The City of Rayne and the Rayne Chamber of Commerce are gearing up for November 2nd and their celebration for Old Spanish Trail Day! Saturday, November 2nd will be the 4th Annual Old Spanish Trail Day Celebration – you can find everyone down at the Rayne Depot Square from 9:00am – 2:00pm. The OST Committee has been working hard organizing a day full of exhibitions, historic discussions, live music and much much more!
The Old Spanish Trail Auto Highway (U.S. 90) is considered by many to be the Route 66 of the South. The roadway runs from Saint Augustine, Florida, to San Diego, California. Under the auspices of the OST100 organization located in San Antonio, Texas, Rayne became the first “Official OST City” in the nation in 2016.
Check out chamber member, Dr. Eddie Palmer in this recent interview discussing the history of the Old Spanish Trail in Acadia Parish!
LISA SOILEAUX, RAYNE ACADIAN-TRIBUNE
The historic downtown area of Rayne will be the setting the weekend of Saturday, Nov. 2, for the fourth annual official Old Spanish Trail Celebration in Rayne, the first city in the nation named an OST City. Come “pass a good time” at The Depot Square (corner of Highways 90 and 35) and the surrounding downtown areas where history will be celebrated, events will be enjoyed and displays will be observed.
As announced by Chairman Eddie Palmer and OST Committee members, this year’s event is hoping to be bigger and better with the addition of more participants, historic discussions and memorabilia for all. Focal point of the day-long celebration of the fourth anniversary of when Rayne was designated the first official “Old Spanish Trail City” in the entire nation will be The Depot Square between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. On the grounds of The Depot Square will be a number of exhibits and displays depicting the history of the OST, along with food, refreshments, music and dancing. In addition to the antique and vintage car display, food vendors, displays, memorabilia, music, arts and crafts and demonstrations featuring transportation relics and frontier themes. A number of special displays and presentations will be enjoyed at The Bank near the former Mervine Kahn building where special oldies — but goodies — will be on display, along with an historical slide presentation of yesteryear provided by Tony Olinger. Historic discussions are also on the agenda, along with a documentary film, exhibitions and highlights of the past.
Drive about, cruise around and drive in” to the special reserved parking area for participants on the 200 block of East Louisiana Ave. just across the railroad tracks from The Depot Square (in front of The Warehouse Event Center, the original Mervine Kahn warehouse).
The committee is calling on all antique and vintage cars, trucks and machines to participate. Contact Palmer at epalmer@bellsouth.net or call (337)232-9320 or (337)334-2234. Drivers and passengers in the cars are being asked to dress in costumes corresponding to the year of their vehicle (not required).
Palmer and the OST Committee has been working tirelessly and planning a celebration that not only will be fun and entertaining for the entire family, but one that will recognize the historical and cultural significance of the Old Spanish Trail, which stretches nearly 3,000 miles across eight states in the southern area of the country from St. Augustine, Florida, to San Diego, California.
The event is free and open to the general public.
Program for Fourth Annual Old Spanish Trail(OST) Day Celebration
Saturday 2 November 2019
Historic Downtown Rayne, Louisiana
9:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony in Depot Square Music (Greg Mouton and the Louisiana Knights)
Begins After Opening Ceremony“OST Museum For A Day” Opens at “The Bank Event Center” 107 E. Louisiana Avenue
After Opening Ceremony Antique and Classic Cars Assembled on 200 Block of E. Louisiana
Tractors, Buggies, Antique Machines, Antique and Unique Bicycles, Assembled Beside Depot Square (Polk Street)
Items Below Take Place In “The Bank Event Center”
9:30-10:15 “Table Francaise” (Featuring sentences about the OST in French Translated to English) Ms. Jane Deville Matte
10:15-11:00 “Building the Old Spanish Trail Highway through Acadia Parish” Mr. Gene Thibodeaux
11:00-11:45 “Lost Louisiana: The Cattle Drives of Louisiana” Ms. Stella Carline Tanoos
11:45-12:30 “Creole Cowboys: Blazing Trails Then and Now” Dr. Elista Istre
12:30- 1:00 “Concluding Remarks: The OST and Official OST Cities” Dr. C. Eddie Palmer
2:00 The Museum for the Day Closes and the Fourth Annual OST Day Celebration End
