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Message
Lake Charles "Postpones" Decades Old Festival
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:46 am
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:46 am
The Louisiana Pirate Festival, known for decades as Contraband Days is sadly coming to an end, it appears.
When I was young, Contraband Days was once the second biggest festival in the state. Filled with 2 weeks of events at the Civic Center and North Beach area.
Link to KPLC Story
When I was young, Contraband Days was once the second biggest festival in the state. Filled with 2 weeks of events at the Civic Center and North Beach area.
Link to KPLC Story
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:48 am to CSinLC
So long Contraband days and CM tower.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:52 am to CSinLC
So they ran out of money.
Where did all the loot go???
Where did all the loot go???
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:53 am to CSinLC
It's been dead for a long time but locals refused to give up on the dream, for some reason.
Contraband Days was the mecca of white trash when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s
Contraband Days was the mecca of white trash when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:53 am to TDFreak
quote:
So they ran out of money.
Where did all the loot go???
Man you missed an opportunity, especially given what today is
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:55 am to CSinLC
quote:
Contraband Days
This post was edited on 3/17/24 at 9:56 am
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:55 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
It's been dead for a long time but locals refused to give up on the dream, for some reason.
This. I don't think I've been since high school
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:56 am to CSinLC
I remember growing up we went to see Wayne Toups at Contraband Days. It was a lot of fun back then.
Felt like the last few years of it there was a lot of security concerns with unsupervised teens running rampant over the joint. At least that’s what I remember.
Felt like the last few years of it there was a lot of security concerns with unsupervised teens running rampant over the joint. At least that’s what I remember.
This post was edited on 3/17/24 at 9:57 am
Posted on 3/17/24 at 9:57 am to SW2SCLA
I went a few years ago. Seriously for like 10 years it's basically the same as any other small thing in that area. Same sort of vendors and maybe some rides.
There are just too many other festivals of that size. Contraband Days was never going to rival even a Festival International, due to how it was constructed. It was always catered to the lower class and they'll never spend the money for a legit festival.
There are just too many other festivals of that size. Contraband Days was never going to rival even a Festival International, due to how it was constructed. It was always catered to the lower class and they'll never spend the money for a legit festival.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:04 am to CSinLC
Only time I've ever been mugged was at Contraband days.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:09 am to TDFreak
quote:
Where did all the loot go???
They have a map but someone spilled grog on it.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:11 am to southernelite
Yall.act like any other "festivals" in this shithole state are nice events. ??
Festival international is decent because of the format and the location directly involves the local businesses. Easier to police stage areas and Jefferson section involved.
Festival international is decent because of the format and the location directly involves the local businesses. Easier to police stage areas and Jefferson section involved.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:18 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
There are just too many other festivals of that size
This has gotten many festivals over the years. In North La the Louisiana Arts & Folk Festival was a massive draw for decades. Over the course of that festival weekend it would draw well over 50k-75k people into tiny Columbia, La. There would be live music, cane syrup being pressed and made, quilting, woodworking, art, food, etc. It was a great time.
At one point it had gotten so large that a smaller, similar festival began just a few miles up the road (on the same weekend). Even it became so popular that it eventually required police presence to direct traffic (Hwy 165 was only two lanes at that time).
Eventually, other areas around the state saw this success and began running their own festivals. Around this time there was a change in management which began raising booth fees and basically telling vendors that if they didn't like it they could go elsewhere (still running on the mindset of being the only game in town).
These days it still goes on, but instead of being spread out over 2.5-3 days, needing school buses to bring people back and forth from their parking spots over a mile away and covering a few acres, now it's relegated to only one day and is held downtown.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:21 am to Bard
Damn those were some memories growing up
Saw the Guess Who and Three Dog Night in the early 90s at Contraband. Didn’t the mayor walk the plank?
Funny how you don’t recognize what’s trashy when you’re a kid. I thought it was the greatest thing ever
Saw the Guess Who and Three Dog Night in the early 90s at Contraband. Didn’t the mayor walk the plank?
Funny how you don’t recognize what’s trashy when you’re a kid. I thought it was the greatest thing ever
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:26 am to CSinLC
quote:
When I was young, Contraband Days was once the second biggest festival in the state. Filled with 2 weeks of events at the Civic Center and North Beach area.
White Trash Fest!
Two nasty people I went to HS with were once arrested for banging in a port-a-potty at Contraband Days.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:29 am to CSinLC
Damn where will dudes in Tapout shirts buy brass knuckle "paperweights" now?
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:30 am to stout
quote:
White Trash Fest!
I feel like this became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It didn’t need to be that way.
The SWLA community can be self-defeating at times.
This post was edited on 3/17/24 at 10:47 am
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:31 am to dallastiger55
quote:
Didn't the mayor walk the plank?
Yes! They stopped it when they couldn't fit the snorkel on Willie Mount's crooked schnozola one year and she almost drowned.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:33 am to stout
quote:
White Trash Fest
It always seemed that the people you would see attending would never leave their homes the other 50 weeks of the year because you never saw them except during contraband days.
Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:34 am to redstick13
quote:
It always seemed that the people you would see attending would never leave their homes the other 50 weeks of the year because you never saw them except during contraband days.
I had a friend who one time was talking about this and just listing all the super small rural areas. He was just like, "You got Sulphur, Westlake, Dequicy, and then you go the people from Starks, Vinton, Elton," etc. etc.
I wasn't really allowed to go as a kid because of how bad it was, so he was filling me in in high school about it.
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