When: April 15th-17th, 2011
Where: Downtown Historic Franklin, Louisiana

The Eight Annual Bayou Teche Bear Festival will be on April 15th - 17th, 2011, in downtown Franklin on historic Bayou Teche. The city is surrounded by expansive cypress tupelo swamps, and the unique and expansive Atchafalaya Basin. The area has a rich natural heritage, with a bountiful list of species readily available for the wildlife fancier. Among those is the Louisiana black bear ( Ursus americanus luteolus ).

The mission of the Bear Festival is to provide education about the Louisiana black bear, a species listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as "threatened" under the guidelines of the Endangered Species Act. The festival features all the activities associated with a typical Louisiana festival, music, food, and good company, but also includes field trips, educational exhibits and children's activities relating to bears and the many other natural resources found in south Louisiana.

One of the activities of interest to us is the paddling - Canoeing, Paddling through the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge. (There is also a "Bike Tour" for you cyclists.)

The event will feature three days of paddling along Bayou Teche and through the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge.

Kayakers and canoe enthusiasts will be able to participate in guided trips. Paddlers can choose the days they would like to join the group or paddle for all three days.

On Friday, April 15, the group will put in and paddle from Jeanerette City Park down Bayou Teche to the Baldwin City Park where camping will be available. On this 15 mile trip you will see a historic plantation home built around 1830 with a stop for lunch in Charenton, the home of the Chitimacha Nation.

On Saturday, April 16, paddlers will travel about 12 miles down Bayou Teche to Franklin and pass the site of the Civil War Battle of Irish Bend. This trip will put in at Baldwin City Park and take out at Roseville Boat Landing in Franklin.

On Sunday, April 18, paddlers will paddle from Roseville landing in Franklin. They will pass the festival and enter into a 100 year old canal which became the first Intracoastal Waterway in Louisiana. Paddlers will then enter the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge to explore its bayous, canals and wildlife.

A small fee is charged for the above trips. You MUST have your own boat.

For more information, contact Donovan Garcia, Bayou Teche Refuge Paddle, P.O. Box 249 , Jeanerette , LA 70544 ; or call (337) 923-9718;send e-mail to needtopaddle@yahoo.com or visit their website - bayoutechebearfest.org

The BluzCruz Marathon is a 22-mile charity race for competitive and recreational canoeists and kayakers along the Mississippi River.  The event will start at the Madison Parish Port just north of Vicksburg and finish at the Vicksburg Front, Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Marathon will have multiple canoe and kayak classes for competitive and recreational paddlers and is aimed at families and friends wanting to enjoy a safe paddling experience, as well as camaraderie with others who enjoy the great sport of paddling. 

The BluzCruz Committee is a volunteer, non-profit group. This event provides a way for these volunteers to give back to the community, and support a worthy cause, while promoting health and excellence through the sport of paddling. Their Charity Partner is the SERVICE OVER SELF ORGANIZATION (SOS), a youth based Christian group that helps less privileged families community with needed home repairs.

The Race will be held in conjunction with Vicksburg Riverfest. Vicksburg Riverfest festivities include a Friday night street party, Saturday Arts and Craft Show, and then back in the street Saturday night for music and fun for the entire family. Other sites to see: the Vicksburg National Military Park, Old Court House Museum, Riverfront Murals, historic homes, casinos and much more. 

A few of us are planning to do this "marathon". If you'd like to coordinate with us, please contact Pat at queen@bayouhaystackers.com

For more information on the BluzCruz, go to bluzcruz.com