A brief history of La. Cotton Festival

Ville Platte is the home of the fall festival known as the Louisiana Cotton Festival and Le Tournoi de la Ville Platte, held each year in October.
The World War II veterans are credited with starting the festival as part of their July 4th, celebration in 1952. To add to the celebration they revived an old historic sport called Le Tournoi (French for tournament). In the early 1950’s, many festivals throughout the state were getting their names from local products.
So the Louisiana Cotton Festival Association was incorporated on August 20, 1953, for a period of 99 years.
Cotton was chosen as the festival product because Evangeline Parish was the first parish in the south where all cotton farmers had planted and raised one variety of cotton, namely Delta and Pine Land Cotton, cotton of uniform staple.
“Le Tournoi” (the tournament) is an ancient game or sport, first followed by the knights of ancient France, which was brought to this area by the first settlers who were of French descent.
The horsemen joust at breakneck speed, endeavoring with their long lances to strike and retain rings set upon posts along a large circular track. The Tournoi is now run annually in conjunction with the Louisiana Cotton Festival.
The Tournoi riders battle the seven evils of cotton, which are bollworm, boll weevil, flood, drought, rayon, nylon, and silk.
The Louisiana Cotton Queen is chosen from any girl throughout the state who must be 17 through 22 years of age. The queen is expected to remain single during her reign of one year. The festival officials choose King Cotton to honor an important person: a senator, a congressman, a state governor, the president of a university, etc.
The first Cotton King was Dave Pearce and the first Cotton Queen was Janice Marie Hebert.
She, along with the Tournoi Queen, made the trip to Washington, D.C. for the Mardi Gras Ball.
Queen Cotton has made that trip ever since.
In addition to the cotton royalty, in 1960 Colonel Cotton was a person who had greatly helped the community through farming or in business or civic accomplishments.
The first Colonel Cotton was Dr. B.A. Soileau, who owned a cotton gin.
The first Cotton Pickers were formed in 1957, and they are the official festival entertainers who sing and dance at each festival event.
Another new feature at the festival in 1962 was the old folks dance or Contradanse (a French square dance) performed by middle-aged people to the accompaniment of a French band. This dance is held every year on the Tuesday night at the start of the festival
In 1975, the Cotton Royalty grew with the addition of Le Roi et La Reine de la Maison de Sante Nursing Home (the king and queen of the nursing home). The elderly couple is chosen as king and queen and they reign over the Contradanse. Also in 1962, yet another member was added to the royalty; Grand Marshal of the Parade. This honor is given to a person, man or woman, and are greatly appreciated for their accomplishments, with the Cotton Festival and Ville Platte. As the festival grew, many clubs and organizations helped the association by running the many events held during the festival week. The festival could not have continued without the help of these organizations and clubs that still help to this day.
The Louisiana Cotton Festival week starts off with the annual Contradanse held on Tuesday night. On Wednesday afternoon, the local 4-H club holds a cooking contest and a pet show, along with the opening of the carnival, which will be open each night until the last day of the festival on Sunday.
Friday night is the annual Fais-do-do (street dance), where local bands come to entertain fair goers.
On Sunday, there is a beautiful harvest mass at Our Lady, Queen of All Saints Catholic Church to give thanks to the Creator for all of the bounty of crops. Sunday afternoon, there is a colorful parade with floats, visiting queens, marching bands, antique cars and the Tournoi riders in their silvery knighted regalia and is climaxed by King and Queen Cotton reviewing their subjects from royal floats. After the parade, the ancient jousting game known as Le Tournoi is played at the Tournoi grounds, where the Tournoi Queen accepts the winning knight after the game is won.
The festival board would like to invite all to this unique tradition and come and have a “Cotton Pickin’ Good Time!”