Giant Omelette Celebration this weekend in Abbeville

This weekend will be a time for celebration in Abbeville.
To be exact, the annual Giant Omelette Celebration is set for Saturday and Sunday.
Arlene Collée, a member of the organization that puts on the Giant Omelette Celebration, spoke to the Abbeville Kiwanis Club about the event.
“We are going to have some great entertainment and great charity events,” said Collée, who handles publicity and marketing for the event. “We will also have great art vendors and food vendors.
“It’s a great time.”
However, the focus of the event is clear.
“Our festival has its roots in the French language and culture,” Collée said. “We are there to promote the French language and culture.”
Abbeville is one of seven Omelette cities around the world. That list includes Bessieres, France, Frejus, France, Dumbea, New Caledonia, Granby, Quebec in Canada, Malmedy, Belgium, and Pigue, Argentina.
“The common thread is the French Language and culture,” Collée said. “Even in Argentina, in the town that it is held in, they have a pocket of French speaking people.
“That is the common thread.”
That thread ties to Abbeville this time each year.
“We do our Omelette every November,” Collée said. “We always send invitations to the other Omelette cities. They do the same thing. They extend the invitation to us.”
Abbeville is always a gracious host.
“We house the people who come and we give them cultural meals,” Collée said. “We try to give them the best taste of the Cajun culture and the French language, as we know it.
“We have built many friendships through this.”
And a great deal of attention for Abbeville.
“We have been featured around the world,” Collée said. “We have been featured on the Food Network. I have received early morning calls from the BBC Network on Omelette weekends. We have been highlighted in several magazines and online publications.”
USA Today named Abbeville’s Giant Omelette Celebration as one of the top food festivals in the country. The Los Angeles Times selected the event as one of the quirkiest festivals in the United States.
“We are really a famous festival around the world,” Collée said. “We take pride in representing our city to places around the world.”
One of the items being worn by those involved in the celebration will be something unique to this part of the world.
“There is something very special about our uniforms,” Collée said. “We have Tabasco ties. Tabasco worked with us on creating the tie. They thread the entire (Omelette) recipe through the tie. We are selling them this weekend.
“This is a genuine Tabasco tie, and they don’t do that for just anyone.”
Sunday will be highlighted by the cooking of The 5,031 Egg Omelette in a 12-foot skillet. That will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in downtown Abbeville.
“Stick around and eat some really good food,” Collée said. “This is a very, very special event. I am proud to be part of it, as I am sure all of our members are.
“We invite everyone to come out and enjoy it.”