“Beautiful” weather welcomes the popular Washington Parish parade | News

“Fair weather,” as locals like to call it, is set to accompany the opening of the Washington Parish Free Fair on Wednesday in Franklinton.

The fair, nicknamed “the largest free fair in the country,” begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. with the annual parade that parades through the streets of downtown Franklinton and ends Sunday.

“The Mass is so unique and so deeply embedded in the fabric of our community,” said Washington Parish President Ryan Seal. “People plan family reunions, class reunions around this. It’s a wonderful week.”

And that in pleasant weather. The meteorological mystery surrounding the fair is that regardless of temperatures during the first two weeks of October, the heat will subside on the third Wednesday, with cool mornings and warm afternoons, hence the term “fair weather.” As if on cue, a cold front pushed through on Tuesday and lows in the upper 40s and lower 50s are expected Wednesday morning and highs in the mid to upper 70s throughout the weekend.

Shortly after the parade rolls into the fairgrounds on Wednesday, the opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at noon, ushering in four days of live music, a rodeo, a quilting contest, an impressive variety of cuisines, a petting zoo and a midway with a wide range of rides and games, the historic Miles Branch Settlement and, perhaps most delightfully, meeting friends and family only seen at the annual event.

“There is nothing like it, from the fair queen competition to the parade to the midway to the rodeo and the food and the community,” Seal said.

Popular musicians include Amanda Shaw, Clay Cormier & the Highway Boys, The Chee Weez and Bag of Donuts.

As is custom, regular guests have been arriving for the past few days and setting up their campers in a popular spot just off-site to renew relationships with long-time fellow campers. For a week they create their own little neighborhood where everyone is welcome.

“So many volunteers have put in a lot of effort over the years to get this together and keep it growing and thriving,” Seal said.

As Seal spoke, he recalled his own childhood, when he was a four-year-old passenger on his father's shoulders, awed by the Midway's large crowds, various activities and bright lights. He also enjoyed going to the rodeo and seeing the animals.

“Now it’s the same with my children and carrying them around the fair on my shoulders,” he said, smiling, recalling a lifetime of memories.

“It’s such a healing event for families,” he said.