Butterfly Festival

The annual butterfly festival for Louisiana is held on a Saturday in mid September at the Claiborne Parish Fairgrounds in Haynesville, the Butterfly Capital of Louisiana.  The Haynesville Celebration of Butterflies will be a festival focused on nature:  butterflies, other insects, butterfly gardening, native plants, herb gardening, conservation, nature craft vendors, and include food, fun, music and the "Little Miss Butterfly Pageant."

 

2004 Festival Images2004 Festival Images
2004 Festival Images 2004 Festival Images 2004 Festival Images
2004 Festival Images2004 Festival Images

Vendors Sought for Butterfly Festival

 

Food and craft vendors are being sought for the annual Haynesville Celebration of Butterflies.  The charge for vendors is $25 for a 10'x10' booth in the air-conditioned building and $15 for a 12'x12' space under a covered pavilion.  Tables can be rented for $5 each.  Festival hours are 9:30 AM - 6 PM.  For more information, contact Pat Bourn, (318) 624-1216 or Ethel Killgore, (318) 624-1367.

 

Butterfly Festival To Feature Nature Photography Contest

 

A nature photography contest will be part of the Haynesville Celebration of butterflies to be held at the Claiborne Parish Fairgrounds in Haynesville.  Entry classes are:  students in grades 1-4, grades 5-8, grades 9-12, and adults.  All photographs will be on exhibition during the festival with winners being announced from the stage at 12:30 PM Awards each class are first place $20, second $15, third $10, and fourth honorable mention.  For an entry form or further information, contact Kathy and Harold Johnson, (318) 377-0963 or email.

 

Festival Highlights

  • Musical Entertainment

  • Parade

  • Community Art & Photo Exhibits

  • Butterfly Collections

  • Butterfly Conservatory with live butterflies

  • Nature Photography Contest

  • Flower Exhibit & Contest

  • Butterfly Books, Posters and T-shirts

  • Nature Displays

  • Water Conservation Display Trailer

  • Butterfly Plant sale

  • Construction of take-home Butterfly Towers

  • Craft & Food Vendors

  • Face Painting

  • And much more...

Direction to Festival Site

 

Mapquest Interactive Map to Fair Grounds

 

Haynesville is located on U.S. Highway 79 in the Piney Woods near the AR border.  It is approximately 1 1/2 hours from Shreveport, and Ruston, 30 minutes from Magnolia, El Dorado, Minden and Springhill.

 

Claiborne Parish Fair

The Claiborne Parish Fair is held the last week in September.  The fair will have both day and night time activities.  Day time activities will include: School Group Day, Cooking Show with Rand and Nancy Killgore, and Bingo.  Night time activities will include:  gospel singing, livestock judging and of course games and rides on the Mid-Way.

Fair Highlights
 

  • Carnival Parade

  • Rides and MidWay Fun

  • Livestock Show & Sale

  • Cooking Courses

  • Bakery Contests

  • Arts & Craft Contests

  • Musical Groups

  • Craft & Food Booths

  • And much more . . .

 
 
Directions to the Fair

The Claiborne Parish Fair Grounds are in Haynesville, Louisiana, which is located on U.S. Highway 79 in the Piney woods near the Arkansas border. It it approximately 1 1/2 hours from Shreveport, and Ruston, 30 minutes from Magnolia, El Dorado, Minden and Springhill.

RV Hook-ups available - call 318-624-0911

In addition to the general exhibits, 4-H, FBLA, FHA, and FFA organizations may enter the fair booth competition. Booths are judged on educational value, social and economic importance, and appearance. Spaces are assigned and booth dimensions are 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, and 4 feet deep. Premiums will be paid to those who enter. Booth space is also available for schools who would like to put up booths to promote their schools. These are not judged and premiums are not paid on these booths. Fair booths may be set up Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Booths must be removed on Friday by 9 a.m.

Removal time for art entries will be Friday from 8-9 a.m. in the south end of the fair building. Art receiving a first or second will be held over for state fair competition. All other art will be released.

Removal time for general exhibits will be between the hours 8-9 a.m. on Friday in the Little School House. First and second places may compete in the State Fair of Louisiana.

Entries may be made by Claiborne Parish exhibitors in the following divisions: arts and crafts; clothing; culinary; food preservation; home accessories; photography; crops and vegetables; and many In each division there are special categories for exhibitors under the age of 14, over age 14, adult, and senior citizens. Again this year the fair will feature the new category: Claiborne Art Special. In this category pre-school through third grade can compete in their own age grouping in the following classes: pen or pencil drawing; crayon drawing; water color picture; oil picture; acrylic picture; pastel or charcoal picture; mixed medium picture. Winners from this group are not eligible to compete at the State Fair of Louisiana.

Arts and crafts division includes: basketry, birdhouse, braiding, carving, ceramics, decoupage, fabric decoration, fabric painting, tie dying, graphics, jewelry, leather craft, macramé, metal tooling or etching, mosaics, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, watercolor paintings, papier mache, plaster molds, rubbings, weaving, wood burning, wood crafts.

In the food preservation division entries include: canned fruits and vegetables, pickles and relishes, preserves, jellies and jams. Canned products must be exhibited in a jar manufactured for home canning in the size stated in the class entered. Jelly must be exhibited in one-half pint (8 ounce) canning jar. Any jar with paraffin on top will be disqualified.

The culinary entries include: six plain breakfast muffins, six bran breakfast muffins, one pone cornbread, six biscuits, six yeast rolls, and loaf of yeast bread.

In the cake class entries may include: chocolate cake, any icing; angel food cake, no icing; pound cake, no icing; layer cake, any icing; sponge cake, no icing; decorated cake.

The pie class entries include: sweet potato pie, no meringue; chocolate pie; apple pie; custard pie, no meringue; and pecan pie.

Cookie class entries include: six nut cookies; six plain cookies; and six other cookies.

Candy class entries include: six pieces of divinity with nuts; six pieces of fudge with nuts; six pieces of peanut brittle; six pieces of date loaf, and six pieces of other candy.

Home accessories division includes: two pot holders or oven mitts; placemats and napkins or table runner and napkins; handmade pillow without needlework; decorated pillowcase (case may be ready made); bulletin board; waste basket; desk or tabletop accessory; door decoration; holiday; decoration for house or Christmas tree; handmade pillow with needlework or quilting; quilt; or a comforter with pillow shams; afghan (crochet or knit); latch hook (rug, wall hanging, or pillow); needlework picture; weaving wall hanging; rigid wall hanging; storage aides; other.

Clothing division includes: aprons, blouses; skirts, school dresses; pants; shorts; sportswear; painted garment (garment can be ready-made); boy's garment made by boy, special occasion; church wear.

Crops and vegetables include: corn; seeds and grains; fresh fruits and vegetables. These categories include: corn, white peas, speckled peas, crowder peas, Spanish peanuts; runner peanuts; white lima beans; colored lima beans; unshelled pecans; chestnuts; turnips greens; mustard greens; turnips with tops attached; tomatoes; eggplants; long radishes; round radishes; bell peppers; hot peppers; green okra; green onions; snap beans; purple hull peas; summer squash; winter squash; watermelon; pumpkins; cushaw, Irish potatoes; sweet potatoes; cabbage; pears; carrots; beets; pomegranates; apples; cucumbers; sugarcane.

The egg division includes: one dozen white shell eggs; one dozen brown shell eggs.

Senior Citizens, residents 60 years or older, may enter these categories: aprons; garments and accessories (machine sewed); afghan; pillows; pillow cases; rugs; quilts; crochet; knitting; handwork; painting; woodwork; and leisure activities and hobbies.

The LSU Agricultural Center's Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the Claiborne Parish Fair Board helps present the fair each year.

For more information on fair entries please contact your local Extension Office at (318) 927-3110.

Parks and Recreation

Ronnie Fields, Director

  • Haynesville City Park located on Stadium Drive includes the city pond, swimming pool, basketball court, two baseball/softball fields, a T-Ball field, three tennis courts, riding arena, and playground equipment.

  • The Haynesville Golf Course is located on Price Drive, off Hwy 79 or Hwy Alt 2.

  • Woodson Park located on McDonald Street includes swimming pool, basketball court, two tennis courts and playground equipment.  Also located on Betters Way is the Senior Citizen Park.

  • Woodson Field is located off Hwy 79 South and includes two baseball/softball fields.

  • Bicentennial Park is located at the corner of Hwy 79 and Bailey Avenue.

  • Claiborne Parish Fairgrounds located on Fairgrounds Drive, is where the annual Claiborne Parish Fair takes place the last week of September.  During mid September, the annual Butterfly Festival takes place at the Fair Complex.  The grounds provides 32 RV hookups for overnight stays or longer at very reasonable rates.

ALL VISITORS ARE WELCOME!