Ascension Parish ready for more festivals after ‘Rock the Country’ success

ASCENSION PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) – Ascension Parish is ready to host another festival after Rock the Country Fest showed it has potential, officials said.

Pamela Matassa, the deputy chief administrative officer for Ascension Parish, said an estimated 22,000 tickets were sold for the event in Gonzales.

Rock the Country Fest, a two-day music festival, was held at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center. Music legends such as Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr. and Travis Tritt performed.

“The success of this event has shown us the potential, and Lamar Dixon is well-equipped and prepared to handle such events. Our safety measures and first responders are ready and capable, and traffic was managed efficiently,” Matassa said.

All weekend, police officers managed traffic along Highway 30. They stood in place of stop lights to ensure cars were kept moving and not backed up.

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The parish also saw a boost in tourism, Matassa said. Restaurants and retail stores “responded positively.”

Parish officials are still waiting for more detailed feedback and concrete numbers but Matassa said Ascension Parish can and will host another large festival in the future.

The city is now preparing for another large gathering with the 57th annual Gonzales Jambalaya Festival on May 24-26.

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