This time a year ago, thousands of people would have been taking to the streets of downtown New Iberia to enjoy music, food, dancing and carnival rides all in the name of sugar.

But thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival was cancelled this year. The cancellation of the festival is an extremely rare occurrence that organizers took seriously, but with the ongoing pandemic those in charge saw not having the annual festival was the best option.

The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival is a celebration of our state’s farmers. Iberia Parish has put on the event for decades as one of the top producers of sugar in Louisiana, and allows residents from all over the state to engage in plenty of family fun in honor of the crop that has been so good to the parish.

Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair Association President Lisa Lourd said the decision to close was not an easy one, but there are still a few noticeable signs of respect to the festival that could have been.

Downtown Main Street is decorated with sugar cane stalks in places like the Bayou Teche Museum, and several local homes have similarly decorated the Sugar Cane Festival.

“We didn’t do a contest like usual, but we asked those who were decorating to send in pictures,” Lourd said.

This morning, the association will still be holding the annual blessing of the crop at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, where clergy will say a prayer in hopes of a good harvesting season for local farmers.

A small luncheon is also scheduled to be held for royalty and participants afterwards.