VERMILION PARISH (ABBEVILLE) — The smell of butter, crawfish and eggs filled Historic Downtown Abbeville on Sunday as the community gathered for the 41st Annual Giant Omelette Celebration — a one-of-a-kind “egg-sperience” filled with music, family fun and plenty of Louisiana flavor.
Festival organizers cracked, whisked and cooked their way through a monumental recipe: 5,041 eggs, 52 pounds of butter and 15 pounds of Louisiana crawfish tails, all mixed together in a skillet 12 feet in diameter.
The omelet was served with French bread, Steen’s syrup and a dash of Tabasco — a nod to local culinary traditions.
The annual omelet cooking extravaganza marks the grand finale of Abbeville’s weekend-long festival in Magdalen Square, celebrating South Louisiana’s French heritage.
Among those joining the festivities this year was the Wilhelm-Vidrine family of Abbeville.
“My dad is a brand new Chevalier — he was knighted this year. My mom was knighted last year. Genevieve and Vivian are both junior members, and Christopher and I are brand new members — this is our first year.”
The celebration is hosted by the Confrérie d’Abbeville, a local organization that upholds the French-inspired omelet tradition.
Arlene Collee, the group’s 3rd Grand Maître, said she hopes festivalgoers walk away with more than just full stomachs.
“I hope they see how beautiful our town is, how welcoming we are with our hospitality, and how we put on a beautiful free festival,” Collee said. “Without the audience, we would not have a festival — so I’d love for them to come back year after year.”
The Giant Omelette Celebration continues to unite generations of locals and visitors alike — proving that in Abbeville, community and culture are always worth cracking a few eggs for.
