As the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival enters its 80th year of entertaining Teche Area residents, organizers are trying to consolidate the festival more into downtown New Iberia.

For Louisiana Sugar Cane Association President Lisa Norris, the effort is an attempt to bring the festival back to its roots. For years the festival has been spread out in various parts of the parish and bringing more events to the Main Street area

“It brings it together and lets the community really support it in one place,” Norris said.

One thing to look out for this year is the Sugar Daddy Car Show. Although the festival has hosted car shows at the Sugar Cane Festival Building in the past, this year the cars will be seen at the front of the Children’s Parade and then at Bouligny Plaza.

The location will be right next to the main action at the Sugar Cane Festival, where music, drinks and fais-do-dos take place at Bouligny Plaza.

The Sugar Cane Festival starts on Sept. 22 with a livestock shot, art/garden, flower and photography shows and a blessing of the crop at 10 a.m. The carnival street fair starts at 5 p.m. along with the first fais-do-do at Bouligny Plaza. Bands playing the first day include the Swamp Land Revival, Chubby Carrier, Spank the Monkey, Rogue Crew, the Chee Weez and DJ Mike Jamez.

The first parade of the festival, the Farmer’s Parade, will take place at 6 p.m.

On Sept. 23, a 5K run will kick off festivities at 6:30 a.m. followed by a car show at 9 a.m. The Children’s Parade will take place at 10 a.m. followed by a fais-do-do at 11 a.m.

The festival’s pageant and coronation of the Sugar Queen will take place at 7 p.m. followed by the Coronation Ball at 9 p.m.

The festival closes Sept. 24 with a Royalty Mass at 9 a.m. followed by a street fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a Royalty Parade at noon.