Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival
louisiana fur wildlife festival called one oldest coldest festival louisiana take place heart winter second weekend january louisiana fur wildlife festival chosen top event southeast tourism society award coveted honor among member state festival honor ten native industry vital cameron parish rotating basis cattle energy shrimp hunting wildlife fur alligator oyster fishing crabbing conjunction festival queen pageant held individual named king fur represent industry honored cookbook published contains photograph winner previous festival parade held festival host delegation sister festival national outdoor show cambridge md festival contest include oyster shucking muskrat nutria skinning skeet shooting trap setting duck goose calling gumbo cookoff booth located fairground showcase history festival festival also feature carnival ride exhibit live music dancing regional food event originated u congressman theo ashton thompson arranged first fur wildlife competition congressman cambridge maryland challenged representative thompson send local resident compete national fur skinning contest fiftytwoyearold leon hebert year trapper cameron sent national outdoor show placed fifth nation year small group people met summer cameron courthouse building make plan first festival whitney stine chairman representative community organization included whitney stine cameron lion club lion club international edward swindell sr cameron lion club hadley fontenot county agent alvin dyson state representative ray burleigh cameron lion club joe odonnell cameron lion club mr iva free home demonstration agent roberta rogers home demonstration club geneva griffith home demonstration club sam tarlton lake charles television radio station group organizer came louisiana fur wildlife festival first festival funded cameron parish police jury private donation become known one oldest coldest festival louisiana festival postponed one week due severe cold wave jennings b jones jr served master ceremony program dec presided cameron county agent hadley fontenot first festival president seventeenyearold vida bess brown abbeville crowned miss outdoor louisiana ted oneal chief fur bottom division louisiana wildlife commission presented nutria stole bouquet rose cameron service garage expense paid trip national outdoors show cambridge maryland national outdoor show became sister festival cameron festival two exchanged fur skinner festival queen year tradition continues today contestant meredith giles named first cameron parish queen elevenyearold j miller captured louisiana junior duck calling contest year come became world champion fur skinner following footstep father fletcher teaching daughter selika art becoming womens champion wife mary jane miller held local national womens title many time second annual festival held january – cash trip awarded along fur coat fur queen contestant nancy precht crowned fur queen louisiana house representative alvin dyson represented festival mardi gras ball washington dc presented vicepresident mr nixon tradition continues present time float usually constructed warehouse local menhaden plant mud house garage anywhere worker could get cold roland bolo trosclair charge parade time raccoon chosen mascot festival contest area school child determined shaoui would name mascot dec festival authority invited major fur production parish attend st charles st bernard st john st mary jefferson plaquemines terrebonne lafourche iberia vermilion cameron first king fur selected king fur jack styron represents menhaden pogy fish industry th annual fur wildlife festival first fur festival cookbook published continues today parish invitation compete louisiana fur wildlife festival queen crown acadia allen ascension assumption avoyelles beauregard calcasieu cameron evangeline iberia jefferson jefferson davis lafayette lafourche livingston natchitoches plaquemines rapides saint bernard saint charles saint james saint john baptist saint landry saint martin saint mary saint tammany sabine vermillion vernon washington tangipahoa terrebonne cameron elementary school annual staging ground louisiana fur wildlife festival pageant hurricane rita storm remain auditorium steel girder festival canceled due devastation hurricane rita activity th annual louisiana fur wildlife festival kicked pageant lake charles civic center rosa hart theater festival activity returned ground old cameron elementary school cameron fur queen invited several fellow festival queen see parish anyway devastation natural splendor early month cameron parish h junior leader complete video documentary history louisiana fur wildlife festival youth leader interviewed past festival participant contestant queen compiled story documentary cameron communication festival corporate sponsor next several year th annual fur wildlife festival held january – downtown cameron la featured dog trial back first time since hurricane rita hurricane laura delta covid pandemic causing go hiatus rd deferred rd louisiana fur wildlife festival held january burton complex lake charles louisiana th louisiana fur wildlife festival return january historic cameron courthouse fairground cameron louisiana