Everybody Loves A Parade!

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Celebrating the Sugar Industry in New Iberia includes the much-anticipated floating Boat Parade Friday evening down the Bayou Teche. See the flotilla set off from Bouligny Plaza at 6:30 p.m., its decorated boats cruising single file eastward past Consolata Nursing Home and returning to the downtown area. Organizers suggest spectators find a place along the bayou to watch the procession, and to plan to watch  a fireworks display at dusk, following the Boat Parade. The reviewing stand will be located in New Iberia City Park.The Boat Parade portrays the way sugar cane was transported to the mills in days gone by, when boats carried the harvested cane down the bayou.  The 2013 Boat Parade Grand Marshals are Jackie and Carolyn Sue Theriot, and they will be joined by area queens and King LXXII of the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival. 

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Rules And Regulations

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For safety reasons, there is no throwing of objects of any kind allowed. The Boat Parade includes large boats and smaller aluminum boats and there is no charge to decorate a boat and participate. There’s no need to register unless your boat is large and needs to be tied up. Everyone age 16 and younger on a boat must wear a life jacket. All persons aboard a boat powered by a tiller-operated outboard engine must wear a life jacket. The Boat Parade is under U.S. Coast Guard regulations with Sheriff Water Patrol boats positioned in several different locations along the route to ensure traffic control and safety. All boats will remain in single-file line until the parade ends. Number of occupants in boats must not exceed U.S. Coast Guard regulations. The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival Association assumes no liability for vessels and pleasure craft participating in the parade. All skippers are responsible for the safe operation of their craft and the safety of their crew and passengers. All U.S. Coast Guard regulations and rules will be followed. You must have life jackets for everyone on board and all U.S. Coast Guard required equipment

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The annual Children’s Parade is coordinated by the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival with the assistance of Acadiana LifeStyle, the New Iberia Kiwanis Club and the Key Club.

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The 2013 Children’s Parade will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at the corner of East Main and Prairie Streets, traveling down Main Street to Corinne Street. The annual parade features elementary schools from throughout the area plus middle school marching bands, pageant Royalty, football teams, cheerleaders, and dance groups. 

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Decorated floats will lead each elementary school. A 4 x 8 foot float base is provided to each school. Many of the floats include a large number of students in costume, which is a sight to behold and a genuine crowd pleaser. School children are escorted along the parade route by teachers, parents and volunteers. For

brmore information or registration details call 369-9323.

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The main parade for festival weekend is the “Royalty Parade” taking place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29. It was formerly known as the “Queens Parade.” Parade participants meet at The Village (formerly Torrido Village) on Main Street, and the parade will travel down Main Street to Corinne Street and disband. Everybody loves a parade – so expect all the components that make parades so much fun, including spectacular decorated floats, show-stopping bands and marching groups.

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Line up for the units will be as follows: Marching units, convertibles and floats line up on Charles Street between The Village and Bank Street. Maps will be provided to units. Commercial units, political units, tractors, etc. will line up on a first come-first served basis on East Main Street near the intersection of Main and Lewis. The units will be lined up single file along the right side of East Main Street. For more information and registration call 337-369-9323.