officially open the Children’s Village with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, August 31st at 11:30 am. The Children’s Village is a magical play land featuring games, prizes, face-painting, and more. The Children’s Village will be open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 11:30 am.
Downtown comes alive with continuous free live music performed at the Heritage Music Stage. The festival will feature bright, upcoming artists from the area, as well as hometown legends. The music line up for this year will include: Friday, August 30th, 5:00 pm – Crossroads, 7:00 pm – Cayenne, 9:00 pm – Bag of Donuts; Saturday, August 31st, 1:00 pm – Blue Eyed Soul Revue, 3:30 pm – Voodoo Bayou Band, 6:00 pm – Six Gun Rail, & 9:00 pm TBA; Sunday, September 1st, 1:00 pm – Driftwood, 3:30 pm – 90 Degrees West, 6:00 pm – Supercharger, & 9:00 pm – Mojeaux; Monday, September 2nd, 1:00 pm – Louisiana Roadhouse Band, 3:00 pm – Déjà vu, 5:00 pm – South 70, & 7:00 pm – Chubby Carrier with Amanda Shaw.
There will be many special events throughout the weekend. A Cultural & Heritage Expo will be on display next to the festival office from Friday through Monday 11 am to 5pm. There will be a NSA Softball Tournament at Kemper Williams Park starting Friday at 6:30 pm, and continuing Saturday morning at 8 am. Cypress Corvette Club Open Car Show will take place on Saturday from 8 am to 3 pm at M.D. Shannon Elementary. Also, Saturday, Doiron’s Bass Tournament will begin at daylight. A 5K Fun Run/Walk and LA High School Swim Relays will begin 8 am on Saturday. The Gospel Stage will also open on Saturday at Joy Fellowship Ministries of Morgan City, 712 Third Street, at 12 noon, and again on Sunday at 1 pm.
Traditional activities on Sunday will take place starting with Mass in the Park. The community will give thanks for its blessings at Mass in the Park at 8:30 am Sunday, September 1st, and will be celebrated under the oaks in Lawrence Park. Everyone is invited to attend. The Historic Blessing of the Fleet will begin at 10 am on the Atchafalaya River, followed by the water parade, which features decorated shrimp boats, pleasure craft, offshore supply boats and some of the biggest “muscle” boats of the offshore industry including supply boats, crew boats and tugboats. The Street Parade will begin at the corner of Second & Onstead Streets at 3 pm featuring past and present royalty along with this year’s maids and their pages, and visiting queens from various festivals throughout the state. Fireworks on the River will begin at 9 pm Sunday evening. Grab a spot in Lawrence Park, along the seawall or old Morgan City/Berwick Bridge and enjoy the firework spectacular.
The festival began in 1936 when the placid port of Morgan City and Berwick received the first boatload of jumbo shrimp, fresh from the deepest Gulf waters. The festival became the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in 1967, when the oil industry was firmly implanted into the local economy.
The festival has grown to become one of the state’s premiere festivals. The festival was voted Festival of the Year in Division III for the past nine years and by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals, a top 100 American Bus Association event, and a top 20 Southeast Tourism Society event. In July of 1991 Time magazine described the festival as “...the best, the most unusual, the most down-home, the most moving and the most fun that the country has to offer.”
Festival organizers invite you to bring your family to Morgan City for Labor Day weekend to enjoy 78 years of tradition and family fun. For more information, contact the festival office at (985) 385-0703, or visit the festival’s web site at www.shrimp-petrofest.org. For a festival schedule, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau at (800) 256-2931 or the festival office at the above number.
Louisiana’s oldest chartered harvest festival is scheduled to celebrate 78 years of tradition and family fun, this upcoming Labor Day Weekend, August 29th – September 2nd, 2013.
The Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival will be held in Morgan City, only 90 miles from New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Most festivities are held within the beautiful Downtown Historic District and are free to the general public. Great food, continuous free live music, traditional events, children’s activities and new events will highlight this five-day extravaganza.
The 50th Labor Day Art Show & Sale will start on Wednesday, August 28th and continue through Thursday, September 19th, located downtown at the Everett Street Gallery. Hours to view the exhibit will be daily during the festival from 11 am to 5 pm.
Thursday, August 29th; the official ribbon cutting will open the festival at 5:00 pm on Second Street under the US Highway 90 Bridge. Also, on Thursday, The Mitchell Brothers Carnival rides and games will begin at 5 pm and continue through Monday at 9 pm. Bracelets will be offered Thursday, August 29th from 5 to 9 pm, and Monday, September 2nd from 12 noon to 4 pm and 5 to 9 pm. Bracelets are $20.00 each.
Indulge your taste buds and satisfy your appetite at the 25th annual Cajun Culinary Classic, a showcase of local “home style” cooking featuring delicious Cajun & Creole dishes, as well as a variety of desserts and other cuisines. The Cajun Culinary Classic is open 5 pm to 11 pm Friday, 12 noon to 11 pm Saturday & Sunday, and 12 noon to 9 pm Monday. Local non-profit groups and civic organizations benefit from the proceeds.
The 36th Traditional Arts & Crafts Show & Sale will open on Friday, August 30th at 5 pm under the US Highway 90 Bridge and continue through Monday, September 2nd at 9 pm. The event features over 100 artists and crafters from south Louisiana with unique merchandise and artistic masterpieces.
Children’s Day activities will begin with children’s field & game events Saturday, August 31st at 9 am. Children of all ages can participate in sack races, three legged races and more. Professional storytellers will entertain kids as well as their parents with their wonderful stories after the field and games events. The Children’s Day Mini Street Parade will begin at 11 am also on Saturday. Decorated bicycles, wagons, strollers and four wheelers are welcome to participate. The Children’s Day King and Queen will officially open the Children’s Village with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, August 31st at 11:30 am. The Children’s Village is a magical play land featuring games, prizes, face-painting, and more. The Children’s Village will be open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 11:30 am.
Downtown comes alive with continuous free live music performed at the Heritage Music Stage. The festival will feature bright, upcoming artists from the area, as well as hometown legends. The music line up for this year will include: Friday, August 30th, 5:00 pm – Crossroads, 7:00 pm – Cayenne, 9:00 pm – Bag of Donuts; Saturday, August 31st, 1:00 pm – Blue Eyed Soul Revue, 3:30 pm – Voodoo Bayou Band, 6:00 pm – Six Gun Rail, & 9:00 pm TBA; Sunday, September 1st, 1:00 pm – Driftwood, 3:30 pm – 90 Degrees West, 6:00 pm – Supercharger, & 9:00 pm – Mojeaux; Monday, September 2nd, 1:00 pm – Louisiana Roadhouse Band, 3:00 pm – Déjà vu, 5:00 pm – South 70, & 7:00 pm – Chubby Carrier with Amanda Shaw.
There will be many special events throughout the weekend. A Cultural & Heritage Expo will be on display next to the festival office from Friday through Monday 11 am to 5pm. There will be a NSA Softball Tournament at Kemper Williams Park starting Friday at 6:30 pm, and continuing Saturday morning at 8 am. Cypress Corvette Club Open Car Show will take place on Saturday from 8 am to 3 pm at M.D. Shannon Elementary. Also, Saturday, Doiron’s Bass Tournament will begin at daylight. A 5K Fun Run/Walk and LA High School Swim Relays will begin 8 am on Saturday. The Gospel Stage will also open on Saturday at Joy Fellowship Ministries of Morgan City, 712 Third Street, at 12 noon, and again on Sunday at 1 pm.
Traditional activities on Sunday will take place starting with Mass in the Park. The community will give thanks for its blessings at Mass in the Park at 8:30 am Sunday, September 1st, and will be celebrated under the oaks in Lawrence Park. Everyone is invited to attend. The Historic Blessing of the Fleet will begin at 10 am on the Atchafalaya River, followed by the water parade, which features decorated shrimp boats, pleasure craft, offshore supply boats and some of the biggest “muscle” boats of the offshore industry including supply boats, crew boats and tugboats. The Street Parade will begin at the corner of Second & Onstead Streets at 3 pm featuring past and present royalty along with this year’s maids and their pages, and visiting queens from various festivals throughout the state. Fireworks on the River will begin at 9 pm Sunday evening. Grab a spot in Lawrence Park, along the seawall or old Morgan City/Berwick Bridge and enjoy the firework spectacular.
The festival began in 1936 when the placid port of Morgan City and Berwick received the first boatload of jumbo shrimp, fresh from the deepest Gulf waters. The festival became the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in 1967, when the oil industry was firmly implanted into the local economy.
The festival has grown to become one of the state’s premiere festivals. The festival was voted Festival of the Year in Division III for the past nine years and by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals, a top 100 American Bus Association event, and a top 20 Southeast Tourism Society event. In July of 1991 Time magazine described the festival as “...the best, the most unusual, the most down-home, the most moving and the most fun that the country has to offer.”
Festival organizers invite you to bring your family to Morgan City for Labor Day weekend to enjoy 78 years of tradition and family fun. For more information, contact the festival office at (985) 385-0703, or visit the festival’s web site at www.shrimp-petrofest.org. For a festival schedule, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau at (800) 256-2931 or the festival office at the above number.
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