Sawmill festival returns to Patterson April 6-8

The Cypress Sawmill Festival is set to return to the Kemper Williams Park Fairgrounds near Patterson Friday, April 6 through Sunday, April 8.

In October 2017, organizers announced plans to bring the festival back in 2018 after they had canceled the 2017 festival due to several recent years of bad weather and lack of revenues and volunteers.

The inaugural sawmill festival was held in 1991.

Its main purpose is to support and raise money for Louisiana State Museum — Patterson, home of the Cypress Sawmill and Wedell-Williams Aviation exhibits, said Jeff LaGrange, festival committee chairman.

The festival is also meant to be “a good family-oriented” event for the community, he said.

Included in the festival are All-American Lumberjack shows, musical acts, carnival rides, food and arts and crafts vendors, an old engine display, a softball tournament and children’s pageant.

A car show may also be held April 7, but officials haven’t yet confirmed if that event will take place at the festival, LaGrange said.

Entry into the park for the festival will be $5 per vehicle on April 6 and April 8. Entry will be $10 per vehicle on April 7. The gate opening times haven’t yet been set.

The Mitchell Brothers Carnival rides will cost extra. Pay-one-price bracelets for rides will be available each day during the festival, but those prices haven’t been determined yet, LaGrange said.

There will be three lumberjack shows Saturday and a Kids Lumberjack Sport Camp with chainsaw carving. Two lumberjack shows will take place Sunday in addition to another lumberjack camp for kids.

Festival organizers partnered with Road to 3rd Street Songs on the Bayou Songwriters Festival and Last Honky Tonk Music Series. The songwriters festival will take place April 5-15 at multiple venues in the area.

Brigitte London, director of the music series and songwriters festival, is also music director for the Cypress Sawmill Festival.

“What we did is kind of partner with her, and she’s incorporating some of her artists into our music. And then we’re going to help her throughout the following week with her festival,” LaGrange said.

Some of the entertainers will also be giving tours of the museum. A shuttle bus will bring visitors from the fairgrounds to the museum, he said.

Music will begin at 5:15 p.m. April 6 with Sadie McClendon, a 10-year-old country musician from Alabama. At 6:30 p.m., KQKI 95.3 FM will host the Country Music Showdown singing competition.

Déjà Vu will close out that night’s music at 9:45 p.m.

On April 7, Jus Cuz will kick off the music at noon followed by Cliff Hillebran at 2 p.m., Lowdown with Hal Bruni at 3:30 p.m., Mudbone at 5:30 p.m., Sean Gasaway at 7:45 p.m., and the headliner, Jeff Bates at 8:30 p.m.

Bates is a country singer whose most recent album, “Me and Conway,” has six original songs and six Conway Twitty classics, including a duet with Loretta Lynn, his website says.

On April 8, music will begin with a Gospel Jam at noon followed by the D.a.T. Sauce Young Artists Showcase at 1 p.m. and then Grammy Award-Winning zydeco musician Chubby Carrier at 3 p.m. to finish the Cypress Sawmill Festival music lineup.

Carrier will finish playing around 5:30 p.m., but the carnival rides will likely stay open “until the last people leave,” LaGrange said.

Also on April 8, New Orleans Saints mascot “Gumbo the Dog” will be at the festival grounds meeting people and signing autographs.

Camper space is still available at Kemper Williams Park during the festival. Those interested in bringing their campers may call the park at 985-395-2298.

For more information on the Cypress Sawmill Festival, visit cypresssawmillfestival.com.