OPELOUSAS, La. — Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser carried on a uniquely Louisiana tradition Tuesday, hosting his 10th annual “Pardoning of the Crawfish.”
The ceremony, held each year on the first Tuesday after Mardi Gras since 2017, playfully spares one crawfish from the boil pot while celebrating the state’s signature dish and the industry behind it.
This year’s pardoned crawfish was named Tony in honor of the late Tony Chachere, Louisiana seasoning legend and founder of Tony Chachere's Creole Foods in Opelousas, where the event took place.
The annual event, staged ahead of peak crawfish season, symbolically spares one crawfish from the boil while highlighting Louisiana’s seafood industry and festival culture.
Following the ceremony, the Louisiana Office of State Parks transported Tony to Chicot State Park in Ville Platte, where he will live out his days far from any backyard boil.
