The Lake St. John Flotilla, “Mardi Gras on the Water,” sails Saturday, July 4, at 3 p.m.

The parade will start at the north end of the lake, led by Concordia Parish Sheriff Kenneth Hedrick, followed by the 2015 Grand Marshalls the Fudickar Clan, Johnny, Jeannie, Jenny Wren and Bessie. The Fudickar Clan are long-time residents of the lake and have always been willing to share their wonderful lake house, “Azulikeit,” for parties and family reunions.

The parade is open to anything that floats and can maintain parade speed. There is no theme this year, but judging will be for large craft and small craft, patriotic and non-patriotic. Registration will be at Spokane Resort from 9 a.m. to noon. The registration fee is $10 and boats are encouraged to sail all around the entire lake for cash prizes and special prizes.

Father Paul Kunnumpuram, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, formerly of Our Lade of Lourdes in Vidalia, will be on the Steckler pier, blessing the boats. Father Paul stresses the “blessing of the flotilla is a festive occasion, but also a serious, religious one.”

Father Paul blesses all the vessels with holy water to insure safe sailing. Please have your boat blessed. Boats do not have to be decorated to receive a blessing.

T-shirts, tanks, and posters, designed by Andy Guida, are available at Spokane Resort and Lake St. John Grocer. Public viewing of the flotilla will be at Spokane Resort, Duck’s Nest II and The Dock on Lake St. John. KFNV 107.1 will be broadcasting the event live. At 9 p.m., a fireworks display will take place on the lake and The Dock will feature the Miss-Lou’s own Easy Eddie and the Party Rockers.

Lake St. John has always been a very special place for residents of the Miss-Lou, where they learned to swim and ski, dance, play cards, sleep away lazy afternoons in the hammock and perhaps receive their first kiss.

Lake St. John is an old-fashioned community where neighbors help each other, worship God, love their country and support our troops fighting to insure that we continue to enjoy freedom and our beautiful lake.

The Lake St. John family invites everyone to join them for the Lake St. John Flotilla and Blessing of the Fleet, Saturday, July 4.

Keep the flags flying, keep the fleet afloat, and join us in celebrating faith, family and freedom.

For more information, call Donna Maroon at 318-481-0182 or email donnamaroon@aol.com.

 

Gay Guercio is a member of the Lake St. John Flotilla Committee.