Festival ends its 2016 run

The rain fell hard, and the local economy is in a slump. But people managed to have a good time at the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival over the Labor Day weekend.

“The festival went really well overall, taking into consideration the weather, of course,” said festival Executive Director Darby Isham.

“There was a huge rainstorm on Saturday afternoon, closer to the evening, so a lot of people left the park.”

Isham hoped for a bigger turn out on Saturday night for the last performing act. Many had plans to come out. But with the weather, people chose not to attend and did not want their kids out in the rain.

“We had a big national act, Cowboy Mouth, for Saturday night,” Isham said. “So, we were a little disappointed in the crowd.”

Also, the state of the economy played a factor in this year’s festival goer’s participation.

“We heard feedback that people just weren’t buying, which is understandable,” Isham said. “People had to make choices on what they were buying, whether it was buying Dippin ’ Dots or a ride in the carnival.

“They had to make a decision on which they were going to spend their money on.”

Isham looks forward to a better economy next year.

“We’re really hoping next year the economy is in a better place, people are working again and they’re able to spend their money like they want to.”

The festival planners took some risks by bringing on a national act and offering a new drink to festival attendees.

“We were a little riskier,” Isham said. “And we kind of learned some things, what’s better for us on our end. I don’t think we’ve ever had a band quite like Cowboy Mouth.”

In comparing crowd size from Saturday to Sunday night, it’s hard to judge the outcomes because the weather was a huge factor, Isham said.

“But personally, I think our crowd does better with a lot of cover songs and interactive bands like MoJEUX and Category 6,” Isham said. “So the community can definitely look forward to more bands like that next year.”

The Petro punch did fairly well for its first year. Isham is waiting on numbers to come back to see how well it did. As of now, it’s too soon to tell.

In its second year in Berwick, the Blessing of the Fleet was a big success. Last year, there were a few hiccups.

“We were able to correct the tiny mistakes,” Isham said. “And we were able to make it better for this year. I think a lot of people were happy with the blessing. It didn’t rain, thank goodness.”

The parade still rolled along even though it rained. There were many people out on the parade route.

“Saturday afternoon hurt food vendors a little bit,” Isham said. “But other than that, they did really well.”

The rainstorm caused flooding on Federal Avenue and Greenwood Street in the festival area, reported Morgan City Police Department.

Flooding also occurred on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Clothilde and Cottonwood streets.

A couple of juveniles were arrested on the fairgrounds, said Morgan City Police Captain Betty Augman .

There were also complaints of damaged vehicles with shattered windows due to pellet guns, which is still under investigation.

“Most of the fairground activity wasn’t too bad,” Augman said.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office reported an arrest on charges for illegal carrying of weapons and carrying weapons in a firearm-free zone on festival grounds. A minor was also involved in the incident.

Next year will be the festival’s 82nd year of celebration. The dates are scheduled for Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, 2017.

“Thank you to everyone who came and worked or participated or volunteered to anything or in any way, shape or form to help the festival,” Isham said. “The support is appreciated. Without the support we wouldn’t still be here.”