Kaplan Mardi Gras parade continues to roll thanks to hard work, support from city

Some communities around Acadiana will go without Mardi Gras parades this year.
Kaplan will not be among them.
The Krewe Chic-A-La-Pie parade will roll this Tuesday for Mardi Gras as it always has. The parade is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
That will not be the case for the Town of Washington, which announced recently that its parade that was set to roll has been canceled. The town’s mayor reportedly cited potential bad weather as the reason.
St. Martinville’s Newcomer’s parade has also been officially canceled. Parade organizers and city officials generated headlines recently, battling over the event’s fate. City officials said the parade needed more security, barricades and that the amount of people the parade brought to the city put a strain on emergency services. The parade has been moved to Baldwin.
From a traditional standpoint, Linda Vincent, this year’s organizer of the Chic-A-La-Pie parade, said she can feel for what the communities have lost.
“I think it’s sad for the people and the community,” Vincent said. “Once you get used to it, like in Kaplan, it’s a tradition. I would hate to see it gone from Kaplan. There are people in Kaplan who live for this.
“This is what we do.”
Support from city officials plays a pivotal role in the parade’s continuing success.
“The city backs us up with a lot of help,” Vincent said. “Mayor (Kirk) Champagne and the city have been good to us. They have workers put up barricades. Chief Boyd (Adams) has his officers out there. The parish and the Sheriff’s Office also help a lot. We are thankful for all that they do.
“If we didn’t have that support, it would make this a lot more difficult.”
Champagne said offering that support is not an issue.
“We really enjoy and appreciate the effort the krewe puts into bringing this annual parade to our city,” Champagne said. “Not only do our residents enjoy this family venture, but it also attracts many visitors to our beautiful city.
“We will definitely continue to support this Mardi Gras parade.”
With all of that support, there is plenty of work that goes into making the parade a reality.
“Oh my goodness,” Vincent said with a laugh. “It’s not easy. You get a lot of phone calls and you answer a lot of questions. You have to hustle.
“It is rewarding to be able to still do the parade.”
With all of the hustle and bustle, maybe organizers will be able to get some rest on Wednesday.
“Hopefully that will happen,” Vincent said. “We will be out there early on Tuesday.
“We are looking forward to a great parade.”