In her own words

(Editor’s Note: Carissa Hebert wrote this column during the week of the Louisiana Cotton Festival back in 2021, and it is a wonderful reminder of the what the festival means to the local area. We thought it would be fitting to reprint it at this time as we mourn Carissa’s loss.)
“It’s Cotton time.” To many, that saying means carnival rides, street dancing, new royalty, a parade, and a Tournoi competition. All of those things are fun, but to the organizers, it means a whole lot more.
I’m not a native of Evangeline Parish, but in 1997, when then president, Gilbert “Winky” Aucoin, who happens to be a cousin, asked me to serve on the festival as the publicity director, I didn’t realize how my family would grow and how Cotton would change me forever. I’ve met some wonderful people involved in the festival, like Winky, Tina and Raymond Guillory, June Hadley Ledoux, Cynthia and Jody Fontenot, Hillery Hill, Bob and Sarah Manuel, Kelli Ritter Buller, Stephanie Deville, Lennis Soileau, and Pat Derouselle, to name a few. Kelli and Stephanie will forever be my “rhinestone sisters,” as our queens like to refer to the other festival queens who served during their reign. Then, there are the new board members, like Shea and Kim McDaniel, Tony Marks, Mable Foreman, and Katelyn and Corey Calhoun. They are all part of my forever family.
My reign as a member of the Louisiana Cotton Board is slowly coming to an end, and new faces are sure to take our places. I hope the tradition of Cotton continues to shine in the parish’s history, because this small festival began as a community function utilizing clubs, organizations, and its people - uniting them to bring entertainment to the parish while educating the public on the importance of cotton in our everyday lives. Yes, we know cotton is no longer grown in the parish, but its origins are not forgotten because of this festival.
Over the years, this board has faced many hardships in keeping Cotton alive. At one point, we didn’t have enough money to pay for the supplies needed to keep the festival running. However, people behind the scenes put money up to keep the tradition alive. At that point, the board knew tradition was important but so was change. We worked hard - made some unpopular decisions of cutting out costly events we could no longer afford. The goal was to keep Cotton alive, as our then president Pat Derouselle said. We did it. The festival isn’t rich, but the board now considers its future, as well as the present festival when making decisions. They work hard to keep the festival’s traditions alive.
Utilizing those festival dollars, and budgeting every year, keeps this tradition growing. If you are one of those people who don’t support Cotton or the Tournoi, you haven’t figured the importance of today’s events. It still means entertainment, but it also showcases Ville Platte and the rest of the parish at its finest. Hospitality, camaraderie, family, smiles and handshakes, and on and on, including a history like no other, is what you find when you attend an event.
Ask a former King, Queen, Colonel Cotton, Cotton Picker, Contradanse member, etc. about their time in Cotton, and they will smile and recall some wonderful memories. When you look back at your own life and think about the good times, don’t you smile? Don’t you want to share?
I want to share how hard my Cotton family works each year to bring this festival to the community. I want to share how special each person I meet at the festival is to this community - to this festival - and in my own life. I want to share how fun it is to dance, laugh and enjoy the events held over the weekend. I want to share this with each and everyone of you, and I want to invite you to all the events, including the last events of this year’s festival - The Grand Parade of Cotton at noon and the Tournoi at approximately 2:30 p.m. It may not be the best events in the state, but you are going to find a friend there and you are going to share some laughs and conversations that you will remember in life. It’s true, you have to come and visit with us, because you will have a Cotton Pickin’ Good Time.