DELCAMBRE — The 68th annual Delcambre Shrimp Festival closed out Sunday with a priest’s blessing for the fall shrimp season. 

After a fishermen’s Mass that was held Sunday morning at the Shrimp Festival Building, the Rev. Buddy Breaux proceeded to the boat docks on Bayou Carlin. With the helps of the local Knights of Columbus chapter, Breaux climbed to the top of a boat and offered a prayer for Delcambre’s shrimpers. 

About 30 or so local Delcambre residents gathered before the ceremony and, fortunately, didn’t have to worry about the heavy rain that would come later in the afternoon. 

In fact, umbrellas were held by many in attendance to shield their faces from the sun and the unrelenting heat that has cooked the Teche Area for the past few weeks. The crowd mingled for about an hour near the docks while Breaux conducted Mass inside the Shrimp Festival Building. 

After the service, Breaux and the Knights of Columbus led a procession out of the building and near the boats, which were decorated with a wide variety of flags ranging from patriotic U.S. colors to Harley-Davidson colors. 

Breaux, who previously served as a priest in Loreauville and has pastored in Delcambre for more than a year, kept the blessing short and sweet, asking God to watch over this year’s shrimp season and safety for the shrimper who work to provide the local delicacy. 

“We pray for an abundance of shrimp during this season,” Breaux said in his prayer from the top of the boat. “Watch out for our fishermen, their families, their boats and their crews.”

Louisiana’s shrimp season began Monday in Zones 1 and 2 and starts Aug. 27 in Zone 3.

Besides a few more hours of concessions and live music, the ceremony marked the end of this year’s Shrimp Festival, which many considered a rousing success. 

Delcambre Shrimp Festival Association President Tracey Trim said the rain did start to interfere with festivities Sunday afternoon as the event began to wind down. He was relieved that it didn’t affect the vast majority of the five-day event. 

“The festival went great this year,” Trim said. “There was no trouble at all. Saturday had a great turnout and the live music was great.”

The festival began Wednesday with the opening of the street fair and a fais-do-do with musical accompaniment from DJ Homer Stelly. More fais-do-dos and live music continued Thursday and Friday. 

The shrimp cookoff, along with water fights pitting local fire departments against each other, were held Saturday, as well as live music from local zydeco groups like Leroy Thomas, who played along with national country artist Tracy Byrd.