Shrimp Festival Blessing Of The Fleet Delcambre, La August 15-19, 2012

Read the list of food at the Delcambre Shrimp Festival aloud, and you may sound a lot like Bubba from the film Forrest Gump. Boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp gumbo, shrimp po-boys, stuffed shrimp, shrimp sauce piquante...and that’s just the start.

The festival celebrates all things shrimp. And for good reason – the town of Delcambre, LA, located about 20 miles southwest of Lafayette, is home to one of Louisiana’s most productive shrimp fleets. And the shrimping industry is critical to the local economy. Which is why each August, Delcambre residents and shrimp aficionados from near and far gather for the annual salute to their beloved crustacean.

This is no small celebration. The festival stretches five days, though it’s only in full force Friday through Sunday, with a full slate of food, music, dancing, games and carnival rides, along with pageants, fais-do-dos, a popular shrimp cook-off, the annual blessing of the shrimp boat fleet and much more.

Wednesday and Thursday are Family Nights – pay one price ($15) for unlimited access to all rides. On Friday night, the fest gets going in full swing, when the street fair opens, along with all food booths and concessions. A fais-do-do, or Cajun dance party, gets started at 7 p.m. with live music provided by local musicians.

The party gets started early on Saturday, as the All Day Fais-Do-Do begins at 7 a.m. Events later in the day include the shrimp cook-off, a poker run and the crowning of the Shrimp Festival Queen.

The final day of the festival begins with Fisherman’s Mass at the Shrimp Festival Building, followed by the traditional blessing of the fleet. A centuries-old tradition originating in the largely Catholic fishing communities of southern Europe, the blessing of the fleet is intended to ensure a safe and bountiful season for local fishermen.

Later on Sunday, fest-goers will enjoy the street fair, including concessions, food booths and the fais-do-do – until the festival closes at 4 p.m. Enjoy Southern favorites like Shrimp and Grits, made with TABASCO® Sauce.

Directions: From New Iberia, La., take La. Hwy. 14 west to Delcambre. From Lafayette, take US Hwy. 90 east to New Iberia, then go west along La. Hwy. 14 to Delcambre. From Abbeville, La., take La. Hwy. 14 east to Delcambre. Once in Delcambre, festival grounds are located on the south side of Hwy. 14, just west of the four-lane drawbridge.