With a new trailhead and playground to celebrate, the town of Abita Springs will revive its Water Festival this year.

The event will be held Saturday in conjunction with the official grand opening and ribbon cutting for the trailhead and park.

“The Water Festival has a long history in the town as a good, family festival for Abitians to attend,” Mayor Pro Tem Sheri Campbell said. The festival, which used to be a major event in the small town, stopped some years ago after being taken over by Fire District 8 and converted to what is now the much larger, Crawfish Festival, which is held in the spring.

Gowland said now that the town has the new park and trailhead area and the Crawfish Festival has moved to the C. J. Finn Ballpark, the town has decided to bring back the festival, which has traditionally been held in the fall.

A highlight of the festival will include the official introduction of this year’s Abita Springs Citizen of the Year. For the first time the town has opted to honor a couple with the award, and Betty and Calvin Cognevich will be special honorees at the festival.

The event will include music all day provided by local Abita Springs Bands, including The Grocery Clerk, The Leisure Kings, The Abita Stumps and Coconut Willie and the Excuses.

Christian Serpas and Ghost Town will be the headlining band, finishing out the night.

The music is being provided by the Abita Opry through a grant it received from the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs and the Louisiana Division of the Arts.

“Since we have a wonderful trailhead area and park we wanted to rejuvenate our little small town festival,” Bryan Gowland, Abita Opry director, said.

The festival will be held from 11 to 6 p.m. at the park area. Admission will be free of charge.

Local non-profits as well as small commercial vendors will have booths set up selling food and wares.