The Boggy Bayou Festival now has new royalty after a pageant was held during past weekend’s two-day event held at the festival grounds north of Pine Prairie.
Crowned this year’s Miss Boggy Bayou was 17-year-old Halle Grace Bertrand. She is the daughter of Mark and Rhonda Bertrand of Pine Prairie. She is currently a Pine Prairie senior and a dual enrollment student at LSUE. Her hair is red, and her eyes are brown, her favorite color is pink, and her favorite show is Grey’s Anatomy. She is employed at Vogue La Vie. Her hobbies are shopping and spending time with her family and dog. Her achievements are that she will graduate high school this month with 22 college credit hours. She was sponsored by the Village of Turkey Creek and the Christmas in the Village Queens Pageant. Her future plans are to continue her education at LSUE and apply to the Radiologic technology program next spring.
First runner-up was fellow Pine Prairie High School senior Shelby Maricle; second runner-up and Miss Congeniality was Victoria Breaux, who was previously 2019 Miss Smoked Meat; and the other contestant was Hannah Ash, of Pitkin.
Kayla McElfresh, of Lake Charles, was crowned this year’s Ms. Boggy Bayou. She is 30-years-old and is married to Russell McElfresh. She is the proud mother of three children, Layla, Bentley and Skyla. Her hair is brown, and her eyes are hazel, her favorite color is pink, and her favorite movie is Princess and the Frog. Her hobbies include spending time with family and friends, helping others accomplish their goals, making new friends, watching her kids play sports, traveling to different places, trying new foods, and being creative.
Some of her achievements and accomplishments are becoming a mom of three, president of the American Heart of Beauty Association, Director of Louisiana Heart of Beauty Pageant and Hearts for Misty pageant, co-director of Texas Heart of Beauty Pageant, founder and director of Peace Autism and Love Fundraising Pageant, receiving her certificate for parenting education, and a proud former foster parent of 14 beautiful children. Her future plans are to grow both of her organizations, to help many heart patients in Louisiana and Southeast Texas, and autism schools in Louisiana. Something she would like the judges to know about her is that she puts her all into everything she does and she only gets involved If her heart is fully in. She was sponsored by her very proud husband.
First runner-up was Crystal Thrasher, the 2019 Ms. Smoked Meat; and second runner-up and Miss Congeniality was Debra Chapelle.
June 19, 2026
