Street Dance with Steve Riley and Mamou Playboys is planned in VP

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys will be the musical act for a street dance to be held Saturday, November 2, starting at 5:00 p.m. in Ville Platte. This is a free event coinciding with the newly-formed Evangeline Arts Council.
The idea for the street dance came from Jay Giehlow, chef and owner of Café Evangeline. “Music is art. We wanted to bring some attention to the Arts Council. The town needs it,” said Giehlow. “Everybody’s got such a bad idea about of what downtown Ville Platte is like that nobody wants to come out anymore. There needs to be something you give to the community to bring them out into the town. This is our street still. We can still do whatever we want. There’s no amount of crime that’s going to keep anything from that. I wanted to bring back some of the nostalgia, like when they used to have the street dance by the old courthouse when they used to have the Cotton Festival over there.”
Suzy Lemoine, representative with the Evangeline Arts Council, said of the street dance, “This is the beginning of the melding of music and art in a very public way. It’s coming together in the form of an old-fashioned street dance. It’s our first fund raiser to support the arts in many forms, including music and mixed medium.”
In addition to the music, there will be artists selling their art, food for sale, including BBQ Boston butt sandwiches, and a cash bar. They ask for the public to leave their ice chests at home. They do need volunteers.
Anyone interested in volunteering can call Jay at 337-363-3603.
The dance will take place on Railroad, between Magnolia and Main Streets. The road will be blocked off to traffic where Railroad meets Magnolia and Main.
This free event is made possible by Cabot, Soileau Industries, JD Bank, Vidrine J Philippe (Dr. – Family Dentistry), Evangeline Bank & Trust Company, and Café Evangeline.