The Swine Festival is the smallest
As the late afternoon sun started throwing long shadows, a dozen or so Harleys roared into the fairgrounds, the riders all suited up in leather and denim and bandanas. But don't think Hell's Angels just yet: once they parked, the group--mostly in their 40s and 50s, men and women both--politely approached the gate to apologize for parking without having yet paid admission. They lined up, paid five bucks each, and donned the proof-of-admission: little robin's-egg blue paper bracelets that added a cheery note amid all the skulls, crossbones, metal jewelry, and rawhide cuffs.
During a portion of the day when the Visiting Queens joined the Swine royalty onstage to introduce themselves to the fairgoers, the littlest royals were lifted up by their "big girl" role models for introductions. The Petite Miss Swine is held here by the new International Rice Festival Queen, Devin Babineaux, who knows what it's like to a pint-sized festival royal: at 8 months old, she was won the Baby Rice pageant, and then every two years won the next title up (tiny, petite, and toddler). After the children's divisions, there is only Junior queen, chosen by the schools, and nothing again until the Queen's pageant. So when she wasn't picked to be Junior Queen, she cried so hard that her mom consoled her with the encouragment that, "One day, you'll go on and be the big Rice queen." And now, at 18, she is. She was given the option of competing for Queen of Queens, but has turned it down, because she doesn't want to risk winning and then having to give up her Rice title. "Rice was my dream," she told me, "And I want to keep it."
Misty Picard, age 22, is the new Swine Queen, and new to festival pageants in general. She has dipped her toes in the waters of two other kinds of pageants, first what she refers to as "a glitz pageant," and then in a city title as Miss Church Point. She set her sights on joining the festival sisterhood after attending Swine last year and being impressed by the friendliness and spontaneity of the queen. At the festival last year, Misty caught the greasy pig, a feat which came naturally because she loves animals. This year, she has a hog on her crown, not in her hands: with her new title comes a crown taller than her own head, and adorned with a pink rhinestone pig. (Hmm, does that make it swinestone?) She says she's glad to have joined the festival system because, "It has more personality. You really get to talk to people in your
With festival pageants playing such a major role in so many towns' local traditions and civic fundraisers, it's no surprise that often whole families have been involved. Three generations here include: 2 year-old Breanna (past Baby Miss Swine), mom Kayla (the reigning Ms. Evangeline Parish), grandmother Janice (Evangeline Parish She's My Grandma Queen), and little brother Brycelin (1st runner up Baby Mr. Swine). Several weeks ago, when I attended the Rice Ball (the formal festival event, not the arancini served in Italian restaurants), every person at my table either was related to, was friends with, or had been a festival queen.
It is remarkable to me how many 
Hang on to your crown, missy--it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
In the final stage, those who haven't intentionally been left behind or simply chickened out at the last moment make full-body dives to try and tackle the beast, a victory offering simple rewards: satisfaction, bragging rights, and a trip to a faucet to get the grease off your hands.
The second stage of the contest 
Though a carnival was set up in the field behind the open-sided pig barn, most of the action took place under the roof, where live Zydeco bands played all day. Gino Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie kept the crowds dancing in the afternoon (top) to their swirling Creole Cowboy music, a blend of accordion, scrub board (worn over the chest), vocals, and guitar. Earlier, the visiting queens moved "to the left, to the left, to the right, to the right," for the wildly popular Cupid Shuffle, a crossover craze which defies easy labels: it's a Zydeco-influenced hip-hop line dance.
