It has been said that “irony is the foundation of comedy.” This may be the best explanation for the success of the “Duck Dynasty” TV show, featuring the Robertsons, the eccentric and much-beloved family from West Monroe, Louisiana. They are backwoods hunters and multi-millionaire executives. They are southern rednecks and college-educated business geniuses. They are bearded cavemen married to yup
pie babes. They are counter-cultural, non-conforming rebels who still pray before meals. Like the Robertson family itself, the cities of Monroe/West Monroe and the surrounding area are full of these striking ironies. You will be delighted by the incongruity of this small-town region that is home to the oldest continually-running symphony orchestra in Louisiana…and TWO world-class ballet companies! You will be struck by a “sportsman’s paradise” in the Louisiana delta that is the headquarters of CenturyLink, the third-largest hi-tech telecommunications company in the United States. You will be intrigued at how a far-flung city was able to develop and maintain the first and oldest public transportation system in the nation. You will be fascinated by a small region in a non-descript corner of the world inhabited by world-famous chefs, artists, singers, and authors. The man who first bottled Coca Cola lived here. No wonder the number one television show in America emanates from this place! So…breathe in the irony and enjoy becoming “part of our family.” Welcome to BeardFest! Welcome to Monroe/West Monroe! A place where everyone is “home.”
Toby Frost
Executive Director, BeardFest
