I was told we were heading to the water so I figured we could cool off in the sweltering heat but it was full of kayakers for the Bayou Vermilion Festival & Boat Parade. Instead, it was nicel to sit on the sidelines and watch the boats getting loaded in, hearing the band play and the start of the festivities as hundreds of people enjoyed a day on the water.

The entertainment by New Native Brass Band kicked things into high gear before the grand marshal officially started the boat parade. There's some great talent with people standing up and paddling and not losing their cooler on the board. It's pretty impressive. I couldn't promise to do that even without drinking what I was transporting.

This is quite a community event that brings a whole day of fun.

As everyone began paddling their way down the water, we continued on our tour of Vermilionville. (Unfortunately we missed the catfish cookoff.) But we did get to explore the history of the area with a tour that took us back in time. The highlights are on the next page. Click to check it out.