Chicken Festival returns Friday, Saturday
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
The town of Dubach’s biggest attraction will return for a 35th year Friday and Saturday as the Louisiana Chicken Festival comes to town once again.
Events kick off Friday at noon as food and arts and crafts booths open in downtown Dubach on East Hico Street and Main Street, while the main day of the festival begins Saturday at 8 a.m.
Put on by the Dubach Restoration and Beautification Organization ( DRABO), this year’s Chicken Festival has drawn even more attention from vendors than usual, according to DRABO President Renee Vowles.
“We have vendors spots available with no electricity, but all of our electricity spots are taken,” Vowles said. “I can’t remember the last time we’ve had this many vendors.”
The Chicken Festival is going with a “ Country Living” theme this year, chosen from themes and designs submitted by each grade at Dubach Elementary School.
This year’s poster features students’ artwork, while the final t- shirt design was created by art teacher Lauren Dixon based on the winning design from the third grade.
“We threw a pizza party for the third grade, and we also donated $250 to the art program,” Vowles said.
Shirts, Chicken Festival- themed cups, and $1 raffle tickets for the annual quilt giveaway are available for purchase at the DRABO office and at local businesses around town, both leading up to and during the festival.
Other Friday night festivities include a Kids Sweet Treat Walk at 6 p.m., bingo at the Scott Hamilton Warehouse at 6:30, and music on the First Guaranty Bank main stage from 7- 10 p.m., provided by local band Hands On.
Booths reopen at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Other Saturday features include an antique car show, the Chicken Festival parade, the “strut, cackle and crow” contest, the drumstick eating contest, a pet parade, Dogtrot Welcome Center tours, softball and cornhole tournaments, and much more.
Local band Night Hawk will take the main stage on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. That’s a new feature of this year’s Chicken Festival, as typically the Saturday music is by DJ only.
Other changes from last year include the time of the parade, moved up to the morning at 10:30.
“It’s just too hot at 2 in the afternoon,” Vowles said.
But even before that, there’s another parade this year as the pet parade takes place at 9:30 a.m. The event is a replacement of the previous pet show that would take place on the main stage.
There will still be judges on hand to bestow awards on the participating pets — they’ll just be watching as the entries take a walk down the street instead of being presented on stage.
The softball tournament is possible thanks to the recent reopening of the old ballpark, now ready to see its first Chicken Festival since being heavily repaired and renovated.
Founded in 1989, the Louisiana Chicken Festival is a celebration themed after the chicken industry that was booming at the time in the Dubach area. Its goal is to help reestablish and maintain pride and excitement in the town of Dubach.