The 20th Thibodeauxville Fall Festival will take place Friday and Saturday in Thibodaux’s historic downtown area.
The event will kick-off on Friday with the Big Boy’s Main Street Cook-off, hosted by Thibodaux Main Street, Inc. from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Kathy Benoit, president/CEO of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, said through the years the cook-off has become the precursor to Saturday’s events with “live music, food tasting, lots of fun and dancing in the street.”
Thibodaux Main Street Inc. is a non-profit organization with the motto “shop, dine and dance in downtown.”
Cody Blanchard, Nicholls alum and executive director of Thibodaux Main Street, Inc., said there will be close to 30 teams making various dishes for the cook-off.
 “It’s an event to start off Thibodeauxville, but at the same time to have people come out and celebrate our heritage of food, music and fun,” Blanchard said. “It’s like Mardi Gras in the winter.”
In 2011, the Southeast Tourism Society recognized Thibodeauxville as a “Top 20” Event, which made the festival eligible for the Shining Example award. Thibodeauxville, named after the city’s original name, won first place in the contest, which honors the best festivals in the Southeast.
“We’re really thrilled about that and we’ll put that feather in our hat forever now,” Benoit said.
The rest of the Thibodeauxville events take place on Saturday and Benoit said volunteers and vendors get started as early as 4:30 a.m.
“It’s dark and the streets are quiet, but by 5:30 a.m. it’s organized chaos with cars all over the street and venders setting up,” Benoit said. “By 8:30 the sun comes up and all the tents are in a row and the colors and the smells take over. It’s fascinating.”
Registration for the 5K run/walk will begin at 7:30 and finish just in time for the rest of the festival.
Thibodeauxville will include more than 200 arts and crafts vendors and more than 90 different food options.
“The food court has moved to the bayou side of Highway 1 and the street will be closed to traffic from Canal Boulevard to Jackson Street except for emergency vehicles of course,” Benoit said.
The arts and crafts vendors range from works of original oil and watercolors paintings to crocheted items, baby clothing, jewelry, candles and high quality leather items.
“There are lots of choices just in time to start Christmas shopping,” Benoit said. “Most of our vendors have very reasonably priced items.”
The Cajun Corvette Club is also hosting an open car show on Saturday including new cars, antiques, bikes, trucks and hot rods.
The music aspect of the festival will consist of three separate stages with continuous live music.
Stage One, sponsored by Sydney S. George Jewelers, will host the band French Bred. Stage Two will include Patrick Sylvest, Americanos, Gypsy Soul Dancers and Good Feelin. Duane Bland, pastor of Thibodaux Family Church, organizes Stage Three, which has continuous Christian and dance music for the whole festival.
There is also the Duck Race at 4 p.m. where 1,500 rubber ducks are launched from the Jackson Street Bridge and “race” to the Canal Street Bridge. Each duck has a number which corresponds to a ticket that guests can purchase for $5. The first four ducks to cross the finish line are worth $1000, $500, $250 and $100 in prize money.
“The city of Thibodaux is wonderful,” Benoit said. “We have such a wonderful working relationship with the city, and I can’t tell you how many volunteers the city enables us to use.”
Benoit said volunteers are still needed for Sunday.
“The more people we can have out here, the quicker it goes,” Benoit said. “People can either call us or just show up. Everyone is welcome.”