Eunice Rotary shows off ‘Experience Louisiana’

Sometimes a look back is all you need to look forward.

Recently, a group of Eunice Rotarians were reminiscing about Eunice’s famed Folklife Festival, and its precursor, the Tri-Parish Festival. Fast-forward to the Rotary Club of Eunice’s newest project the inaugural Experience Louisiana Festival set for Nov. 7-8, 2015.

In what is being described as a cultural networking event, the project will provide anyone who comes the chance to experience the sounds, sites, tastes, cultures and people of Louisiana all on the campus of Louisiana State University at Eunice.

Partnering with the Rotary Club to  make it happen are LSU Eunice and the city of Eunice as primary sponsors as well as the National Park Service and St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission.

The festival will look to highlight Louisiana and all of the state’s great aspects.

“We need to market our state and this is the best way to do that,” said Eunice Rotarian Pat Dossman during the Rotary Club of Crowley’s meeting.

Dossman, along with Dwight Jodon and Tony Fuselier, were on hand Tuesday to discuss the project and reach out to the Crowley club to join in the fun next year.

Jodon joked how one of the first reactions to the idea he heard was “Another one?” in regard to another festival in Louisiana — and at the height of festival season at that. But, for all involved in the project, the goal is to make Experience Louisiana not just another festival.

To do that, the first plan is to separate the festival’s components into villages making each experience one of its own. Those villages will look to include a musician’s village, a folklife village and an artist’s village as well as a music main stage, a walk-through Louisiana section, food booths, a craft village and more.

The Folklife Village will look to feature Louisiana’s vast diversity of folklife. As the cornerstone of the festival, organizers look to feature it prominently and it will be developed in cooperation and collaboration with a variety of local, state and regional agencies.

“Folklife is passed on by tradition,” said Jodon. “We want true folklife at this festival.”

For the musician’s village, organizers hope to not only be able to show off the many kinds of musics of Louisiana, but also have impromptu performances and jam sessions in the area.

Then, there will be the Walk-Through Louisiana portion of the festival. A unique and exciting element of the festival, the walk-through will be the real “experience Louisiana” portion of the festival.

This area will be a chance for communities, parishes, tourist centers, festivals and regional entities to showcase themselves in whatever manner they choose.

“We fully intend to have world visitors,” said Dossman.

Thus, it the walk-through will give people from the likes of France, Italy, etc., the chance to learn about the many aspects of Louisiana and maybe plan a return trip to Crowley for the 80th International Rice Festival.

With so much to offer that is so often taken for granted by many Louisianans, organizers hope this festival will be a great chance to let others know about all Louisiana has to offer.

“We need to strut our stuff,” said Dossman. “We need to let these people know about the richness of our area.”

For the group, that means highlighting Louisiana’s friendly people, great food and the many diverse products that come from Louisiana.

As the group is 12 months away from the inaugural festival, they wanted to put it on the radar of the Crowley club and welcome them to participate and visit it in 2015, as well as all in the surrounding area.

To learn more about the festival, visit www.ExperienceLouisiana.org. You can also like them on Facebook (Experience Louisiana Festival) and follow them on Twitter (@ExperLAFest).