A Guide to the Couchon De Lait

For years the Couchon de Lait has been a large event for central Louisiana, in the city of Mansura. Couchon de Lait (french), pig roast, effectively describes the main focus of this festival, which is roasting pigs. Everyday of the festival dozens of pigs are set up to roast and later eaten by the carnival goers.

The festival also features your common carnival rides including the infamous "Ring of Fire". Lined upon the edges of the carnival area are booths where you can particpate in different games for a small fee to win a prize; for example, the beer bottle bust is a festival game where you are given a baseball that you throw to try and hit one of the many beer bottles evenly spaced on shelves on a wall. Most of the Couchon de Lait's games are indeed deceptive and often trick you by creating games that are nearly impossible to win.

Located at the center of the festival area is a stage where live music is performed. Usually the music performed is either zydeco or country, but is rarely any major performers. Some years the carnival goers may participate in karaoke as they sing their off key, drunken souls away in the satisfying bliss central Louisiana's pig roast celebration has brought them.

The only downfall of the Couchon de Lait is that the ticket prices for the rides is quite expensive, being a dollar a ticket and 95% of the rides requiring four tickets. Four dollars for a thirty 30 second ride seems to be quite the rip off; although, Thursday night, the slowest night, is bracelet night where you may ride any ride you want as many times as you want after you have purchased a ticket bracelet for usually $12.00.

Food, music, rides, what is there not to like? Central Louisiana invites you to Join the Couchon de Lait twice a year in October and May.