Teen Miss Boggy Bayou Avery Annabelle Brown:

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor

“This was my first festival title and I had an amazing year that will always hold a special place in my heart,” shares Teen Boggy Bayou Queen Avery Annabelle Brown. She admits, “Before I decided to compete for the title of Teen Miss Boggy Bayou, I knew very little about the festival. Once I learned the festival’s purpose is to financially support Prairie Manor Nursing Home, I knew this was such an important and special festival.”
Brown adds, “My dad is from Pine Prairie and my great-grandfather spent his final years at Prairie Manor, so it meant even more to me that I was able to represent both a town and a place that are a big part of my family history.”
The 16-year-old daughter of Hope and Mike Brown of Lafayette, Avery attends Teurlings Catholic High School, where she is active in several school clubs, involved in the campus ministry and serves as a Rebel Ambassador. Her hobbies include traveling, shopping, attending concerts, working out and spending time with family and friends.
After graduating from high school, Avery plans to attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and then go on to law school. Her goal is to one day work for an international law firm.
During her reign as Teen Boggy Bayou Queen, Brown has had many fun and memorable moments. She recalls, “At one of my first visits to Prairie Manor, one of the residents went to kiss me on the cheek but licked me instead.” Brown had a wonderful time attending the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals (LAFF) convention for the first time. She also remembers being “tricked” into the mutton bustin’ contest at the festival by some of the board members, noting, “It was all in good fun.”
Of the 30 festivals she attended throughout her year as queen, Brown shares one of her favorites was the Alligator Festival in Luling, where she got to hold an 80-pound alligator. She also enjoyed attending the Festival of the Bonfires Queen’s Day and Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival Queen’s Day.
It takes a village to have a successful reign, and Brown says, “I have so many people to thank, especially my parents. Without them, this past year would not have been possible!”
Brown says the best part of being crowned Teen Miss Boggy Bayou was “meeting and getting to know all the residents at Prairie Manor Nursing Home. I was able to visit frequently and I enjoyed becoming close with many of the residents over the past year.” She adds, “This title has also allowed me to travel all over the state and meet so many people and visit so many places that I would not have otherwise.”
To her successor Brown shares, “To be a good festival queen, it takes dedication and a true love and passion for the festival and the people and town it represents.” She adds, “Take this title and make it your own. Go to as many events as you can, don’t be afraid to travel to new places and meet new people. Visit Prairie Manor every chance you get. Take the time to get to know the residents, they are the sweetest people you will ever meet. If you truly put your heart into this title, you will have the best year ever.”