It’s Family Day at the Cotton Festival, which continues through tomorrow in Ville Platte.
The festival is held annually at the North Side Civic Center on Soileau Street.
According to the festival’s website, the World War II veterans are credited for starting the festival as part of their July 4th celebration. In the early 1950’s many festival throughout the state were getting their names from local products. Some local civic leaders were interested in starting a festival to promote Louisiana Cotton and for the benefit of Ville Platte and Evangeline Parish. The Louisiana Cotton Festival Association was incorporated on August 20, 1953. Cotton was chosen as the festival product because Evangeline Parish was the first parish in the South where all cotton farmers had planted and raised one-variety cotton, namely Delta and Pine Land Cotton, cotton of uniform staple.
Here’s the schedule for today and tomorrow:
Saturday, October 13, 2018
10:00 am to 10:30 am – Contestants & Visiting Queens arrive
11:00 am – Contestant interviews (private event)
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Royal Reception (private event)
1:00 pm – Family Day at the Carnival (Admission to fairgrounds is FREE)
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Bracelet hours at Carnival
5:30 pm – Cotton Coronation – Crowning of King & Queen Cotton (Admission to Coronation – $5.00 for Adults & Children)
Sunday, October 14, 2018
8:30 am – Cotton Harvest Mass – at Our Lady Queen of All Saint church , 1220 West Dardeau Street
12:00 pm – “Grand Parade of Cotton” – main street running west to east
1:00 pm – Family Day at the Carnival (Admission to fairgrounds is FREE)
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Bracelet hours at Carnival
3:00 pm – Running of the Tournoi – Industrial Park
6:00 pm – Cotton Festival 2018 Closes!!
