Tracy Smith is dreaming of sunny, fall weather: a high of 65 degrees and no clouds in the sky.
Smith, the executive director for Destrehan Plantation, wants these perfect weather days to arrive on Nov. 9 and 10 when the River Road Historical Society hosts its Fall Festival fundraiser. Good weather could mean the plantation sees up to 10,000 visitors to its grounds on River Road in Destrehan for the festival.
This year’s festival will include a dozen new booth spaces and an expanded kid area with a bungee jump, Smith said. Guests can shop for fine art, seasonal décor, pottery, clothing, toys, candles, jewelry and woodcrafts at the over 180 arts and craft booths. Most of the vendors are from the Louisiana region, but one vendor from Arkansas will sell handmade produce cutting tools, Smith said.
Antique dealers from across Louisiana will showcase their collections in the plantation’s Mule Barn, and 11 food vendors will serve things like hamburger and French fries, seafood bread, BBQ, and seafood balls. Guests can purchase beer and wine and the signature Plantation Punch, Smith said. Kayla Woodson and Ryan Foret and the Foret Tradition will both perform on Saturday. Bad Habit will play on Sunday.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Festival tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 6 to 12. Visitors can purchase tickets online or with cash on-site. Smith said there is free parking on site.
“I look forward to all the people enjoying the property, seeing what we have done here, things that we have done to maintain our property,” Smith said.
A large turnout at the festival could help the plantation recover from a decline in business sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith said.
“We still are feeling the effects of COVID,” Smith said. “Business dropped off by 80 percent in 2020, and today, business is still not 100 percent back.”
All the money raised goes toward preserving the Destrehan Plantation and its history, Smith said.
“We are here to tell that history, that is primarily what we do,” Smith said. “Yes, it’s a beautiful property, beautiful house, but the main thing we focus on is delivering that history to the word as accurately as we possibly can.”
Smith said festivalgoers can experience a guided tour of the home for an additional $15 ticket. Children 12 and under tour for free.
“We love for local people to come and take the tour,” Smith said. “The rest of the year, it’s people from out of state that come here. I enjoy putting on these events because it brings local people to the property for them to enjoy and experience and have a good time.”
He said locals may not know the plantation houses a handwritten letter by Thomas Jefferson. In the letter, Jefferson appoints Jean Noel Destrehan, the owner of the planation, to the Orleans Territorial Council. The council established the area’s legal system and parish governance after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
“It’s a huge piece of American history,” Smith said. “Destrehan was involved in writing Louisiana’s first state constitution and responsible for making Louisiana a state.”
The museum also has an exhibit with the names of 2,000 formerly enslaved people who lived on the property after the Civil War, when the Union Army ran the plantation under the Freedmen’s Bureau. The bureau offered housing, education and hospitals on the property to help former slaves transition to a life of freedom. The Union Army ran the plantation for two years, harvesting the sugar cane and paying its workers.
“It’s a pretty significant piece of history to learn,” Smith said. “The Union Army was a great record keeper. We have all the information of the people who came here: their name, age and where they came from.”
The museum also tells the story of the 1811 Louisiana Slave Revolt, which was the largest slave revolt in U.S. history. Smith said the revolt took place along River Road between LaPlace and Kenner and nearly 400 slaves participated. After the revolt was suppressed by the U.S. military and local militia, three days of trials were held at Destrehan Plantation.
“It’s a brutal piece of history,” Smith said. “But it’s something that maybe people that live here don’t know about. To understand and to know that is important. Without knowing our history, how can you reflect on where you are today?”
