Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival readies 13th event

Organizers are gearing up for the 13th Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival set for April 15-16.
The festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday, with the arts and crafts vendors opening at 5:30, and again at opening Saturday at 10 a.m.
The music schedule is:
Friday, April 15
6-8 p.m. Hal Bruni
8:30-11 p.m. Yum Yums
Saturday, April 16
11 a.m.-12 p.m. St. John Elementary Choir
12 p.m.-2 p.m. The 5 O’Clock Shadows
2 p.m.-3 p.m. Hanson Tail-Gators Cook-Off Winners Announced
3-5 p.m. Rick Lorenzo
6-8 p.m. Flashback
8:30-11 p.m. Johnny Chauvin
The Hanson Memorial High School Tail-Gator Food Fest and Battle of Paddles is set for Saturday, with local cooks competing and food available for purchase near the Blevins Building. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m. Saturday.
As has become tradition, the Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service, or BEARS, The BEARS special event station will be held under the Parc sur la Teche pavilion along the Bayou Teche. The station will be in operation Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Bear Raffle winner will be announced from the main stage at 7:45 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $1 for a single, and $5 for six tickets.
Also Saturday, motor boat trips into the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge are lined up. The trips are free, but participants must register at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife tent near the Blevins Building.
Tours will be in the morning at 8:30, 10 and 11:30, and in the afternoon at 1 and 2:30. Friends of Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge will also serve as guides. Advanced reservations are required, groups will be limited in size for optimal viewing experience.
Trips may be cancelled due to weather. Hiking, birding and wildlife viewing information on the refuge is available at www.bayoutecherefugefriends.org.
Youngsters can take the Black Bear Obstacle Course, sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, where they go through a year in the life of a bear, learning food and denning habits of bears in Louisiana. That’s Saturday in the Blevins Building, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cajun Horseshoes, old fashioned horseshoes using toilet seats, is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Veteran’s Park across the bayou near the Willow Street Bridge.
Also on Saturday, paddlers can join the Friends of Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge on a canoe adventure into the refuge, learning about the wildlife of the refuge in this guided, easy pace paddle that is suited for beginners or families. See the website for registration form or for more information contact Donovan Garcia at 337-923-9718.
In the Cub Club Arena, children will have their own festival area complete with storytelling, puppet and magic shows, music, games and more. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., located between Main Street and Teche Drive by the Blevins Building. This is a free zone for children 0-12 years of age. All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Fireworks on Bayou Teche light up the sky Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Fun Zone on Teche Drive is Friday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 per activity and $20 for five.
Teche Action Clinic’s Running of the Bears 5K Run/Walk is set for 8 a.m. Saturday at the St. Mary Parish Courthouse Square. Registration is 25 the day of event (t-shirt is not guaranteed), or a $15 no t-shirt entry the day of event Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
Festival shirts, posters and more will be sold throughout the festival weekend.
The Teddy Bear and Friends Repair Clinic will be located in the Cub Club Arena between Main Street and Teche Drive. Dr. Donna Tesi and her surgery staff will repair your favorite stuffed animals no matter what type. They have saved several snakes, a couple of elephants, a giraffe and a few bears. They’ll be working from noon to 5 p.m.