The St. Martinville Kiwanis Club is active in its community even by the high standards set by Kiwanis Clubs around the country. The St. Martinville chapter takes part in community service operations throughout the year, focusing especially on the young people of the area; their biggest event, Every Child A Swimmer, ensures that every kindergartener and first grader in St. Martinville receives a free week of swimming lessons. This is not only fun for the kids, but also an important skill to build in an area so crisscrossed by waterways. To raise money to keep this and other programs afloat, the club puts on an annual Pepper Festival, now in its twenty-sixth year.
Last year’s festival organizer, Elaine Clement, said that, in many ways, the Kiwanis Pepper Festival is your typical South Louisiana festival, with crafts, food, music, carnival rides, and the increasingly popular 5K fun run. Then she paused and added, “Now, I’ve lived all over South Louisiana, and the food here can’t compare. To anywhere.”
This long-running festival always sees a good turnout, and the proceeds are for the excellent cause of keeping local children happy and safe. The music is sure to be a hit, featuring performers and groups like Ethan Airhart, Cory Ledet & His Zydeco Band, and Louisiana Red. The festival begins on Thursday, September 14 with Family Night at the carnival where you can enjoy free gate entry and discounted ticket rides. The festival kicks off in earnest the afternoon of Friday, September 15, and continues until midnight on Saturday. A backyard pepper sauce cook-off will be held, for those willing to put their culinary skills to the test against St. Martinville’s best cooks. For the particularly bold, there will be a hot pepper-eating contest on Saturday evening, which promises to be entertaining in one way or another; if you need more fun, it’s followed by the popular band Side Show.
To keep up with details, visit St. Martin Parish Tourism at cajuncountry.org or follow “Kiwanis Pepper Festival” on Facebook.
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