VERMILION PARISH (GUEYDAN) — This weekend, the “Duck Capital of America” is doing what it does best—throwing a party to celebrate its claim to fame.
The 49th Annual Gueydan Duck Festival is underway in Vermilion Parish, offering fair rides, live music, duck-calling contests, dog trials, and plenty of family fun.
More than just an event, the festival is a vibrant celebration of the area—known as Sportsman's Paradise—and Cajun traditions.
“Afternoon everyone, welcome to the 49th Annual Gueydan Duck Festival,” an announcer called out during Thursday evening's opening ceremonies.
For a full list of Duck Festival events, click here.
“It’s all wonderful—the music, the food, the pageant, the dog trials,” one attendee said.
“Duck Festival is one of the best festivals in the state of Louisiana,” said another.
For locals and visitors alike, it’s a weekend of honoring heritage. Judy LeBlanc, former festival president and longtime pageant director, has helped shape the event over the past three decades.
“We are the Duck Capital of America,” LeBlanc said. “They put those words into a trade name back in 1976—whenever the festival was dreamed up.”
According to the festival website, the Gueydan was designated the Duck Capital of America in 1977 and the festival association was created by the Gueydan Jaycees and a group of interested citizens.
According to LeBlanc, the Vermilion Parish town became a hotspot for waterfowl thanks to a unique migration path that runs straight through the region. That hunting legacy inspired the original idea for the festival, now a cherished annual tradition.
Of course, no Louisiana festival would be complete without a serious spread of food. This year, one vendor is putting a unique twist on tradition—with a little help from the whole family.
Princess Diane Potmesil, known as “Princess Diane,” is the manager of Ma’s Cajun Meat Pies out of Natchez.
After realizing years ago that none of the vendors were serving dishes made with duck, she decided to fix that—with a dish she calls “Quack Balls.”
“We had to come up with a crazy name to get people to ask about it,” Potmesil said. “So we could explain to them that it’s just like a boudin ball—but made with duck meat.”
Her granddaughter, Abigail Mudge, said the family operation takes a full team—sometimes with as many as 15 people working the booth at once.
“It’s a lot of people,” Mudge said, “but it works.”
The Gueydan Duck Festival runs through Sunday. The festivities will wrap up at 3:00 p.m., so there’s still time to grab a plate, catch a dance, and take in one of Louisiana’s most unique celebrations of culture, community—and of course, ducks.
