Catahoula Pirogue Races Coming Soon
Teche News April 15, 1971
Sunday, April 25
Catahoula Pirogue Races Coming Soon
By Leona (“Tootie”) Guirard
Everyone at Catahoula Lake is so busy getting ready for the big day that the job of giving a little publicity to the festivities has fallen on me. Greg is the publicity chairman but is too busy this week to meet Henri Clay's deadline. I’m trying to do so.
You are all invited to see the pirogue races, hear an Acadian accordion contest and to eat a delicious dinner with us on the banks of Lake Catahoula on Sunday, April 25. The races will begin around 11 and the accordion playing contest will be afterwards. Everything is free except dinner.
Now, suppose you make yourself believe that you are just as good a pirogue paddler as the next man (or boy) (or girl)? Just come on over and we will furnish you with a pirogue. Even coming out last is not bad when you consider the fact that you are paddling a pirogue over the sparkling waters of that beautiful lake with friends and neighbors cheering you on.
I am bound and determined to enter a contest of some kind on that day and considering my age, not my size, I plan to enter the accordian playing contest. I can play three pieces, each one as poorly as the other, but I will play as well as I can. I really don’t think that the ladies should play in competition with the men and if Anna Bell Kertz from Breaux Bridge doesn’t show up to put me to shame I just might win first prize… being the only lady contestant. I think I have a chance. What fun to display a trophy saying TOOTIE GUIRARD, 1ST PLACE WINNER IN ACADIAN ACCORDIAN PLAYING, 1971 CATAHOULA LAKE.
In case the committee won’t give a special trophy for the ladies I plan to offer one myself. And planning to win it, barring Anna Bell, I’ll make it a good one.
This fall we plan on starting an annual BLESSING OF THE PIROGUES and we will reenact the legend of the Lake of Sacrifice. We had planned to do it this next week but the water is still icy cold and Bubbles, who was to be our sacrificed maiden, says that if she dives overboard from a pirogue into that beautiufl, sparkling and freezing cold water, she is very likely to be really sacrificed. Enfin, we will wait for the Indian pageant until thisl ast summer. For now we will race pirogues, play the accordian and EAT.