You don't have to wait for Mardi Gras to have fun here in Louisiana. There's at least one festival almost every weekend of the year for when the mood to celebrate strikes.
We were in the mood to be social last Saturday, so our family plus my dad and mom (Tony and Marsha Chadd) and Travis's sister, Holly Davis, went to TWO festivals, La Fete d'Ecologie and the Alligator Festival.
We got to La Fete d'Ecologie at the Jean Lafitte National Park in Thibodaux, Louisiana, at 3:45 p.m. The festival ended at 5:00 p.m., but this did not discourage us. We just enjoyed the last hour before we went on to the next festival!
La Fete d'Ecologie is an educational festival, focusing on teaching people about the unique ecological and cultural aspects of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary. An estuary is coastal area where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from rivers, rainfall, and upland runoff that supports very unique and dynamic ecosystems. The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, where the fresh water from the Mississippi River mixes with the salt water of the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the most expansive estuaries in the world.
We learned that certain male crabs have one claw larger than the other simply to show prowess (the female doesn't have a big claw). We also got to watch a hawk attack, bite the head off of and eat a live mouse, thanks to the demonstration of a hawk trainer. We stood under an awning and enjoyed some ice cream my dad treated us to while we waited for a brief shower to pass at the end of the festival. We spent a few minutes touring the Preserve's Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, a building that accompanies Jean Lafitte National Park.
The Alligator Festival in Luling, Louisiana (right on the banks of the Mississippi) was our next destination. I'm sure there's a reason behind the name Alligator Festival with which I am not familiar with, but the festival is the local Rotary Club's annual fundraiser for scholarship funds.
Carnival rides were in full view of the children upon arriving at the Alligator Festival. You'll understand, then, why we adults spent the whole time getting a kick out of watching the kids ride the carnival rides! I honestly wonder who gets more of a kick out of a carnival, a kid riding the rides or a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend watching!? Justis, I must note, was not one for the mechanical rides. He did ride the kiddie train with Madalynn and Dawson, but he chose the gunny-sack slipper slide and the walk-through fun house for his other two daring adventures.
We skipped the Alligator Festival food and entertainment on account of the large crowds we had already endured at the carnival and went to Wendey's afterward for a bite to eat before heading home.
Travis and I are now armed with a website listing all of the festivals we have the opportunity to attend here in Louisiana. I've listed it below (along with a few others) and on our side bar of Davis Family Louisiana Fun Picks in the side bar of the blog if you want to learn more.
Click below for more information about the following:
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