Chamber hears of upcoming events across the parish

With the cooler temperatures comes a litany of Fall events across Evangeline Parish beginning this Saturday with the BookFest held at the main branch of the Evangeline Parish Library in Ville Platte.
Outreach Director for the Library Suzy Lemoine told the Evangeline Chamber of Commerce, during its meeting Monday, “it’s a thank you to the parish for supporting the library all over the parish.”
She added this is the 15th annual event, and this year’s will have a new feature. “We will have an LPB (Louisiana Public Broadcasting) representative who’s going to do an antique road show,” Lemoine said.
The feature, according to Lemoine, will be used to promote the emerging antique and flea market businesses in the area.
Later that day in Chataignier will be the third annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and Gumbo Cook-off. The Chamber’s executive director, Renee Brown, said a Zydeco band from Chataignier will be performing at this weekend’s event.
Brown added, “You can go to BookFest first in the morning and go enjoy gumbo in Chataignier.”
The events continue on Tuesday, October 29, with trick-or-treating at Heritage Manor in Ville Platte.
Connie Lamke with the Ville Platte Police Department told the Chamber candy donations are still being accepted.
Lamke said, “The kids have to come in costume with an adult, and they get to trick-or-treat in the halls of Heritage Manor.”
Then, on Halloween Day, there will be the third annual Career Fair at the Ville Platte Civic Center beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The following weekend on November 2 will be a Street Dance in Ville Platte between Cafe Evangeline and Evangeline Drug Store with music from Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.
“It’s LSU’s bye week,” Jay Giehlow with Cafe Evangeline said during the Chamber meeting, “so there really shouldn’t be too many excuses not to be there.”
He added, “It’s a great opportunity for us to show we really need this in Ville Platte and want this in Ville Platte.”
The Street Dance is sponsored by the Evangeline Arts Council and will allow many local artists to showcase their work. Brown said, “You can purchase art work at that time, and you can see all the talented artists we have from all over Evangeline Parish.”
The parish’s events continue with Evangeline Christmas on November 15 and November 16 and the Chamber Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 1.
Capping off the upcoming events will be Christmas with Chateau Des Amis and Christmas with Village de Memoire where people can buy a present and spend time with a resident of either community on December 13 or December 14.
Lamke said, “You can buy a $10.00 gift for a resident and visit with that resident so they’ll have somebody to visit with them for Christmas.