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-seventh year.
City tourism director 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.”
The 2018 Kiwanis Pepper Festival is St. Martinville will be held September 13th-15th. Gates open at 5 pm for Family Night with no admission charge and discount tickets are available for the carnival. Gates close at 8 pm. Friday evening festivities begin at 5 pm when gates open, and opening Ceremonies will be held 5:30 pm-5:45 pm. Adult admission $5; kids twelve and younger $1. Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band kicks off the music from 6 pm to 7:30 pm, and from 8 pm to 10 pm, Country Round Up (Kip Sonnier, Tammy Lynn, Jeff Dugan, Marc Hebert and Richard Comeaux) entertain the crowd. Festival grounds close at 10 pm. Saturday’s gates open at 10 am and carnival rides begin at noon. The Pepper Jelly Band is on stage from 5 to 6:30 pm with Side Show starting at 7 pm until 8:30 pm. The Pepper Eating Contest begins at 8:45 pm.
Geno Delafose French Rockin Boogie plays from 9 pm-10:30 pm. Fair Grounds Close 11pm. To keep up with details, visit St. Martin Parish Tourism at cajuncountry.org or follow “Kiwanis Pepper Festival” on Facebook.
