IBERIA PARISH (NEW IBERIA) — The Iberia Parish Council unanimously voted Wednesday night to transfer ownership of the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival Building to the City of New Iberia, marking a major step in a years-long dispute over the future of the historic venue.
The decision, made during the council’s regular meeting, moves the building toward new management after months of discussion between parish and city leaders.
“Choose progress over delay. Choose partnership over politics,” one speaker told council members before the vote.
Another community member warned that losing the building would mean “losing a piece of the community's history and a potential opportunity for growth and development.”
The item had previously been deferred during the council’s Jan. 28 meeting, prolonging uncertainty over the building’s future.
The parish and city had been at odds for years over what to do with the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival Building, once a sought-after performance and event space that has hosted recitals, competitions and community gatherings for decades.
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Ava Snay, a cheer coach and dance instructor at Paige’s Dance and Cheer Studio in New Iberia, said the building holds deep personal significance for many families and students.
“All my recitals were there,” Snay said. “It was my senior year, last recital, and we couldn’t use it.”
Snay said several local dance schools and organizations regularly relied on the venue and were disappointed when access became limited amid the dispute.
“A lot of people—myself included—have so many memories built up there,” she said. “It felt like a battle over who was going to win.”
That battle appeared to conclude Wednesday as parish council members voted unanimously to transfer the property to the city. Several city officials, including New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt, were present for the vote, which drew applause from attendees.
Under the agreement, Iberia Parish President Larry Richard has 10 days to sign the necessary documents to finalize the transfer to the city. Once signed, the move will make the ownership change official and clear the way for the city to determine the building’s next chapter.
