Tourist Commission discusses upcoming activities

crowley - There are a lot of activities coming up in Acadia Parish, not the least of which are the 23rd annual Germanfest and the 81st International Rice Festival.
Those events and others were noted during the September meeting of the Acadia Parish Convention and Visitors Commission Thursday, Sept. 21.
The Germanfest, to be held on the grounds of St. Leo IV Catholic Church in Roberts Cove on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7 and 8, will again this year honor original families who settled in Roberts Cove — the Arnold Joseph Janssen family, the Joseph Hubert Knipping family and the John Ferdinand Stamm Sr. family.
Gwen Hanks, director, told commissioners that hotels in the area were filling up fast in advance of the Oct. 19-22 Rice Festival in Crowley, good news for the tourism board, which is funded primary through Hotel Occupancy Taxes collected across the parish.
Highlighting the Rice Festival are the Children’s Parade on Friday, Oct. 20, and the Grand Parade on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Suzette Leonards, representing the city of Rayne on the board, noted that the annual KBON Music Festival will be held in Rayne at the Frog Festival Pavilion on Oct. 6-8.
“This is the same weekend as the Germanfest, but we’ve found that they don’t really detract from each other,” Leonards said.
Proceeds from the KBON event are donated to the Downs Syndrome Association of Acadiana.
Darlene Guidry, representing the town of Church Point, announced a “Cajun French Speaking Day” to be held Saturday, Sept. 30, at Le Vieux Presbytere Museum in Church Point.
The event, from 9:30 a.m. until noon, is a unique opportunity for people of all ages to practice or learn Cajun French, to enjoy a cup of coffee and a pastry, and to tour Le Vieux Presbytere, according to Guidry.
Admission is free and open to the general public.
Le Vieux Presbytere is located at 205 Rue Iry Lejeune in Church Point.
Fran Bihm, director of the Rayne Chamber of Commerce, told commissioners about the upcoming “OST Day” to be observed on Nov. 4.
The event will be staged on and around The Depot Square in downtown Rayne with activities to include displays of wagons, buggies, antique cars and more, according to Bihm.
“We’re celebrating the Old Spanish Trail and we have a lot of things planned for the day,” Bihm said.
Bart Wild of Crowley, member-at-large, said the OST celebration “has the potential to tie in with the whole parish” as it centers around U.S. Highway 90 — formerly known as the Old Spanish Trail.
Charlotte Jeffers, chairwoman and representative of the city of Crowley, added that she and Bihm had discussed the project earlier and that she plans to begin steps to have Crowley proclaimed an “Official OST City,” as Rayne was two years ago.
It was also noted that the city of Jennings also has expressed interest in that designation.
Jeffers also announced a new event to be held in Crowley on Wednesday, Sept. 27 — Palettes and Pinots, a fundraiser for the newly revitalized Crowley Art Association.
The event, to be held at Crowley City Hall, will showcase Cajun cuisine from several local vendors who have donated their talents and time, local art, fine wine and live music by The Specklers.
There also will be a silent auction throughout the evening which will include art donated by CAA members as well as three big-ticket items — a progressive dinner, a guided deer hunt and a beach trip.
Tickets are $25 a person and are available at the Crowley Chamber of Commerce and at the Crowley Art Association on North Parkerson Avenue.
Both Rayne and Crowley will host Halloween events at the end of the month.
Rayne’s annual Fright Fest will be held at the Rayne Civic Center Halloween night while Crowley’s Witchy Way will be held along North Parkerson Avenue from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. that afternoon.
Other upcoming activities announced during the meeting included:
• Rayne Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 14, at The Depot Square;
• Rayne Chamber of Commerce First Responders Appreciation Breakfast (date to be announced);
• Memorial Day Program at the Rice Theater in Crowley;
• Juried art competition in Crowley (date to be announced).
In other business during the session, the commission adopted a marketing plan for 2018.

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