Cypress Sawmill Festival canceled due to weather

Organizers of the Cypress Sawmill Festival have canceled the festival due to the flooding that occurred Thursday and the more projected rain this weekend.

The festival was scheduled to be held Friday through Sunday at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson. But officials made the call late Thursday afternoon to cancel the festival. The decision was made due to the condition of the festival grounds, residents who experienced flooding and more projected rainfall this weekend, said Jeff LaGrange, festival board chairman. Organizers had to make the best choice under the circumstances, but are extremely disappointed to have to make that decision to cancel the festival given all the time and effort that many people put into the festival, he said.

There are no plans to reschedule this year's festival. The 2019 festival was going to be the festival's 28 edition. Officials first began holding the festival in 1991, but then canceled the 2017 festival due to several years of bad weather and lack of volunteers. However, the festival returned in 2018. The festival raises money for Louisiana State Museum — Patterson, home of the Cypress Sawmill and Wedell-Williams Aviation exhibits.