Fundraiser, holidays events highlight weekend in St. Landry Parish

    Geno Delafose, Keith Frank, Patrick Henry and Liberation and other zydeco and R&B performers entertain Thursday, Dec. 8 at the third annual Coup de Main (Helping Hand), a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Opelousas. The benefit concert is from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday in the Events Center at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino.
    More than 150 children were affected when the club’s Opelousas location closed earlier this year because of a budget shortfall. Admission to the fundraiser is $10 and all proceeds go to the club. For more information, call Dustin Cravins at (337) 594-3137. 

Geno Delafose

    Other events going on in St. Landry Parish include: 

• Enjoy Christmas sounds at the Noel concert by the Eunice Choir and Concert Band at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The Fine Arts Council of Eunice presents an arts exhibit. Admission is $5, $2 for children. (337) 457-1776, www.eccbc.org. 
• Floats, marching bands, cartoon characters and Santa Claus will participate in the Children’s Christmas Parade at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Opelousas. The parade starts near St. Landry Catholic Church on North Main Street and ends on Cresswell Lane. (337) 948-2589. 
• The Avoyelles Parish Choir presents a Christmas Concert at 6 p.m. Saturday at St. John’s Church in Washington. A wine and cheese reception is from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Saturday. The town’s 13th annual Christmas parade is 7 p.m. Friday. (337) 826-3626. 
• The town of Port Barre holds its first Christmas parade at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The parade will start on Willow Street by Frisco Motorworks and end at the American Legion Hall. (337) 585-7646. 
• Ganey Arsement and the LakeSide Gamblers entertain at the weekly Rendez-Vous des Cajun radio and TV show at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The LakeSide Gamblers Trio opens the show. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com. 
• Art Noel takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Glass Porch Gallery, 28 MLK Drive, in Grand Coteau. Featured art includes clay sculptures of musicians and chefs by Sunset artist Annie Hendrix and Charla Guidry’s fused glass and wind chimes, along with found object fish and wall art by Trish Ransom of Grand Coteau. 
• Kelli Foret signs copies of her new book, Acadian Art Trail: The Essential Guide to Finding Local Art in Cajun Country, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Chapelle Country Store at Le Village, 121 Seale Lane, in Eunice. (337) 457-3573. 

    In ongoing events, Gray R. Steckler’s oil and acrylic art exhibit continues through Dec. 30 at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, 315 N. Main St., in downtown Opelousas. A St. Landry Parish resident and retired attorney, Steckler has created art that has been shown in galleries, museums and libraries throughout the state. Call (337) 948-2589 for details.
    For more information on all these events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Follow us on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish.