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The 2008 Wooden Boat Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 18th and Sunday, October 19th. We hope you will join us in celebrating the heritage of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin region and the people of Southern Louisiana.

History of the Wooden Boat Festival

Just about any weekend, somewhere in Louisiana there's a festival celebrating one of the joys found in the state where Laissez les Bon Temps Roule is a way of life. The bounty we enjoy is only possible because of the rich, watery landscape of rivers, bayous, marshes and lakes we have in southeastern Louisiana, a populace that has made harvesting these resources a central part of their culture for over three hundred years and a unique collection of boats that has evolved to operate in this maritime environment. Every year, St. Tammany hosts a tribute not to seafood, but to the hand crafted wooden boats that originally made it possible for us to enjoy these marine delicacies. Hundreds of boats will line the banks of the Tchefuncte River and as many as 30,000 wooden boat, music, food and craft enthusiasts are expected to attend some or all of the activities on what is typically a lovely fall weekend.

The Wooden Boat Festival is the primary source of funding for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. If you would like information about becoming a sponsor, please contact the museum at 985.845.9200.