ST. LANDRY PARISH (OPELOUSAS) — St. Landry Parish’s annual BBQ Festival wrapped up Sunday with record attendance and a financial boost for local vendors.
Held at the Yambilee Agriculture Grounds, this year’s festival featured 24 vendors and drew more than 800 attendees on Saturday night alone — the largest turnout in the event’s history, according to Parish President Jessie Bellard.
“People need to realize that when folks come to town, they’re going to buy gas, they’re going to buy food — it brings a lot of different businesses to the festival,” Bellard said.
Despite replacing traditional fair rides with inflatable attractions, Bellard said he expects the festival to generate approximately $100,000 in revenue — averaging about $20,000 more than in previous years.
One of the standout vendors was “Smokin Krabs and More,” a family-run business making its festival debut. Siblings Natasha and Jeremy Wiltz served up barbecue crab plates with corn, potatoes, boudin links and pork chop sandwiches — a unique twist that drew crowds and compliments.
“Really, no one’s heard of grilled barbecue crabs being sold,” Jeremy Wiltz said. “So coming out here not knowing what people would think, and then having the reaction we had, it’s just been really rewarding.”
Natasha emphasized the importance of the festival in supporting local, family-owned businesses like the theirs.
“It’s going well — a lot of people like it, apparently,” Wiltz added with a laugh.
Festival organizers said the success of this year’s event points to continued growth and strong community support in the years ahead.
