Spirit high for festival

Shrimp are the reason for the season and at the core of one of the biggest festivals in the Teche Area.

But there’s more to the Delcambre Shrimp Festival, which opened Wednesday night for the 59th time in its storied history. It’s about giving back to the community, to schools in the town, to charitable organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club and, even, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The community spirit is the key. People get behind the shrimping industry, which is the heart and soul of the town, as evidenced by Sunday’s Fisherman’s Mass at the Shrimp Festival Building and then, so many minutes later, the blessing of the fleet.

That Delcambre spirit has been at its best in recent years.

It had to be great following Hurricane Rita, which flooded the town in September 2005. About 150 volunteers turned out in the awful aftermath to help clean up the festival grounds in an effort to ensure the next festival and keep things as normal as possible.

Eight thousand people attended the festival the year before Rita. Slowly but surely, the numbers have bounced back, despite back-to-back storms last year when Hurricane Gustav hit to the east and Hurricane Ike went west, giving this area the “dirty side,” to hit Galveston.

Last August — the festival always is held on the third full weekend of the month — more than 5,000 festival-goers were in Delcambre. Post-hurricane hardships were put aside, at least for the five-day period that so many people have grown up looking forward to around here and beyond.

The fundraising event has gone big-time in an effort to spark even more interest. The Delcambre Shrimp Festival Association started adding widely known personalities to its entertainment lineup about seven years ago.

To help people party hearty this week there is Cajun Nation, scheduled tonight; DJ Homer Stelly, scheduled Saturday, and T. K. Hulin, Warren Storm and G. G. Shinn, scheduled Sunday.

Shrimp, naturally, are the main course at the booths. Some people started breading the crustaceans last month to finish in time for the festival.

Shrimp will be prepared and served in every which way imaginable.

The banners are out. The street fair is set up. The booths are ready.

Area residents ought to sample some of the fun and food and get a better feel for the sense of community that makes the people in that town so proud.

DON SHOOPMAN

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR