It was the first time in several years the Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Camp has been at Chicot Park. This year, the camp was back teaming up with Le Grand Hoorah Festival opening weekend. From all indications, the entire weekend was a huge success. The event began Friday night with a large crowd of people enjoying music from Preston Frank and Balfa Toujours.

      The weather was perfect both Friday night and Saturday. The cooking teams were in force Saturday along with an old fashioned boucherie.

       The music began with a jam session followed by three members of a family who are students with the Brazos School of Music. Nonstop music continued on the bandstand and the wooden dance floor under the big tent was filled with dancers.

     There were a number of students from the nearby Dewey Balfa camp who came by from all over the country and several countries including Canada and Germany.

     The cooking teams included the Ville Platte Rotary Club and the Evangeline Parish Police Jury as well as delicious food prepared from the boucherie.

   The Classic Hits road crew was there broadcasting live Saturday morning.

    The camp continues every day through Thursday with nightly public dances. There will be a bus later this week taking some of the campers to visit some popular places in Evangeline Parish.