Park Service supports Experience Louisiana Festival with $23K grant

National Park Service Superintendent Lance Hatten announced Wednesday that the Experience Louisiana Festival has received a $23,000 grant through the service’s Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative.
“We are so happy and excited to be here to kick off this very exciting festival,” Hatten said at the Jean Lafitte National Park & Preserve Prairie Acadian Cultural Center. “This is very important and close to the heart of rangers stationed here in Louisiana. It has been 100 years since the National Park service was founded. We support local events and bringing people closer to the history and cultural heritage that make up Louisiana — the music, food and crafts that bring people here. We are here to help you promote that and attract more people to the festival. It is very important to pass the culture on to the next generation.”
Hatten added, “We are very excited to support the festival. We want families and their friends to come to the festival. It will be lots of fun and that’s what makes this place special. We want to show our support of the festival and support the communities we serve. We want to help areas we serve showcase what is special about the area.”
About 40 people were on hand for the announcement including new park ranger Angelle Bellard, supervisory park ranger Angela Rathle and festival committee members Dwight Jodon and Pat Dossman.
The service’s Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative is intended to bring about the protection, preservation and interpretation of significant natural, cultural and recreational resources.
According to Rathle, the grant funds will be used for folklife, craft and music talent at the festival.
“Many of the demonstrators don’t sell items at the festivals, but we want them to come and share what they do,” Rathle said. “That is in line with the mission of Jean Lafitte National Park & Preserve Prairie Acadian Cultural Center.”
Rathle added, “One of my first assignments with the Park Service was to come here and work at the Folklife Festival. I am excited. I loved that festival. I am excited to be part of it again.”
Dossman recalled the moment she and Jodon found out the festival would be receiving the grant.
“Dwight and I almost wrecked when Angelle called and told us the festival was receiving this money,” Dossman said. “I’m sure the other drivers on the road wondered what was wrong with us.
Dossman said, “Two things we were told when we planned this festival -- you have to have quality music and you have to be real with the folklife segment. The band budget is over $20,000 and the folklife budget is $5,000 with tents, travel expenses and lodging. Because of this grant, we will be able to have a top-notch festival, and we will definitely be able to do it again next year.
“The festival will help fund scholarships at LSUE. Thank you. We could not have done without you.”
Jodon said, “Their involvement is just out of the roof. It just really is. To be able to put that kind of attention again back in Eunice,” Jodon said of the Park Service announcement. 
The preliminary plan for the Folklife Village during the festival is for the Park Service to have a tent in the center with clusters of tents around it, Jodon said. Five to seven park rangers would be present to manage the village, he said. 
“I think right now it is just a big cultural gumbo,” Jodon said of the upcoming festival. 
“The thing that is remarkable, that shocks people, as we move around is a town as small as Eunice is pulling this off,” Jodon said. “That’s always surprised people because of the visionaries that we’ve got, the passionate people we’ve  got and the people like the Savoys and Geno (Delefose) and the talent we have is really unique.”
Jodon explained the access to National Park Service and Louisiana State University is unique to Eunice.  
“I think what this festival is doing is focusing all of that into one event, one celebration,”  he said.
The proceeds of the festival goes to the LSUE Foundation scholarship fund. The festival proceeds also are targeted for the Eunice Rotary Club, which is the main source of funds for a free community health clinic, and the Eunice Chamber of Commerce. 
Jodon said when the National Park Service came to town “that was Curtis Joubert in motion and the Saturday night radio that was Curtis and others.”
As mayor of Eunice Joubert set a course for tourism based on the culture and successfully sought the National Park Service presence in Eunice. The vision to bring the Park Service to Eunice has resulted in the current push for the Experience Louisiana Festival. 
“There is a lot of credit due to those folks back then who were instrumental in bringing the Park Service to town,” Jodon said. 
The earlier efforts put Eunice on the map, he said. 
 “It was a lot of groundwork that was laid years and years ago. This money wouldn’t be here without that,” he said. 
Additional reporting by Harlan Kirgan, editor. Contact Harlan Kirgan at harlan.kirgan@eunicetoday.com. Contact Claudette Olivier at claudette.olivier@eunicetoday.com.