Bayou Lafourche boat parade rescheduled for Nov. 14 in Thibodaux

Emily Enfinger, The Courier
·2 min read

A new date is set for the boat parade in Bayou Lafourche in Thibodaux celebrating the weir removal that occurred earlier this year.

The Weir Removal Boat Parade, hosted by the Friends of Bayou Lafourche, was initially planned for late August but was postponed because of Hurricane Ida. The parade will now take place Sunday, Nov. 14, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center.

"It's a way for us to get out there and come enjoy one of our most precious natural resources in a safe way and what we hope is going to be a beautiful day," said Rayn Perque, Friends of Bayou Lafourche executive director.

Related: Bayou Lafourche looks different after waterway structure removed in Thibodaux. Here's why

The parade will continue down the bayou, passing downtown Thibodaux and Nicholls State University. Participating boats will turn around just past the university and head back toward the route's beginning.

The music lineup includes:

  • Gina Forsyth & Waylon Thibodeaux, who will be traveling with the parade.

  • Harley Talbot, located at Rotolo's Pizzeria in Thibodaux.

  • Absinthe Minded, on the Thibodaux Pedestrian Bridge.

  • John Daigle, at the Nicholls Bayou Side Park.

Workers remove a weir earlier this year in Bayou Lafourche in Thibodaux.
Workers remove a weir earlier this year in Bayou Lafourche in Thibodaux.

Removing the weir was a priority project for the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District for "quite some time," Ben Malbrough, executive director of the water district, said in a report by The Courier in early January. Around the same time, Friends of Bayou Lafourche said in a social media post that the weir's removal plays a "critical role" in the water district's ability to pump more fresh water into Bayou Lafourche "to protect our endangered coast due to saltwater intrusion."

More: Thibodeauxville festival scheduled for Nov. 13

The weir was constructed in 1969 to create a reservoir for water treatment facilities and sugar mills farther north. The weir served its original purpose but later became a hindrance by impeding the flow of water in the bayou and preventing boat access. The $1 million project began in 2016, but removal of the weir itself started in late February and was complete around early May.

The Thibodaux weir on Bayou Lafourche.
The Thibodaux weir on Bayou Lafourche.

-- Emily Enfinger is a reporter for The Courier and the Daily Comet. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyEnfinger. Email Emily at eenfinger@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: New date set for Weir Removal Boat Parade in Bayou Lafourche