ST. MARY PARISH — Organizers in Berwick say the Lighthouse Festival is once again bringing the community together for a weekend packed with food, music, and family fun.
“There's all the food and drinks, and where the white trucks are is where the stage goes,” said festival chairman Colleen Nicklasskew, pointing to the setup along the riverfront. “This whole side right here is our carnival section for the children. We have a mural right there that we painted — you can’t really see it, but this is all the children's carnival; they have snacks and all that good stuff.”
Nicklasskew said the festival’s appeal comes from its small-town feel and riverside setting. “It’s beautiful out here. I mean, you can just look at the view that everybody has as you’re walking up and down the street,” she said. “Everything’s on the river right here and it’s just a little homey festival. It’s not huge and elaborate, but it’s just enough. You know, we have the carnival, we have a lot of good music and a lot of good bands, all of our vendors are full this year. So we’re excited.”
She added that safety remains a top priority. “Homeland Security is here, we have multiple police departments that come. We have a plan for all this stuff,” Nicklasskew said.
Local businesses near the festival grounds are also feeling the excitement. Sweet Tangerine, a boutique located across the street from the main festival area, has been part of downtown Berwick for nearly two years. Co-owner Abigail Beadle said the festival helps bring new attention to her shop. “Last year, people really started to know we were here. So we got a lot more customers coming in because of that. And then we’re not usually open on Sundays, but we open on Sunday for the festival,” Beadle said.
She said the weekend helps the business connect more with the community. “It’s nice being right there too, because we usually block off the street so people can’t park right here in front of us. So they know we’re not an abandoned building anymore,” Beadle said.
Beadle added that being right next to the festival makes it easy to soak in the atmosphere. “We actually like— during the day, we’ll leave the door open so we can hear the music and stuff because we really want to be able to hear the band and stuff ,because it’s like right there,” she said.
For Nicklasskew, the most rewarding part is seeing the town come alive once everything comes together. “Seeing it all come together, looking at all the happy people walking around — the weather is usually amazing,” she said.
The 11th annual Lighthouse Festival kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. and runs all weekend long, celebrating community, food, and fun along the Atchafalaya River in Berwick.
