Step Back in Time: The 1964 Easter Egg Festival! 🐣

Easter Egg Festival draws crowds in 1964

Contestants in the guinea egg knocking tournament gather for the competition during the 1964 Marksville Easter Egg Festival. Lones Dauzat of Marksville, left, captured first place after previously winning the chicken egg division the year before. Burnell Lemoine of Marksville finished as runner up, while Richard Neyland of New Orleans placed third.

Winners in the egg knocking division of the Marksville Easter Egg Festival pose following the competition in this 1964 Weekly News photo. Pictured from left are: Allen Ducote Sr. of Cottonport, who won first place in the chicken egg division, Louise Whitfield of Metairie, runner up, and Miss Faye Chatelain of Cocoville, third place. The event drew competitors from several communities.

Douglas McKay of Effie reacts after his goose egg is cracked during the "battle of the largest goose eggs" contest at the 1964 Easter Egg Festival in Marksville.

The unusual competition drew large crowds and revived an old tradition of egg knocking during the community celebration.

To submit any Avoyelles Parish history from the past, email photo, information and contact news@avoyellestoday.com or come by the newspaper office at 208 N. Washington St. in Marksville.