ST. MARY PARISH — Morgan City is alive with food, music, and history as the annual Shrimp and Petroleum Festival continues this weekend. Beneath the U.S. 90 bridge, festivalgoers find shade from the sun while enjoying everything from zydeco music to handmade crafts and local food vendors.
“Most of the stuff around here is under the bridge so you’re not under the hot sun and if it rains you’re ok and they have all kinds of vendors,” said Carol Means, a longtime attendee.
Vendors are offering everything from savory seafood to sugary favorites. Cedric Minor, returning for his second year, said selling his pralines is both a livelihood and a source of pride. “To have a product right that you made yourself right, it’s a feeling like no other man because you know why? This something was made from my hands right, and to let people try it and they love it and purchase it, I mean I live off this man so listen I can’t be more happier,” Minor said.
Music fuels much of the festival’s energy, Winston Morgan, who has attended for years, said the variety of performances keeps the festival lively. “Zydeco, swamp rock jitterbug, only thing I wish I had learned was line dancing, they got a lot of that going on,” he said.
This year, festival goers can also step away from the music to explore history. Just a few blocks from the festival grounds, Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church is hosting an exhibit that highlights the event’s roots and the community’s deep cultural traditions.
The exhibit explores how the festival evolved from its early days to its present scale, offering photographs, artifacts, and written histories that connect today’s celebrations to the generations before. The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Monday, and from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday. “I don't think that you can know who you are today unless you know what happened in the past, our city has a rich history and I think people are surprised when they learn the things that I’ve read about. So many things have happened in the past that affect our lives today,” said exhibit coordinator Greig Chauvin.
For some vendors, being part of the festival each year is also about becoming a piece of that history. Alexandra Benjamin, who sells what she calls the official cheesecake of the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, said the experience is as much about community as it is about dessert. “Enjoying all of the festivities with the people in my hometown and seeing those smiling faces and just bringing some good feels to the city,” she said.
That spirit is echoed by Minor, who said every praline sold is a way to make someone’s day better. “I’m helping people make their day man, you know, make their day better. So man listen if I can do that, I did my due diligence for the day,” Minor said.
The Shrimp and Petroleum Festival runs through Monday in downtown Morgan City.
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