Louisiana Cotton Festival & Le Tournoi de la Ville Platte

Each 2nd full weekend in October, Ville Platte plays host to The Louisiana Cotton Festival and Le Tournoi des las Ville Platte.  The festivities begin on Tuesday evening when authentic Acadian music featuring the French accordions, violin, and "te fer" (iron triangle) are enjoyed at the Contradance, later in the evening watch the fifteen-minute long French Square dance performed by young and old.  Then they crown LeRoi et LaReine (king and queen) of the local nursing home.  On Wednesday afternoon the local 4-H children have the cookery contest and the Cotton Pickin' Pet Show.  There is a carnival all week long for the children to enjoy.  On Friday night you have the Fais-Do-Do dance with music from the local bands.  Saturday morning the lovely ladies of the Cotton contestants and visiting Queens are introduced at the King's Reception.   A Cotton King is crowned during this event that will reign over the many activities of the festival weekend and is an escort for the Cotton Queen that will be crowned at the Queen's pageant later on Saturday night.  The talented young singers known as the Cotton Pickers entertain during all festival events.  On Sunday morning, there is a beautiful harvest mass to give thanks to Our Creator for all of the local crop's bounty.  That afternoon, there is a colorful parade with floats, visiting queens, marching bands, and the Tournoi riders in their silvery-knighted regalia.  After the parade the ancient jousting game known as Le Tournoi is ran, the competition represents the Knights of the Round Table batting the seven evils of cotton.  The Tournoi Queen, and the Ball accept the winning knight that night is the finale.

Louisiana Tournoi De La Ville Platte

THE HISTORY OF LE TOURNOI

"Le Tournoi", which means tournament in French, is the ancient sporting event of jousting. It was first followed by the knights of France.  Major Marcellin Grand, an officer in Napoleon's army,  founder and first major of Ville Platte, brought Le Tournoi to Louisiana.  The winner, Champion of Le Tournoi receives a garland of victory bestowed upon him by the reining Tournoi Queen.

Le Tournoi was introduced in the early 1800's and ran until the late 1880's when it was the abandoned for unknown reasons.  Judge J.D. Buller is accredited with reviving Le Tournoi along with a group of patriotic WWII veterans in 1952.  For the first two years of its rebirth, Le Tournoi was run as part of the Fourth of July festivities.  When the Louisiana Cotton Festival came into existence it was dropped as a Fourth of July Festivitiy and began to run in conjunction with the Louisiana Cotton Festival instead.  In 1958 the Louisiana Tournoi Association was charted and states that a Tournoi can take place anywhere, but the championship must take place in Ville Platte each year.

Le Tournoi requires horsemanship, skill and accuracy.  The knights wear their traditional garb while riding horseback at neck breaking speeds around a semicircular quarter mile track.  Caring long slender lances, the daring knight attempts to spear and retain all seven of the small rings that are suspended on posts around the track.  The seven rings symbolize the seven enemies of cotton which are flood, drought, bollworm, silk rayon and nylon.  The knight run three heats each to decide the champion.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Map to Ville Platte

Telephone: 337-363-2193
Email: villep001@centurytel.net  

Map to Ville Platte

Telephone: 337-363-2193
Email: vpcoc@yahoo.com