CHURCH POINT, La (KLFY) – In Acadia Parish, the town of Church Point is preparing for its big Mardi Gras celebration.
Church Point Police Chief, Albert Venable, says this year there will be a few changes to the Mardi Gras celebration.
“I just don’t enjoy it,” said Church Point resident, Delores Castille. “The people are cruel and they’re out of control, they drink entirely too much, they use profanity, and it’s just not my thing.”
These are many of the complaints some residents have about the celebration that attracts about 30,000 people each year.
“Last year we heard all kinds of complaints,” said Chief Venable. “The people are drunk and this and that, and this year we need to take it down a couple of notches because we want it to last. If we don’t do anything to bring it back into an orderly fashion, we might be losing it.”
Chief Venable says this year the department will be enforcing the town’s open container law.
“Excluding the private property. Private property is out of our jurisdiction, but anywhere on public property,” said Chief Venable.
The chief says this means no glass bottles–all alcohol must be in a cup.
Other changes–four wheelers and trailers won’t be allowed along the parade route. He says this will allow more room for people to stand and of course for safety reasons.
“When you have a trailer on either side of the street, you have a float in the middle, it’s hard to get an emergency vehicle down the street,” explained Chief Venable.
Also, the chief says although they don’t have enough barricades to accomodate the entire parade route, there will be some out on the main parts.
However, these changes aren’t enough to make resident, Delores Castille, want to attend.
“I use to enjoy it when I was younger, but things have changed,” explained Castille. “It has grown out of proportion and I just don’t enjoy it anymore.”
Castille says she hasn’t celebrated Mardi Gras in Church Point for the last 5 years.
“My husband and I are leaving town this weekend, so we won’t have to deal with the things that go on during Mardi Gras in Church Point,” said Castille. “There’s just not enough control and the people on the floats drink entirely too much, because everytime I have been within aiming distance of someone throwing beads they have hit me in the forehead.”
Chief Venable says this type of behavior won’t be tolerated and the rules will be enforced.
“We want the people of Church Point to feel comfortable and we want the people from out of town that’s coming in to feel comfortable,” said Chief Venable.
The Mardi Gras parade will roll at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
