Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival

On a NOLA news station, the King and Queen of the 6^th Annual Sicilian Festival were giving a cooking demonstration and imploring New Orleanians to get themselves over to Independence, Louisiana for the Sicilian Fest. I was intrigued! Plus, I am so ready for Festival Season to start!
Saturday morning, my brother and I decided for a little road trip to Independence, LA. We took the back roads through downtown Ponchatoula and downtown Hammond, both of which are very picturesque and should be explored. Arriving in Independence, you couldn’t miss the Festival. They shut down part of a Hwy 51 that ran right through the heart of the downtown area. There were many carnival rides, that appealed to children and teenagers alike. There was one large stage set up for music. A Elvis singer, white jumpsuit and all, was on when we arrived. He actually wasn’t bad. There were food booths that were sponsored by all local organizations. I had the lasagna. Holy moly, so freakin good!
It wasn’t a large Festival. It went up one street, crossed the railroad tracks, and down the other. But, you got a real sense of community. This small town was proud of their Fest. Many people seemed to know one another and they were celebrating their town and culture. The Independence Cultural Museum was just a few blocks away. Really enjoyed walking around this small museum, once the old Catholic church. They had an old confessional circa 1909 on display, as well as many pictures of old businesses and families that settled here in the 19^th Century. Apparently many Sicilians were strawberry farmers.
Overall, a very pleasant experience at this small town Festival! Good homemade food and good people!