Dog trials to start off annual Fur and Wildlife Festival celebration
Published 6:57 am Thursday, January 4, 2024
- (American Press Archives)
Downtown Cameron will be humming the next two weekends as the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival — deemed the “oldest and coldest” Southwest Louisiana festival — gets underway.
The festival will feature parades, a gumbo cook-off, pageants, run/walks, dances, carnival rides and plenty of Cajun music.
The main attractions, however, are the dog trials, duck and goose calling competitions and nutria and muskrat skinning contests.
The festival will kick off at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, with dog trial registration at the home of Mitch Thomas, 5317 La. 397 in Bell City. The trials begin at 10 a.m.
At 6 p.m., the Louisiana Fur & Wildlife and Teen Miss Fur queen contests will begin at South Cameron High School, 753 Oak Grove Highway in Grand Chenier.
The festival returns at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, with the Little Miss and Mister Cameron Parish & Miss Cameron Parish pageants as well as the crowning of King Fur. Admission to all of the events is $5, with children 12 and under free, at South Cameron High.
The carnival opens at noon Friday, Jan. 12. Admission is $5 a day or $15 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and under are free. Music by Under the Influence begins at 6 p.m.
Festival gates will reopen at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, for the gumbo cook-off; the 5K Run/1 Mile race walk begins at 8 a.m. Carnival rides and food booths open at 9 a.m.
Saturday’s full schedule:
9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Antique Vehicles Showcase, free admission.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Trap Shooting Competition/Quail Flush
9:30 a.m. — Registration for Kids Master Oyster Race – Stage Area
10 a.m. — Kids Master Oyster Race – Stage Area: Group 1 (ages 6-8 years old) Group 2 (ages 9-11 years old)
10:30 a.m. — Registration for Oyster Shucking/Nutria Skinning/Trap Setting -Stage Area
10:30 a.m. — Gumbo Cook-Off Judging
11 a.m. — Oyster Shucking Competition – Stage Area; Muskrat Skinning Demonstration/Nutria Skinning Competition; and Trap Setting Competition.
1 p.m. — Parade – Downtown Cameron
2:30-4:30 p.m. — Travis Matte & The King Pins (Entertainment)
3 p.m. — Duck and Goose Calling Registration – Cameron Port Office
3:30 p.m. — Duck and Goose Calling Competition – Cameron Port Office
4:30 p.m. — Gumbo Cook-Off Awards – Stage Area
5-7 p.m. — Jamie Bergeron & The Kickin’ Cajuns (Entertainment)
7 p.m. — Presentation of Festival Royalty
7:30-10 p.m. — Steel Shot (Entertainment)
10:30 p.m. — Gates close.
