BATEAUX DE BOIS FESTIVAL - LOCKPORT, LOUISIANA

Click on the image for the larger view.

COME TO THE BOAT MUSEUM FESTIVAL. IN THE EVENT OF RAIN, ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE PLACE INSIDE THE MUSEUM OR IN TENTS. DON'T LET A LITTLE RAIN KEEP YOU AWAY.

BATEAUX DE BOIS FESTIVAL

Yesterday the Friends for Traditional Louisiana Boat Building sponsored the first Bateaux de Bois Festival in Lockport, Louisiana, which was a grand success. The weather forecast showed an 80% chance of rain on Saturday. Friday was a total washout, and it seemed that Saturday would be more of the same. The organizers, including Grandpère, were mired in gloom.

But Saturday morning arrived with patches of sunlight, and the weather outlook was much improved, although rain was still in the forecast but not until the afternoon.  The rains didn't come until the around 1:30 pm, and by then a good many of the activities had already taken place.  The museum building and several sturdy tents made it possible for people to stay around.  


When my son, daughter-in-law, and I arrived at the festival, and GP saw us, he choked up because he was so pleased with the number of people who showed up.  He's quite emotional, but I was happy for him and the other organizers who worked so hard planning and making the festival come together.  The purpose was to call attention to and raise funds for the Center for Traditional Louisiana Boat Building.

Above is Grandpère being interviewed by a local television station.



The two beautiful girls on the right are my granddaughter and the daughter of a friend of ours.

Left is one of the bands that played at the festival.  This one, as you see, is a one-man band.

Couples doing a Cajun jitterbug dance pictured on the right.

The festival raised several thousand dollars for the boat center, which operates on a shoestring.  The museum is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, staffed by Grandpère (Tom Butler) and one other faithful volunteer.

Click here for another post about the center.