By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LULING – Crowds flocked to West Bank Bridge Park in Luling last weekend for the 32nd annual Alligator Festival.

The festival, the largest in St. Charles Parish, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish. It is the club’s largest fundraiser for the year and provides a large portion of the money the club hands out in scholarships every year.

The weekend featured live music, rides, games, live baby alligators and plenty of food.

Admission was only $1, a fact that may have contributed to the size of the crowds. The weather probably did not hurt, either, and with the Saints pulling off a win Sunday, the festival enjoyed a larger than normal crowd Sunday evening.

The festival started in 1978, when it was held at Willowdale Country Club. The date was chosen to coincide with alligator hunting season. In the ensuing 32 years, the festival has grown and changed location. It came to its current location in 2000.