Reflections of a fun year

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

The Mamou Cajun Music Festival Pageant will be held this afternoon at the Mamou Recreational Center. Before relinquishing their titles to their successors on Sunday, August 23, two of the outgoing queens reminisce about their memorable and exciting year as the first queens of the festival. The festival will be held September 4-5, at the Mamou Recreational Center.
Miss Mamou Cajun Music Festival Queen Emily Lynn Vidrine
“As Miss Mamou Cajun Music Queen, I got the chance to travel all over this amazing state and promote something that is close to my heart,” says outgoing Miss Mamou Cajun Music Festival Queen Emily Lynn Vidrine. She adds, “I was given the chance to be a voice and figurehead for an amazing festival run by some very amazing people. I was given the opportunity to help preserve our Cajun culture and spread knowledge about it to various people at every fair, festival and pageant I visited.” She shares, “There is a saying among fair and festival queens, and it is ‘You have never truly seen a festival until you see it through the eyes of a queen.’ This saying cannot be truer. We are able to work with the board and volunteers who help make the festival happen and this brings a new appreciation to all that they do.”
The outgoing queen is the 18-year-old daughter of Wayne and Jenny Vidrine of Ville Platte and granddaughter of Landris and Janice Guillory, Minnie Soileau and Clarence and Karen Vidrine. A 2015 graduate of Sacred Heart High School, she is currently a student at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, where she is pursuing a degree in nursing. She hopes to graduate with a 4.0 and then further her education to achieve her goal of becoming an oncology nurse practitioner. Her hobbies include spending time with her friends and family, riding horses, helping out on her family farm and competing in pageants.
In addition to this title, Vidrine has reigned as the 21st Teen Miss Le Festival de la Viande Boucanee Queen. She proclaims, “These two titles were both amazing titles to hold because they both represented something I have been passionate about since I was a little girl. I was truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to represent these titles because I got to work with some very special people, I made lifelong friendships and I gained some pretty amazing sister queens.”
Throughout her reign, Vidrine has had many memorable and exciting moments, many of which occurred at the Mamou Cajun Music Festival. She laughs, “I got to dance and anyone who knows me knows that I am the worst dancer.” She adds, “I got to see all of the unique contests, and I had the opportunity to see how truly proud the people of Mamou are of their heritage. It made me realize just how proud I am to say I have Cajun ancestors and inspired me to do everything I can to make sure the music and food stays around for generations to come.”
Being a festival queen requires a great deal of traveling, and just a few of the events Vidrine attended throughout her reign include a queens sleep over for the Cotton Festival weekend, the Cracklin pageant, Fur and Wildlife pageant, Louisiana Queen of Hope pageant, Miss Ville Platte pageant, Louisiana Relay for Life pageant and festival, Washington Catfish pageant and festival and the Grand Hoorah at Chicot State Park. Vidrine remembers, “I got to watch the frog derby at the Rayne Frog Festival and hold a big frog for the first time in my life.” She shares, “One of my very favorite events that I was able to attend was the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festival convention and Queen of Queens pageant. There are so many festivities that go on at this convention that it is truly mind blowing. The bonds and friendships that I have made at this convention alone will truly last a lifetime.”
Vidrine would like to thank the many people who helped make her reign a year to remember. She says, “I would like to start by thanking God for protecting us as we traveled around the state and for blessing me with this amazing opportunity. I would like to thank my parents for putting up with me being gone every weekend. I would like to especially thank my mom for helping me decorate my stuff when I always waited until the last minute.” She continues, “I would like to thank my nanny Lori for being the best ‘pageant mom’ in the world. It means the world to me that you do everything that you do for me. Pageants are our way of bonding, and now that we got my sister into doing pageants, that means even more bonding time for all of us.” Finally, Vidrine thanks the festival organization, saying, “I would like to thank my wonderful director (Dalayne Veillon) and my board for all that they do for me. I was blessed with such an amazing and supportive board and director. Any girl would be lucky to be their queen. I was also blessed with amazing sister queens. Lily and Katheryn, you are truly amazing ladies and I can’t wait to see where life takes you. I promise to never lose touch and I am so happy I got to experience this year with you.”
To her successor, Vidrine shares, “I believe that in order to be a good festival queen, you should not be afraid to stand up and be yourself. You should be passionate about what you represent and be a positive role model to all the little girls who stop you to take a picture with the ‘princess.’ As a festival queen, you don’t just represent yourself, but your festival as well, so anything you say or do will reflect back on your festival. There are so many misconceptions about the pageant world and it is your job to clear up those misconceptions with your words, actions and attitude. Positivity and modesty are two things you need to exhibit when you put on your crown and banner.”
She continues, “This is a truly amazing title to represent. They do not lie when they say the year flies by. It is your job to be the voice for this festival, so travel and promote it as much as you can. Always remember to carry yourself like a lady and smile to every little girl because you are the one they look up to. Take as many pictures as you can and start working on your scrapbook early. Remember, pageants aren’t about the pretty crowns and banners; they are about representing the hard work and dedication of the men and women who work to preserve something that is so important to them.”
Junior Miss Mamou Cajun Music Festival Queen Lily Nannette Duplechin
“This has been my first title and I must say it was definitely a good one. Being able to represent something so close to my heart was truly an honor,” proclaims Junior Miss Mamou Cajun Music Festival Queen Lily Nannette Duplechin. She continues, “By being crowned Jr. Miss Mamou Cajun Music, I got the chance to travel not only Evangeline Parish, but also the state of Louisiana spreading the Cajun music culture. I have made many new friends in my journey and made many memories that I will also treasure.” She also adds that, “I have learned that pageantry can really bring people together in doing what they love.”
The outgoing queen has traveled to many events throughout her reign, including the Louisiana Tournoi, Louisiana Swine Festival, Boggy Bayou Festival and Miss Armed Forces Pageant. She shares that one of the highlights of her reign was “being able to be a part of the Swine Festival Parade in my hometown of Basile.”
Duplechin is the 17-year-old daughter of Leigh Anne Burgess and the late Stacey Duplechin and granddaughter of Joan Vidrine, the late Butch Toups, the late Shirley Duplechin and Darrel Duplechin. She just began her senior year at Basile High School, where she is a member of the dance team, FBLA and yearbook staff. She also founded the school’s book club. After graduation, she plans to attend the Aveda Institute in Lafayette to become an esthetician.
In ending her reign, Duplechin would like to thank her parents and family for all of their love and support, adding with a laugh, “and their money.” She also thanks her director Dalayne Veillon “for making this experience possible.”
To her successor, she says, “A true queen must truly love the festival she represents. Because without that love, what is she really representing?” She emphasizes,“It’s not about the size of your crown, it’s about how you wear it. Represent this title with everything you have and have fun while doing it.”