TECHE Project Paddle

Louisiana’s first and only National Water Trail, Bayou Teche, will continue to make waves this October 17 with the TECHE Project’s annual paddle boat parade. This year, rather than the usual “Paddle to the Party” boat parade down the Bayou, the “Paddle is the Party”! The morning paddle boat parade down the Teche will begin at Poche's in Breaux Bridge at 10 am, with the floating party continuing down the Bayou to Parc des Ponts. Like any proper Louisiana parade on land or water, live musicians will escort the paddling partiers for a lively, if unconventional two-hour parade down scenic Bayou Teche.

To ensure the parade crowd is limited to a safe number, organizers ask that participants register ahead of time on Eventbrite. The cost of registration is $10, which will include an annual event pin appropriately featuring a bird wearing a mask to mark these unusual times. For safety, paraders are asked to wear a mask when not paddling—but that doesn’t mean fun can’t be had with that, too. A Best Bird Mask contest will be held, so come equipped with your beak, in addition to your paddle! There will also be a raffle for a $200 gift certificate to Pack and Paddle. 

Proceeds will go toward building the National Paddle Trail, which will place trail-head access docks in all thirteen towns along the 135-mile-long Bayou Teche. More information on the paddle parade, as well as an Eventbrite link to register, are available at techeproject.org.