ST. LANDRY PARISH (PORT BARRE) — The second official day of the 39th Annual Port Barre Cracklin Festival brought clear skies, big crowds and plenty of the fried, savory bites that have become a Louisiana staple.
“Great, great weekend for the festival, ya know,” one vendor said. “We got a lotta people and it’s still early too, so we got all day to go.”
In Louisiana, a greasy brown paper bag usually means just one thing: Cracklins.
This weekend in Port Barre, festivalgoers found no shortage of chicken, pork and other fresh-made favorites sizzling at stands throughout the fairgrounds.
The event is sponsored by the Port Barre Lions Club. Jeff Reed, vice president of the Opelousas Lions Club, said proceeds from their booth will support an important mission.
“We call it a screening — it can detect kids with eye defects when they’re young,” Reed said. “We pay for their examination. We’ve got a hospital in downtown New Orleans.”
Reed said he hopes visitors will consider stopping by for hot pork cracklins or chicken wings to help support the cause.
“We’ll be here tomorrow night ’til 8, 9 o’clock, and then tonight ’til 12,” he said. “As long as there’s people here and they’re coming in!”
To see a schedule of events, click here.
