Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
The " Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival " is the largest folk festival in the small US town of Morgan City and its 13,500 residents, as well as the oldest festival in the state of Louisiana . The festival received international attention for the first time after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 .
history
The "Shrimp & Petroleum Festival" is one of the most famous festivals of the more than 400 folk festivals in the state of Louisiana. In 1936, the first shrimp- fishing boat was launched in Morgan City . In the same year the first folk festival took place, which is considered the origin of today's festival. The shrimp catch was the main source of income in the region in the following years.
In 1947, the first oil wells began 70 km south of the city in the Gulf of Mexico . From then on, the oil industry developed into the second and soon more important economic factor. That is why 20 years later, in 1967, the traditional folk festival was renamed the “Shrimp & Petroleum Festival” in equal recognition of both branches of industry.
present
Even if the oil industry is actively involved in organizing the festival and is increasingly being taken into account, the seafood is still in the foreground. In addition to shrimp, cooked and prepared in every imaginable way, specialties of the local Cajun cuisine from jambalaya to alligator meat are offered for consumption.
An important part of the festival program is the choice of “king” and “queen”. In previous years, the shrimp fisherman with the biggest catch was named "King". The “queen” was determined by how successful her family had been in fishing. Today the increased importance of the oil industry is also taken into account: An association in which former “kings” are united determines the next “king”. Young women from the region who are 18 to 23 years old and have never been married or pregnant can apply for the office of “Queen”. The festive board selects the "Queen". In the past few years, the royal couple had one representative each from the shrimp and oil industries.
The highlight of the festival on Sundays is the “Blessing of the Fleet”, a parade of both fishing boats and boats from the oil industry, which are blessed by local priests in the harbor.
Every year the festival is attended by around 150,000 guests. The festival had to be canceled only once in its history in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew . The festival was only postponed twice - once in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina , the second time in 2008 after Hurricane Gustav .
After the oil spill in 2010, the festival even received international attention for the first time and was heavily criticized from outside the region for its thematic connection between shrimp catching and the environmentally hostile oil industry. But despite all the criticism, the “Shrimp & Petroleum Festival” was celebrated from September 2nd to 6th in 2010 - as an anniversary festival in the 75th year after it was founded.
literature
- Roland Lindner: cheers for shrimp! And on oil! . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of September 3, 2010
