Bayou Liberty Pirogue Championship

The annual Bayou Liberty Pirogue Championship returns for its 69th "running of the pirogues (and canoes)" on Bayou Liberty. 

The day begins with the  "Blessing of the Pirogues" at high noon. From 1 pm until 7 pm, pirogues and canoes do battle on the bayou with race categories for paddlers ages eight to eighty. The blindfold race is always a favorite—imagine paddlers wearing blindfolds racing fifty yards around a buoy—as is the festival fare of gumbo, red beans, hamburgers, hotdogs and snoballs. Live music and raffles round out the event. 

The Bayou Liberty Pirogue Race was founded in 1952 by the St. Genevieve Men's Club to raise money for Christmas presents for area children. The event is coordinated today by the Bayou Liberty Heritage Foundation, with proceeds supporting area families and local park improvements. Free. For details, contact philgalatasart@gmail.com or (985) 710-5245.