History of the Boucherie Festival

Many years ago, the Cajuns of South Louisiana celebrated an old custom that they brought here from their native France. When the Cajuns first settled in the swamps and woods of South Louisiana, they, obviously, had no refrigeration.

Each family would wait until the appropriate time each fall to butcher the hogs to have meat for the winter. The families would crisscross the countryside, taking time to help each other finish their "boucherie." When the duties were complete, the families would gather round a warm fire and enjoy a feast prepared for that special occasion. When it was time to go home, each family would get a certain portion of the butchered hog as their share of the day's work. In this way, the Cajun's handed together and collectively learned to survive.

To keep this heritage alive, in the 1960's, the Sorrento Lions Club members would hold a small gathering each year in the fall, called a "boucherie." This gathering would take place at George Savario's camp located in Acy, off LA Highway 22, just east of Sorrento. He was a Lions Club Charter Member and Mayor of Sorrento. This was an annual event attended by residents of Sorrento and the surrounding area.

In 1978, three Lions Club members, John N. LeBlanc, Sr, A. J. Kling, Jr and Roland Melancon suggested that the "boucherie" be turned into a large festival that is now a three-day event and open to everyone. The Sorrento Lions Club Boucherie Festival is held the second full weekend of October each year in Reynolds Lambert Park. A Beauty Pageant has been held each year to crown "Miss Boucherie." In the beginning it was only for the "Miss" category, but in 1986, the pageant was opened up to all age groups. The annual parade is held on Saturday morning and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. A Grand Marshal and the Boucherie Queens are the highlights of the parade.

In the early 1980's, Mayor John N. LeBlanc, Jr. and the Town Council passed a resolution requesting the Louisiana Legislature to name Sorrento the "Boucherie Capital of the World." This resolution was presented to Senator Joe Sevario and Representative Juba Diez. With their help, the Louisiana Legislature proclaimed Sorrento the "Co-Boucherie Capitol of the World." Sorrento had to share this title with Marksville, Louisiana, who put on a similar festival.

Since 1981, there has been a "Cracklin Cooking Contest" to name the "Cracklin Cooking Champion" to represent Sorrento at various functions throughout the year. In 1987, a "Champion of Champions Cooking Contest" was started. This contest has former Cracklin Cooking Champions competing against each other for this prestigious title. In 1995, a "Jambalaya Cooking Contest" was added and in 1996, the "Bull Bash" was added. This was a bull-riding contest. Due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 festival was postponed until April, 2006. It turned out to be one of our best festivals in years.

There are live bands playing continuously throughout the festival hours, carnival rides, arts and crafts booths, cooking exhibits, and of course, the best food!!

Page created on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 1:43:56 PM