Hop in the cab with RFD-TV’s Tammi Arrender as she goes Rural Road Trippin’ to Farmerville, Louisiana, for the Bayou for the Bayou D’Arbonne Folk Life Festival.
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FARMERVILLE, La. (RFD-TV) — Farmerville came alive this past weekend as the Bayou D’Arbonne Folk Life Festival celebrated the rich history and traditions of Union Parish.
The festival, held at the Union Museum of History and Art, offered attendees a chance to experience the past firsthand — from folk music and blacksmithing to hide tanning and traditional crafts.
Children and adults alike got a taste of life in the 1800s, learning games, basket weaving, and quilting — skills and pastimes that shaped the region.
“It’s really critical that we hang on to those little tidbits of our nostalgic past,” said Vickie Wheelis, Union Parish Museum Director. “If someone had not continued to carry that torch, we would have lost it.”
One of the festival’s most popular traditions was the old-fashioned pie-eating contest, which featured both a kids’ and an adult division.
Inique Harris, who attended the festival to teach art, entered on a whim — and came away victorious. “I wasn’t expecting to win, I was just hungry. And I love blueberries,” she said with a laugh.
Local students also benefited from the festival’s hands-on approach to history.
“When we live history, it makes us understand what life was like,” noted Union Parish Librarian Stephanie Herrman. " These experiences really bring the past to life.”
By preserving not just artifacts, but stories and skills passed down through generations, the Bayou D’Arbonne Folk Life Festival ensures that Union Parish’s history continues to shape its future.
Union Parish is also known for its thriving agricultural community, particularly in poultry, eggs, and cattle, which gives the region a unique blend of cultural and agricultural heritage.
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