Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival

If there is ONE thing that I enjoyed about growing up in Morgan City, it would have to be the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival. Year after year we attend the festival for the Central Catholic hamburgers, freshly squeezed lemonade, and live music in the Park.

This year was the festival’s 75th anniversary celebrating the unique way that the Shrimp & Petroleum industries work hand-in-hand here on the Cajun Coast. Congratulations to the 2010 royalty Al Adams III and Lani Marie Bergeron! 🙂

The festival is the state’s oldest chartered harvest festival, and from someone who grew up attending, LOTS of fun and filled with an entire weekend of scheduled events.

For me, the best part of the festival is spending time with friends, family, and eating a ton of incredible cajun food. This year I came across fried oreos; it’s already hard enough to resist the funnel cakes! 🙂

Anyone who knows me can testify to my L.O.V.E. for Cajun/Zydeco dancing and music!!! If I am taking a break, it’s to go dancing. 🙂

Despite the heat, my dad and I had NO problem “tearing up” the dance floor in the park.

Chubby Carrier ‘s band played Sunday evening. They were QUITE the hit as you can see. And the crafts featured above were located under the bridge. My favorite booths are those filled with handcrafted gifts that tell the story of our culture.

These are my parents, but to say enough about them would be a blogpost in itself. They have recently found their own passion for dancing and are quite the hit on the floor; now all we have to do is get Brad to learn!

There were thousands at the festival. And being here always reminds me of how special it is to grow up in:

1. A Small Town

2. The South

The group picture includes my parents and their two couple friends who keep everyone laughing non-stop. I love to see my parents so happy and their friends surely contribute to this happiness. 😉

Under the bridge every year, there are rides, arts/crafts, and plenty of good food! The image above of the popcorn had me so entertained. Every time the kettle would fill with popped popcorn, he would yell, “HEEE HAWWW!!!” and kick the metal…as if the smell of the popcorn wasn’t enough to have everyone stopped in their tracks. 🙂

The Sunday night fireworks are best seen from the sea wall, and the necklace above was a gift given by the 2010 King Al Adams. For more information on the festival, you can visit their website.

Labor Day Weekend was great; I was able to catch up with old friends and enjoy the unique city that I grew up in.