The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival has been around for 58 years and counting.
"Help develop this park when it was almost just a little pasture, and we’ve come a long way as you can tell. We also have some big master plans on the drawing board right now," said Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival President Mark Bernard.
Bernard has been with the festival for the last two decades helping with efforts like drumming up sponsorships, the festival’s main source of funding.
"The rest is generated throughout beer sales and our gate fees to come in. That’s what keeps us able to put on the festival and keep it at this level, this magnitude," said Bernard.
But the crawfish fest isn’t just about profit. Each year, the event also manages to give back.
"An annual donation to FoodNet. We work with the council on aging here. You know, all of us are going to be in that boat someday. Hopefully later than sooner, but we are coming here," said Bernard.
The annual economic boost all those festival visitors bring to the city is an added perk as well.
"They leave home with a full tank of gas, but they’ve got to fill up to go back. Some of them are going to eat, some of them are staying in hotels. We have become so family oriented, that we have a lot of people who come in motorhomes now, which is a tremendous impact on the community," said Bernard.
Over the last 20 years, Bernard said he’s learned what works best to keep the good times rolling, and the great funds generating.
"The more organized you are, the better the product you put out there, the easier it is to sell some sponsorship and it becomes contagious and they want to be a part of what you’re doing as well," said Bernard.
