What a milestone this year for the Lagniappe Dulcimer Society: This is our 15th year of hosting a highly successful dulcimer festival. It is alot of work and effort with an all-volunteer organization and staff but the festival always turns out well. It is a chance to meet new and old friends, jam, play music and listen to some good musicians.
Each year we design a T-shirt revolving around the chosen theme. One of our club members made a quilt out of old fête T-shirts which was raffled off. Here is Charlie LeBlanc, left, who gave us the idea of coming to the Port Allen Community Center and adjacent museum for our fête. He chaired the first fête and is wearing the first year’s T-shirt. Right is Willie Sager who won the quilt and Peggy Broussard, who is wearing this year’s T-shirt.
Helen Bankston, President and Co-Chairman of many of the fêtes had the idea of photographing each year’s T-shirt. Essentially a documentary. Good idea. Here are all the fêtes in T-shirts.
15th Fête – 2016
Theme is “River Rat Strummers”
Denise Odum and Regina Payne, Co-Chairpersons
Judy Messer, Denise Odum, Regina Payne, Marie Williams, Peggy Broussard
14th Fête – 2015
Theme is “Gator Jam”
Jo Ryan and Debbie Hawley, Co-Chairman
Mary Malone, Jean O’Grady, Margaret White, Jerry Broussard. Margaret White is responsible for designing the Tshirt for this year and several of the more recent years’ shirts.
13th Fête – 2014
Theme is “Chockma Finha-Ane” or “It’s All Good”
Lisa Orvanki, Debbie Hawley, Jak Stallings, Co-Chairman
Debbie Hawley, Joe Besse, Peggy Broussard
12th Fête – 2013
Theme is “Joie de Vie” or “Music, the Joy of Life”
Peggy Broussard and Helen Bankston, Co-Chairman
Grace Smith and Peggy Broussard
11th Fête – 2012
Theme is “Rollin’ On the River”
Marie Varnes and Debbie Hawley, Co-Chairpersons
Willie Sager models T-shirt.
10th Fête – 2011
Theme is “10 Years and Still Cookin’!”
Jak Stallings and Linda Orvanki, Co-Chairman
Jak Stallings, Betty Payne
9th Fête – 2010
Theme is “Swingin’ in the Swamp”
Peter Payne was Chairman
Mary Bradford wears this year’s T-shirt.
8th Fête – 2009
Theme is “Strummin’ on the Moonlit Bayou”
Peter Payne was Chairman
Larie Chaney wears T-shirt.
7th Fête – 2008
Theme is “Strumming on the Haunted Bayou”
Peter Payne was Chairman
Millard Chaney wears T-shirt from 2008.
6th Fête – 2007
Theme is “Louisiana Dulcimer Paradise”
Sandra Sanford, Lisa Orvanki and Helen Bankston, Chairpersons
Joyce Bedell and Jan Delgehausen wear T-shirts.
5th Fête – 2006
Theme is “Bon Temps on the River”
Maylee Samuels and Helen Bankston, Co-Chairman
Susie Labry wears the T-shirt.
4th Fête – 2005
Theme is “Gateway to Cajun Country”
Pat Fontaine and Helen Bankston, Co-Chairman
Helen Bankston models the T-shirt for the 4th fête.
3rd Fête – 2004
Theme is “Gateway to Cajun Country”
Maylee Samuels, Helen Bankston, Co-Chairman
Maylee Samuels wears T-shirt.
2nd Fête – 2003
Theme is “Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler”
Peggy Broussard and Helen Bankston, Co-Chairman
Peggy Broussard wears this T-shirt. Incidentally, this was the only year the fête was not held at the Community Center and museum do to re-modeling of the museum. It was held at Port Allen High School.
1st Fête – 2002
Theme is “Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler”
Charlie LeBlanc and Maylee Samuels, Co-Chairman
Maylee Samuels, Charlie LeBlanc (who got us off the ground with the fêtes) and Peggy Broussard wear T-shirts.
Here we are with T-shirts from all the years. We’ve had some great times.
And thanks to all club members who joined in to model the T-shirts for each year and to Ben Samuels for doing the photography.
Dulcimer Jambalaya 