The Alligator Festival is an annual event held during the last weekend of September in Luling, Louisiana

Luling, Louisiana

Luling is a census-designated place in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,512 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Luling is located at and has an elevation of ....

. It is held at the St. Charles Parish

St. Charles Parish, Louisiana

St. Charles Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Hahnville. In 2010, its population was 52,780. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this was part of the German Coast, an area along the Mississippi River settled by numerous German pioneers in the...

 West Bank Bridge Park under the Hale Boggs Bridge

Luling Bridge

The Luling Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. It is named for the late United States Congressman Hale Boggs. The bridge was dedicated by Governor David C...

.

The Alligator Festival is a fairly small festival, but it is attended by a large number of people. Attendees come for various reasons, ranging from the small booths, to the food, to the rides. There is also live entertainment all weekend. The 2009 entertainment features The Bucktown All Stars and The Top Cats. The Alligator Festival always incorporates favorite local bands. The vendors are also very popular. They sell a wide range of items each year, from kid's toys and candles, to clothes and jewelry. The local food also drives many each year. Hamburger

Hamburger

A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...

s, French fries

French fries

French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...

, and hot dog

Hot dog

A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...

s are always popular, but people are driven by the jambalaya

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence. -Jambalaya varieties:Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meats and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. It is also a close cousin to the saffron colored paella found in Spanish culture...

, pastalaya, fried alligator

Alligator

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....

, funnel cake

Funnel cake

Funnel cake or funnelcake is a regional food popular in North America at carnivals, fairs, sporting events, and seaside resorts. Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern and deep frying the overlapping mass until golden-brown. When made at concession...

s, and other local, homemade dishes.

For such a small parish, it is a surprising that a largely attended festival is able to take place. The Alligator Festival is sponsored by the Rotary Club

Rotary International

Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...

 every year. They are able to collect several donations, as well, to make the festival possible. The Alligator Festival is always profitable, though, due to its continued success. The money raised is used to help St. Charles Parish, give scholarships to Hahnville

St. Charles Parish Public School System

The St. Charles Parish Public School System is a public school district headquartered in Luling, Louisiana, United States. It serves all of St. Charles Parish.-Schools:Note: There are no incorporated places in St. Charles Parish...

 and Destrehan High School

Destrehan High School

Destrehan High School is a public high school located in Destrehan, Louisiana, United States. The St. Charles Parish school serves all students on the East bank of the Mississippi River in grades 9 through 12.-History:...

students, and build freshwater wells in foreign countries. The Alligator festival is also extremely important to the St. Charles Parish economy.People from all over the world have come to the Alligator Festival, and it is a big hit among local residents.

History

The first Alligator Festival was held in 1979 at the Willowdale Country Club in Luling, Louisiana. The only thing sold at the first festival was alligator dishes made by local residents. Each year the festival became bigger and a wider variety of food and activities were offered. The festival was canceled in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, but returned in 2006.