Several thousand people came to visit the Saint Augustine Creole & Family Festival, formerly the St Augustine Catholic Church Annual Fair, held at the historic St. Augustine Church in Isle Brevelle on Oct. 9-11. This beloved event is a celebration of Creole Culture and is something of a family reunion as descendants of the area’s families come home from all over the United States and abroad. The festival also transforms the St. Augustine parish hall into what is undoubtedly the finest restaurant in the state of Louisiana as the hardworking cooks serve thousands of homemade meatpies, tamales, red beans and rice, and, of course, over 100 gallons of their signature gumbo.
This year’s festival featured the third “Run for Rod” 5k on Saturday October. 10 The run honors the memory of Chad “Rod” Nelson, II, a young man and avid runner taken from us all too soon. The proceeds from the event will be donated to St. Augustine Church in his memory. This year’s run drew over 80 runners and a team of sharp NSU Nursing students promoting health and wellness.
There were games for children in addition to music, dancing and a silent auction. Dr. Kent Peacock of the NSU Creole Heritage Center was also on hand with volunteers and an information booth. Saturday’s festivities featured the return of the renowned Zydeco artist Gerard Delafose and the Zydeco Gators.
The Creole and Family Festival is a decades long tradition in our community and is a celebration of one of the many cultures that make Louisiana a wonderfully unique place. The Natchitoches Parish Journal is looking forward to next year!
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