Popular Nederland Heritage Festival returns

One of the most anticipated festivals of the year welcomes thousands of friends and neighbors of Southeast Texas to the annual Nederland Heritage Festival, which is held in the heart of Nederland on March 15-20 and features fun, entertainment, music, crafts and carnival rides, as well as a delicious array of fair food.

With last year’s NHF being canceled due to the COVID pandemic, festival goers are chomping at the bit to return as more than 1,800 Passports to Fun were sold out in record time.

The festival grounds are located at 1523 Boston Ave. (or near the Dutch windmill). This family-friendly event is dedicated to providing a safe, secure environment for mom, dad, the kids, seniors – all segments of the community, and not just the fine folks of Mid County. No alcoholic beverages are sold at the festival or allowed on the premises. Parking and admittance into the festival are free.

Festival goers will see new additions to the Gold Star Amusement carnival including Vertigo, which is a suspended swing that takes riders 60-feet-high in the sky, and the Wacky Worm roller coaster.

What’s to eat? We are glad you asked.

More than 20 area nonprofits will be cooking and serving up burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, fried cheese, chicken strips, chicken and sausage gumbo, Monte Cristo sandwiches, popcorn shrimp, boudain on a stick, shrimp etouffee, corn on the cob, Scottish eggs, funnel cakes, fried moon pies, ice cream floats, fried bacon, strawberry shortcake, pork kabobs, fried boudain balls, smoked turkey legs, Mexican corn, waffles on a stick, pizza, fried Oreos, cheesecake on a stick and flavored teas, just to name a few.

NHF gets underway Tuesday, March 15, from 4-11 p.m. A special $30 armband allows you to ride all your favorites as many times as you want on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The armband can be purchased at any ticket booth inside the carnival. Performing on stage will be Zydeco favorite Cajun Harmony at 7 p.m.

Festival hours will be the same (4-11 p.m.) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The musical act on Wednesday is Spellbound (7 p.m.); popular acoustic duo Curse & The Cure will play Thursday at 7 p.m.; and Donice Morace will take the stage Friday at 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 19, will see a full day of events beginning with the chili cook-off at 8 a.m. near 13th Street and Boston Avenue. Cups for unlimited tasting can be purchased for $3. The popular NHF Parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. starting at 21st Street and Nederland Avenue and proceeding east on Nederland Avenue to 12th Street to Boston Avenue.

There will also be a motorcycle and car show, crawfish races, petting zoo, which includes kangaroos and lemurs, and much more.

The Craft & Collectable Market will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon – 5 p.m. on Sunday. It features one of the largest craft markets in the area with more than 100 vendors.

Carnival hours for Saturday are 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday musical entertainment includes local party band, The Big Show, at 7 p.m.

The finale is set for Sunday, March 17, with the carnival open from noon – 6 p.m. The exciting crawfish races return at noon along with a washer tournament beginning at 2 p.m. Registration is $20 and open to all ages and teams. Prizes will be award for first and second place.

The scheduling couldn’t have been any better. Many local school districts will be on Spring Break during the week including Nederland, Port Neches-Groves, Port Arthur Memorial and Beaumont ISD, in addition to Lamar University.

The NHF will also host a treasure hunt beginning Monday, March 14. Clues will be posted daily at the Nederland Police Station until the treasure is found or Sunday, March 20, at 6.p.m. No daily prizes will be awarded, but the winner receives a $500 treasure.

Proceeds from the festival are put right back into the community. The funds become part of the Nederland Heritage Festival Foundation, which in turn uses the proceeds to benefit the community. Each year the foundation donates money to the police and fire departments, city parks, the city library and other entities that benefit the people of Nederland.

For more information, call (409) 724-2269 or view nederlandhf.org.