Bonnie and Clyde Festival Kicks Off Today
The town of Gibsland turns back the clock this weekend as it revisits the 1930s and the mark made by the infamous outlaw duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow on this rural community.
Just the facts:
Festival Dates: Friday 5-20 & Saturday 5-21
Highlights Friday
Booths open at 1 pm
Live Music from Don Miley 6 -8 pm
Meeting of Historians & Crime Buffs 6 pm @ Gibsland Grill
Saturday Highlights
Pancake Breakfast 8 - 10 am
Live Entertainment begins @ 9 am
Bonnie and Clyde Look-a-Like Contest 11 am
Parade at Noon
Shootouts 1, 2, 3 and 4:30
The Authentic Bonnie and Clyde Festival begins today and continues Saturday with plenty of the standard festival fare such as arts, crafts and food. But it also offers recreations of the shootout that ended the couple's life and made headlines across the globe.
It was on May 23, 1934, that Bonnie and Clyde ate their last meal at Ma Canfield's Café in Gibsland and headed to their hideout. Nine miles southwest of the town on Highway 154, six law enforcement officers waited in the brush and pumped more than 100 bullets into their car, ending a trail of murders and robberies tied to the young outlaws.
Festival organizers say their aim is not to glamorize Bonnie and Clyde, but to honor the Bienville Parish sheriff, his chief deputy and four Texas lawmen who put their lives on the line to end the couple's careers. The dedication of all law enforcement officers also will be recognized as Capt. Tom Madden, state police Troop G commander, will serve as the parade marshal on Saturday.
Vendors will set up booths beginning at 1 p.m. today. The kick-off event is a gathering of historians and crime buffs at 6 p.m. at Gibsland Grill. Admission is $10 and includes a meal of jambalaya, salad, dessert and tea, and presentation by Ken Holmes, a Dallas historian and co-owner of the Ambush Museum, and other guest speakers.
Saturday begins with a pancake breakfast, live entertainment, Bonnie and Clyde look-alike contests, a parade featuring cars, floats, motorcycles, dancing and several different shoot-out recreations.
The gangster group Public Enemies will dress in period clothing and drive antique automobiles as they present five shootouts based on actual events tied to Bonnie and Clyde.
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