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Celebrating "Creole Cooks! in 2002


T-shirts still available

Creole Heritage Day Cooks!
See Pictures Here
     The Ninth Annual Creole Heritage Day was held on January 18 and 19, 2002.  Weather dampened attendance numbers which were off from record numbers in 2001, but for those who braved the elements, spirits were high, and all had a good time.
     "Creole Cooks" was this year's festival theme.  For the first time the opening ceremony for Creole Heritage Day took place on Friday at Northwestern State University with Preservation Recognition Awards presented to 15 groups and individuals from Louisiana and Texas.
     Saturday's festivities at St. Augustine's Catholic Church commenced with an early morning foot-stomping musical wake-up call from Jeremy and the Zydeco Hot Boyz.  This lit the fire on the pots, grills and fryers of the food vendors.  Everyone was sure to find his or her favorite Creole dish.
     With Music in full force with the Zydeco Force under the tent, the church all bingo, cultural exhibits, crafts, book sales and cooking demonstrations of pecan candy and Cane River meat pies, Creole Heritage Day was cooking!
     Presenters from Hawkinsville, GA introduced their seafood salad to Isle Brevelle, demonstrations concluded with storytelling by Ms. Rosa Metoyer of Alexandria.  A genealogy exhibit and workshop was also held throughout the day.
     Rev. Mark Noel celebrated Holy Mass under the tent, a brief intermission to the conclusion of days event led by Al and the Gators and concluding with the main dance by Horace Trahan and the New Ossun Express.
     Creole Heritage Day 2003 plans are underway with it's highly anticipated theme highlighting Creole music and musicians.

 

HERITAGE DAY T-SHIRTS

    T-shirts are still available from this year's celebration.  The shirts are black and have the "Creole Cooks" logo in color imprinted on the front.  Sizes range from Medium to XXLarge in short sleeve; long sleeves come in sizes Large and XLarge.  All shirts are $15 each.  Payments should be made out to S.A.H.S. and orders can be placed via e-mail here or via phone to 318/357-6685 and 318/357-0602.

POST CREOLE HERITAGE FESTIVAL EVENT
2002 Skeet Shoot
- See photos here
     A VERY good time was had by all at the first ever Skeet Shoot organized and originated  by Mark Delphin of Lake Charles and F.J. Delphin of Cane River.  The event was held at the Delphin place on Cane River and attracted a crowd of about 20.  This post Creole Heritage happening was governed by a set of rules established by the originators which was based upon a 5-shot turn, with the win going to the best of 5.
     A shoot-out was held between Mark Delphin and F.J. Delphin after their achieving a perfect score of 5 out of 5.  The shoot-out was won by Mark.  Runners up included Sam Christophe, Jr; Jessie Sylvie (Uncle Tiny) and Phil Delphin.  Prize money won was donated to the St. Augustine Historical Society.

(NOTE:  The following are excerpts taken from a newspaper article printed Sunday, January 20, 2002)
CREOLE HERITAGE FESTIVAL

"You can see the unity"
By Eugene Sutherland - The Town Talk
(An Alexandria, Louisiana based newspaper)

MELROSE - About 400 Creoles and assorted others got together and passed a good time here on Saturday.
     For Creoles, there usually needn't be a good reason to do so.  But one was provided at the big tent assembled next to historic St. Augustine Church. 
     The 9th annual Creole Heritage Festival turned out to be a spirited family reunion for Creoles from as far as New Orleans and Lake Charles.  
     "This is a celebration of our culture and of our state," said Terrel Delphin, president of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Chairman of the Creole Heritage Center in Natchitoches.
     "This is family getting together.  There's so many Creole communities in the state, this gives us a chance to unite , to network and just pass a good time."
     And a unique family it is.
     Creoles are a mixture of Africans, French, Spanish and Native Americans.  The mixture in heritage is embraced by Creoles.  That was evidenced in the sights and sounds.
     There were classic Creole dishes like pork boudoin, garfish and Creole gumbo.
     There were Creole-themed literature and crafts.  The aroma of history and culture hit visitors as much as the thick roux filling the air.  
     The fun was so irresistible that even a Cajun from Covington had to join in - for the second straight year.  Ray Coffman met Natchitoches native and Creole Carolyn Bynog now of New Orleans, at last year's Creole Festival.  We've been all over, Lafayette, Lake Charles, on the Bayou in St. John and St. James Parish, but this is the best kept secret in the sate," Coffman said.  "This is one great festival!
     Those doubting the festival's role as a family reunion would do well to consult Joseph Phillip Delphin.  Delphin was reunion with friend and former co-worker Arthur Thomas of Lake Charles for the first time in 15 years.  Thomas had not heard about the festival until Friday night at a funeral.  "This is unbelievable.  There's always a person you can run into, old friends you haven't seen in years" Phillip Delphin said. "This is something special, all right."  

 

 

 

St. Augustine Historical Society
P. O. Box 39 Melrose, LA 71456
(318)357-0602
webmaster: colsonj@nsula.edu

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