Al Berard Music Festival on Nov. 28

The second annual Al Berard Music Festival will be held on Nov. 28 at the Henry Guidry Memorial Park in Henderson and will benefit the Al Berard Memorial Music Fund at Community Foundation of Acadiana.
The festival will feature live music from Bonsoir Catin, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars, NIK-L Beer, Lee Benoit and many more. There will be a live and a silent auction, food and beverages, a dance competition, festival merchandise, face art and camper spots.
During the festival, students who have benefited from the fund will perform on the main stage, some even playing with instruments donated by the Al Berard Memorial Music Fund. There will be jam sessions throughout the day with musicians such as Jimmy Breaux, Wilson Savoy, Ade Huval, country singer Dustin Sonnier and others. The dance competition begins at 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded. Visit www.AlBerard.com for more schedule information.
Admission to the festival is $10 (children 12 and under are free). Festival proceeds benefit the Al Berard Memorial Music Fund, which made grants to several organizations last year in support of music programs. Some of the organizations include the Louisiana Folk Roots Kids camp, the Shining Light Foundation and Tipitina’s Lafayette Co-op along with several Acadiana Schools. The fund hopes to also create scholarship opportunities this year while still benefiting organizations and programs that provide music education to students of all ages.
Sponsors of the festival are Women’s Healthcare Associates of Lafayette; Boyer, Hebert, Abels & Angelle; Greens’ Piggly Wiggly; Kenneth Knott; Ronny Theriot Community Projects Fund; Tom’s Fiddle & Bow; Crawfish Town USA; Evangeline Maid; Event Restroom of Lafayette; ImpressionsPDM; and St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission. If you would like to sponsor the festival or receive more information, contact Laura Huval at grandansefiddle@gmail.com or visit www.AlBerard.com.
The Al Berard Memorial Music Fund promotes Acadiana’s unique musical culture by providing instruments, master teachers and music scholarships to students of all ages. The fund honors the life of the late Cajun musician, Al Berard, who was a pillar of his community and a mentor for music lovers everywhere. His passion was to teach everyone he met about his love for music and for the Cajun/Creole culture.
The Al Berard Memorial Music Fund, a fund at Community Foundation of Acadiana, was established by the Berard Family to honor Al Berard’s legacy. All gifts to the fund are tax-deductible. Please make checks payable to Community Foundation of Acadiana with “Al Berard Memorial Fund” in the memo and mail to 1035 Camellia Blvd., Ste. 100, Lafayette, LA 70508. For more information regarding Community Foundation of Acadiana or to learn how you can establish your own fund, please contact Erin Winder at 337-769-4842.