Maypole alive and well in Beaumont, Texas

My father once bragged that he refused to do the Maypole at his elementary school spring function and I've always wondered what that entailed and just why he objected. Then I participated in one at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge and had a blast. Guess it's not much of a guy thing, but if that's the case today's men should forgo the macho attitude and partake. 

You can dance the Maypole in Beaumont this month, on May 13 at the Beaumont Botanical Gardens. This free, third annual event  will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and families can wander through the gardens, feed the koi, meet local artists and even encounter a mystical fairy or two along the way, according to the city's press release.  The blessing of the crops and the wrapping of the Maypole with multicolored ribbons by young Beaumont dancers will begin at 4:30. There will be food and drinks available from food trucks.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.