A Message from our Chairman…

Welcome to the 52nd annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival! I am Lou Ann Ragan LeBlanc, and it is an honor to be the 2024 Chairman of this wonderful festival.  The Strawberry Festival Board and I have been working very hard to make this festival the “Berry” best for you and your family.

Ponchatoula is my hometown where I was born and raised.  My love for strawberries runs very deep, all the way back to the 1930’s when my great grandparents raised strawberries.  I am the daughter of the late Clarence “Little Spike” and Delores “Teta” Hebert Ragan.  I am very blessed to be married to my wonderful husband, Braville LeBlanc, for 36 years.  God has blessed us with two wonderful sons, Dr. Joshua LeBlanc, and Tyler LeBlanc.  He has also blessed us with a beautiful daughter-in-law, Cali Sbisa LeBlanc.

Volunteering and giving back to my community have always been important to me and my family.  I served many years as Room Mom at both St. Joseph and Holy Ghost Catholic Schools.  While Room Mom, I served on the Fair and School Boards at both.  I served two years as Co-Chairman of the St. Joseph School Fair and Co-Chairman of the rides for Holy Ghost Parish Fair.  I have been a member of the Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce since 2006 and served as Vice President for two years.  I’ve been on the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Board for 11 years.  My duties on the board have consisted of Photographer, Royalty Coordinator, Historian, Chairman-Elect and now as Chairman.  My pride and joy of volunteering is being a part of the Strawberry Festival Board.  It is a feeling like no other when you are helping your strawberry farmers, nonprofit organizations, and community to prosper.

On behalf of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Board, we would like to thank you for visiting and helping us to celebrate the Strawberry Festival year after year!  You and your family are going to have a great time making “Berry” wonderful memories together at our festival.  Thank you for supporting our strawberry industry, our local farmers, our nonprofit organizations, and our community.  We have so much to offer, and we are excited to share it with you.  We hope that you enjoy our little town but remember to make it down to the official festival grounds which are located at Memorial Park and North 6th Street leading to the festival grounds.  Along the way you will pass our nonprofit groups serving you with lots of good food, drinks, daquiris and more.  Stop and visit our farmers located on Farmers Row and purchase strawberries, jellies and jams picked and prepared fresh by our local farmers.  Make sure to look for the official booth certificate when making your purchases as this ensures that you are supporting our local farmers and nonprofits along with our local community.  Come listen to our awesome bands making up our entertainment schedule that we hand-picked just for you!

You’ll find everything Strawberry along the way, including the best rides, music, and entertainment around.  We know that you will have the BERRY best time!  Thanks again for visiting our festival.

Lou Ann Ragan LeBlanc