Katelyn Calhoun, president of the Battle of Pleasant Hill Committee and Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals, was the speaker at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum’s “Lunchtime Lagniappe” program, Friday, May 26.
Ms. Calhoun spoke about the history of the Pleasant Hill area as well as the 1864 battle. She then spoke about the annual battle reenactment and its impact on the area. Her involvement with the Pleasant Hill Battle Reenactment stretches back to her childhood when she decided she was going to be the Battle of Pleasant Hill Queen when she got older, a title she won in 2006 and an honor she shares with three relatives. Ms. Calhoun’s husband proposed to her at the reenactment in 2016 and she and her husband were married on the battlefield in the historic dogtrot house, the only surviving structure from the period.
Her long-time work on the Battle of Pleasant Hill committee led to her other position, president of the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals, charged with promoting the myriad of festivals, small and large that take place in every corner of the Bayou State. From Bunkie’s Louisiana Corn Festival to Lake Charles’ Louisiana Pirate Festival, our state plays host to more unique and quirky events than any other. These fairs and festivals are part of what makes life in Louisiana unique and special and are an integral part of Louisiana’s culture.
