Louisiana is getting a new festival that benefits a volunteer fire department while poking fun at and bringing awareness to one of the state's largest pests.
The inaugural Louisiana Mosquito Festival, which kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday at Landon Pitre Memorial Park in Cankton, benefits the Coulee Croche Firefighters Association, a nonprofit that supports the Cankton volunteer fire department. It's free to attend.
A millage pays for equipment and some other necessities, but not much past that, organizer Jonathan Adams said.
"We're trying to make sure the association has enough money in their account to recruit, train and retain members for that department," he said.
There are about 25 volunteers, most of whom have full-time jobs. They respond to everything from heart attacks and car crashes to grass and building fires, Adams said.
"Everybody's kind of looking for a hero to support," he said. "These are the ones right in our backyard."
The association has previously held a po-boy sale but decided it wanted to do something bigger that could also benefit the community. Adams said when planning for a new fundraiser, the association wanted to "make it fun and quirky" while also poking at the fact that there's a Louisiana festival for virtually everything.
The festival's opening ceremony will include a blessing and the Pledge of Allegiance. Then the music will start playing with performances from artists including Raikwon Green, Dylan Aucoin and Richard Lebouef. There will be a contest for children to determine who can imitate the best mosquito buzz. There also will be vendors, a silent auction, a cookoff, concessions and crafts.
In addition to the fun, the festival is an opportunity to learn from a group of Tulane University researchers about mosquito abatement and the prevention of diseases the insects spread, Adams said. A blood drive will be set up for donations.
In the event of rain, the stage is under a pavilion, so the festival will keep buzzing.
"It's an easy way to bring out the family to a nice, family-friendly event and have fun supporting a good cause," Adams said. "If you're on that side of town and you want to come to the inaugural Mosquito Festival, come on down.