Fair Parade 2024

 The St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade rolled through downtown Covington the morning of October 4, 2024. Here are some photographs. Click on the images to make them larger. 

Click here for a video of the fair parade passing by. 

Fair Exhibits Overview

 I stopped by the fairgrounds in Covington Wednesday for a preview of the parish fair exhibits. They were being set up and judged, those involving plants, flowers, home economics, and educational exhibits. I would have taken some pictures of the livestock on display, but those pictures are better taken during the fair when kids are looking at the farm animals.

Here are some photographs of the variety of other exhibits.

All public schools have exhibit booths showcasing their artwork and educational pursuits. 

Home Economics

The home ec exhibit building offers home decor, clothing, and arts and crafts exhibits, plus the handiwork of various hobbies, canning, and even pageant costumes.

The Home Economics exhibits building was constructed in 1972

 

For more information, click on links below:

Fair Facebook

Fair Webpage

Sheep Wool Big Commodity

 Wool was just one of the products provided by St. Tammany farmers/ranchers 100 years ago. 

Click on the articles to enlarge and make more readable.

According to Stewart Eastman "It is mostly forgotten that the Gulf coast used to be a region of sheep herding, along with other endeavors. There was a breed of sheep, called Gulf Coast Native sheep, which had been started by the Spanish and became very well suited for our climate. It is now an endangered heritage breed."

For more information on that breed of sheep, CLICK ON THIS LINK.

Refurbished Furniture Saved Schools Money

 Back in the old days (1963) public schools saved money by refurbishing old used furniture given to them by other government agencies. Even the students got involved in the reconditioning efforts. Click on the images to make them larger and more readable. 

Superintendent Willliam Pitcher was known for his cost-cutting measures and money-saving projects in building and getting furniture for the schools. 

Church In A Dome

 In 1986 a Catholic Church mission in Bush, LA, opened its new building, a geodesic dome. It had been a longtime vision by the Priest Rev. Francis Sander, pastor of the St. Jane de Chantal Catholic Church in Abita Springs. Here are some photographs of the unique structure and news articles printed at the time. 

Article from Dixie Roto Magazine
Click on the image to make it larger. 

A 1987 article in the Times Picayune

Five years earlier, in 1982, the mission church was housed in a rectangular metal building built with the help of volunteers.