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La Marque council splits over BayouFest; votes to pursue a new events plan with BTR collaboration
Summary
After hours of testimony and debate, La Marque's council on July 14 set a two‑track approach to the city's festivals: preserve a downtown October community event while directing the special events committee to negotiate a spring partnership with a private organizer that would use the BayouFest name in 2026.
La Marque council members spent more than two hours on July 14 debating the future of BayouFest (also called BioFest in materials), a long‑running fall community festival, and whether the city should partner with private organizers who proposed moving the BayouFest name to a spring event.
At the core of the debate were three competing priorities: (1) preserve the free, city‑run BayouFest in its traditional October slot and improve organization and funding; (2) allow an emerging private partner (BTR/BTR'related groups) to use the BayouFest name for a spring crawfish/barbecue event that has shown commercial appeal; or (3) reach a compromise that keeps downtown family events in October while moving a larger, ticketed spring event into March, supported by private sponsorships.
Several longtime volunteers and organizers spoke during citizen participation. Mark McGaffey described BioFest's…
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