Parking fee is major change for festival’s second year

Experience Louisiana Festival organizers said a $5 per vehicle parking fee is one of the major changes for this year’s event scheduled Oct. 22 and 23 on the LSUE campus.
Dwight Jodon told Eunice Rotary Club members Wednesday that besides raising money, the fee will help with estimating the size of the crowd.
At the inaugural festival a year ago, there was method to counting the crowd. A count is important when the festival seeks funding.
Jodon and Pat Dossman updated the club members about the upcoming festival
“What we are seeing as we move around the state talking about it is we don’t have to explain it and describe it,” Jodon said.
Other bits from their talk included:
— The Artist Village, which is geared for children, will offer five times more activities than last year. “If you know families with young ones they can hang out all day long,” Jodon said.
— Excel Fire Protection Systems, of Carencro, has become the presenting sponsor. The company is operated by Jaime Gomez and he is the husband of Celeste Gomez, executive director of tourism for St. Landry Parish.
— The Folklife Village, which is organized by the National Park Service, will include a tent for demonstrators to talk about their crafts.
— Golf carts will be used to transport guests from the parking lots to the festival site next to the Community Education Building.
— Chef James Hamilton has agreed to be the signature chef for the festival. Hamilton will demonstrate carving vegetables Saturday morning and ice-carving Saturday afternoon. On Sunday he is scheduled to present a program on appetizers.
— Three Native American tribes will be on the site. They are the Attakapas, Lapin Apache and Coushatta.
— The food booths are to be situated in arch from the main music stage.
— Volunteers are needed. Call 337-457-1776.
— Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser will lead a second line parade at 9:45 a.m. Oct. 22 to open the festival.
“You don’t see that around here. You don’t see that in Eunice for sure,” Jodon said.
Jodon and Dossman emphasize the Experience Louisiana Festival is designed to have different character than most festivals.
“It is not a come drink, listen to music. It is come see and experience and meet people from all over the state. It is just a really good time,” Jodon said.