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PAIDLafayette, LAPermit #45

300 Fisher RoadLafayette, LA 70508

BayouVermilionDistrict.org

1-4 p.m.$10 Admission Dance the afternoon away every Sunday at Vermilionville’s Performance Center.

Refreshments will be available for these smoke-free, all ages shows. Visit the events calendar at Vermilionville.org for more info on the performers.

October

4th Quarter

2016NEWS / HAPPENINGS / UPCOMING EVENTS / EXHIBITS

*Unless otherwise stated

November December

Usually the latter part of August is a time for smooth transition into fall. Back-to- school, football and festivals are the staples of this time of year and there was no reason not to believe it would be any di�erent for 2016. Mother Nature had other plans. A nameless storm decided to dump enough water to �ll Lake Pontchartrain one and a half times on us in less than two days. The weekend of August 12th, 2016, will de�nitely be remembered in the history books for the unprecedented amount of water and for the limitless courage displayed in this �ood. Over that time period, the Vermilion River at Surrey Street when from a low but normal level of 5.5 feet (travelling south at one foot per second), to an incredible 17.5 feet, moving north at nearly six feet per second. When Vermilionville was designed in the late 1980’s, it was built with levees protecting it from the bayou up to 16 feet, and the houses were elevated to 18 feet. Our levees were topped early that Saturday morning and the levee remained unseen until late evening on August 23rd. For 10 days, Vermilionvillle’s homes were surrounded by water, with only six or so inches to spare before entering. The Bayou Operations O�ces and Louisiana Folk Roots were less fortunate; water entered their structures. Once we began pumping early on August 24th, it took about a day and a half to drain the campus. Our grounds took a beating, but our historic village was relatively unscathed. The same cannot be said for thee buildings across the parking lot, or for many of our parks and boat launches along the bayou. As we pull those pieces back together, we will keep you updated on the progress (which will be long). In the meantime, we still have Vermilionville standing as a symbol of the resilience and fortitude we inherited from our ancestors.

David Cheramie, CEO Bayou Vermilion District

Our 1000 Year Flood

Meet Vermilionville’s newest hires, who will be helping to share with our guests some of the aspects of farm life in an 1800’s village: Dorothy, Blanche, Rose (three Gulf Coast Native Sheep) and Sophia (a hinny). Our sheep are experienced grazers and wool producers from Briar Patch Farms in Bush, Louisiana. This breed of sheep was brought to the coastal area by the Spanish in the 1500’s, and over the years have developed a temperament for hot weather. At one point, this breed was so populous in our area that south Louisiana was considered “sheep country.” The Gulf Coast Native is now an endangered species, listed as “critical” on conservation watch lists. We are glad to be providing a home for them, as well as to be working with regional breeding programs to help maintain and restore this historic sheep.

Sophia, our hinny, is responsible for keeping the sheep safe from coyotes, wild dogs, bobcats and any other predators that might show up in the pasture. She is a donation from Daughenbaugh Farms outside of Lake Charles. Her mother was a Provence donkey, noted most clearly by the dark cross down her back and withers. This breed originated in Provence, France, where they worked alongside shepherds in the 1600’s. The fact that her mother was a donkey is what makes Sophia a hinny rather than a mule, which is a more rare hybrid.

We’re very excited to have these “new hires” here at Vermilionville, and we can’t wait to hear what you think of them!

Les Mains Guidées (The Guided Hands)

Vermilionville is continuing to host monthly workshops that will allow you to learn crafts from our master artisans. On the �rst Saturday of every month (exceptions may occur), we will highlight a di�erent craft from the old Acadian, Creole and Native American ways of life. Topics will range from woodcarving to textiles to foodways and many things in between.

October 1 Soap Making (Sold Out)November 5 - Wine MakingDecember 3 - Native American Fire Making

Vermilionville’s “Golden Girls”

the “Golden Girls” were set to make their debut during Acadian Culture Day, but instead were o�cially introduced to the public

during Native American Culture Day on September 24th.

October 2Huval Family BandCajun

October 9John Wilson & the Zydeco House RockersZydeco

October 16Charlo & da SwampersVariety

October 23Ray Abshire BandCajun

October 30Je�ery Broussard & the Creole CowboysZydeco

December 4Rusty Metoyer & the Zydeco TroubleZydeco

December 11Kevin Naquin & the Ossun PlayboysCajun

December 18Corey Ledet & His Zydeco BandZydeco

November 6Terry & the Zydeco Bad BoysZydeco

November 13Donny Broussard & the Louisiana StarsCajun

November 20Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco RoadRunnersZydeco

November 27Lee Benoit & the Bayou StompersCajun

The historic village and folklife park welcomes the addition of fournew animals to represent farm life in Louisiana.

Ongoing Programs

Exhibits

Made by Hand (barrow)

Fridays in OctoberWax Flower Wreath Making Demonstrations10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.In preparation for La Toussaint, or All Saints’ Day, Catholics in Louisiana would make wreathes of wax �owers to lay on the graves of their loved ones who had passed away. The di�erent colors and sizes of the wreathes would symbolize age, relation, and more. Learn more about this tradition and how to create wreathes of your own. Regular admission applies; memberships honored; discounts available for groups.

Thursday, October 13Cajun Dance Halls & Zydeco Clubs: Then & Now8:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Going into its 42nd year, Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is one of the largest free public events in the State of Louisiana and the largest Cajun & Creole celebration in the continental United States. This year, the festival is presenting a symposium to focus on the Cajun dance halls and Zydeco clubs that were legendary in the past, and those that are still alive & kicking! Admission is free, but attendees must register for the event in order to reserve their spot, as seating is limited.

Saturday, October 22Boo Bayou10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.Celebrate Halloween early with a Fall carnival for the whole family in our historic village! There will be plenty to keep the little ones busy, including old-time games, a picture station, face painting, a tarot card reader, a balloon artist, a coloring station, trick-or-treating throughout the village, live entertain-nment in our Performance Center and more! Admission is $5 per person.

October 28-2911th Annual Blackpot Festival & Cooko�11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.Join us for two days of music, cooking, camping and more! The South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cooko� is back for its 2nd year at Vermilionville. The musical line-up includes the Revelers, Feufollet, the Freetown Aces, the Cathead Biscuit Boys, Lil‘ Buck Sinegal, the Pine Leaf Boys and Ed Poullard & Preston Frank, as well as many other Louisiana favorites in addition to those from out-of-state! Visit BlackpotFestival.com for details.

C�serole Carriers � a Chr�tm� Acc�sory!

Are you participating in any back-to-school bake sales? Do you like to show o� your cooking skills by bringing dishes to share at holiday gatherings? La Boutique at Vermilionville’s own gift shop attendant Marie Moreau makes these pretty and practical casserole carriers, complete with a serving spoon pocket (which would also work for a knife or a spatula). They make a great gift for newlyweds or foodies, and come in a variety of patterns that are perfect for any season.

Vermilionville’s annual Cochon de Lait is making a return this fall! On Sunday, November 20th, the historic village and folklife park will o�er this celebra-tion of the hog butchering tradition with free admission. All are welcome to come experience this ritual that was at one time commonplace, before refrigeration and grocery stores eliminated the need. Chef John Norbert of Norbert’s in Broussard will be demonstrating traditional cooking methods as well as modern ones, and Schilling Distributing Company will be providing free samples of a selection of its beers. Come enjoy live music by

Annual Boucherie Returns to Bring Awaren�s to Culinary and Communal

Traditions

As acorns, the main staple of domesticated pigs, became scarce in the fall, and as pigs’ fat content peaked in this season, boucheries became an autumn tradition. Also

born out of the necessity to preserve meat at a time before

modern refrigeration techniques, staple dishes included boudin,

bacon, smoked andouille and tasso. You can witness the making of these and more during our November 20

boucherie!

Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Road Runners, and learn more about Drs. Moriah and Elista Istre’s new �lm, “First Cousins: Cajun and Creole Music in South Louisiana,” during a showing and table discussion. Guests are welcome to tour the park at their leisure and dine in the restaurant or purchase meals in our pavilion, which will include pork jambalaya, boudin and white beans.

More information will be available at Vermilionville’s website at www.vermilionville.org.

Saturday, November 5Les Mains Guidées: Wine Making10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Vermilionville’s residential naturalist Greg Guidroz will be teaching this workshop on making homemade wine. The cost of the class is $90, which includes a personal complete home brew kit with all of the tools and supplies to begin your �rst batch of wine and to continue the art of brewing in your own home.

Saturday, November 12Healing Traditions in Acadiana11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Healing Traditions in Acadiana is a quarterly lecture series with the Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners that serves as an introduction to the general public about the healing traditions of the Cajun and Creole peoples as well as the need to preserve medicinal plants and the knowledge of their uses. This event is free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged.

Saturday, December 3Les Mains Guidées: Native American Fire-Making (Bow and Hand Drill)9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.During this workshop, students will learn the most dependable methods of primitive �re-making without the use of matches, which were employed by numerous tribes across the United States. Mark Suter of Primitive Texas will lead this class, which costs $50. Students will take home their own personally-made bow drill and hand drill kits.

December 13-23Old Time Christmas10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Experience the simple warmth and beauty of Christmas past as our historic village brings to life the holiday traditions of yesteryear. The village is decorated for the holiday season and artisans will be performing traditional winter crafts for two weeks, but the celebration culminates on December 17 with a family day where you can experience all of our Christmas-themed activities (including santons, candle and soap making, caroling, etc) and meet Papa Noel!

Saturday, December 31New Year‘s Eve Dance9:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Ring in the New Year with Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie for our annual New Year’s Eve Dance! Admission is $35, and includes a glass of champagne to ring in the New Year as well as a party favor. Make memories last forever by taking a picture in our photo booth and dance to the tunes of one of Acadiana’s most beloved musicians.

Indigenous Peoples of LouisianaSeptember 24th - October 9th 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Conference RoomThe State of Louisiana is home to the third largest American Indian population in the eastern United States. This exhibit features brief historical and contemporary sketches of seven of these communities, including the four federally recognized nations.

Preservation 50October 11th - 30th 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Conference RoomOctober 15th marks the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, which created the National Register of Historic Places. This exhibit

the National Register of Historic Places in Lafayette, what that means for the structures and why the Act matters for Lafayette.

Indigenous Peoples of LouisianaNovember 1st - December 4th10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Conference RoomContinuation of the fall exhibit.

Cajun JamEvery Saturday, 1:00–3:30 p.m.Free jam is held in the Performance Center and is open to all skill levels-beginner to professional. Special thanks to Community Co�ee and the Cajun French Music Association for sponsoring our weekly jams!

Bayou Vermilion Canoe and Kayak Paddles2nd & Last Saturday, 8:00–11:30 a.m. (weather and river conditions permitting)Please RSVP in advance by calling 769-7283.

October 8 : IntermediateOctober 22: AdvancedNovember 12: IntermediateNovember 26: AdvancedDecember 10: Intermediate

Les Vues Film SeriesLast Monday of the Month 6:30 p.m.Les Vues is a free monthly �lm series curated by �lmmakers and enthusiasts from around the state. Each month a curator is selected and asked to choose a �lm that showcases his or her passion and share it with the audience. Following the screening the curator will either host a discussion, perform a demonstration or lead a panel about the topic covered in the �lm they selected. See below for upcoming screenings or visit Vermilionville.org for more information on the �lms.

October 31: Cancelled - HalloweenNovember 28: “My Louisiana Love” - Monique Michelle VerdinDecember 26: Cancelled - Christmas Holidays

If you or someone you know would like to curate a Les Vues �lm showing, please contact Anne L. Mahoney at Curator@BayouVermilionDistrict.org.Vermilionville expands its collection thanks to donations

“Dempsey had a way of imparting knowledge to his audience that at one time was clear, andstill quite enjoyable. He held your attention with his obvious knowledge and passion for his chosen crafts. (He) was certainly a breed apart.” Quote and photo provided by Ed Kreyling.

Vermilionville’s handbarrow was made completely by hand, �tted together with mortise and tenon joints, and was modeled after an earlier image of an unknown handbarrow. A handbarrow is a type of stretcher that is a �at, rectangular frame of traverse bars, sometimes with four legs to raise it from the ground, used to carry objects or a load. The donor purchased this handbarrow at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where she worked alongside its crafts-man, Dempsey Perkins. Perkins was immersed in his crafts, committed not only to traditional craftwork, but also to the original process of crafting all stages by hand. For some of his wood-working, he drew from the timber on his own farm, processed it in his one-man sawmill and used the tools he made himself in his blacksmith shop.

Perkins, who lived from 1941-2008, was a �fth generation sheep farmer, living on his grandfather’s farm in Reeves, Louisiana, where he raised Gulf Coast Native sheep, like the ones Vermilion-ville now has in its village. Perkins also taught and performed his other crafts to visitors on and o� the farm in his wood shop, blacksmith shop and �ber arts shop with his wife, Brenda. Handbarrow, crafted by Dempsey Perkins and purchased at the New

Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.