LOCAL

Gray Monkey Parade slated for March 31 at Bayou Plaquemine Waterfront Park

Staff Report

Just over two weeks remain until one of Plaquemine’s longstanding traditions rolls out its 38^th annual event.

Kids and parents will line the Bayou Plaquemine Waterfront Park area March 31 for Gray Monkey Parade.

The Gray Monkey parade will roll in Plaquemine on March 31.

This year’s festivities will begin at 10 a.m., when the parade kicks off at Foundry Street.

“All Together Now!” (Kindness and Friendship) will be the theme for this year’s parade.

The parade is geared toward children ages 0-5.

Other festivities will include a magic show, petting zoo, hoop jam and more.

While this year marks the 38^th annual celebration, it’s the 77^th annual running when traced back to the roots of the event.The celebration goes back to the 1940s as a Mardi Gras parade created by Plaquemine Elementary School teacher Lolita Daigre, who coordinated the event from its inception until her retirement in the early 1980s.

Kindergartens and pre-schools throughout the Plaquemine area rode by wagon through the large crowd of paradegoers. For information and to register, call the Iberville Parish Library at (225) 687-2520, or send an e-mail to graymonkey@myipl.org.