The Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival last weekend featured plenty of different events for people of all ages.

One of the events occurred Saturday morning — the 5K race.

The event was a total success, as more than 180 runners and walkers of all ages took their mark for the 3.1-mile event in Cassidy Park.

The event organizers said it was successful beyond expectation.

Andre Walker was the overall male winner with a time of 18 minutes, 12 seconds, and Janelle Johnson ran a 23:50 to capture the overall female title.

It was just one of the many events that helped make the festival so successful.

The festival also featured performances on both stages, parish high school bands opening the festival with a parade around the park, opening ceremonies, the Native American and Pioneer Museums, canoeing on the Bogue Lusa Creek, a kids’ zone, a drumming circle, Cajun Canvas art classes and a harmonica workshop with the Crescent City Harmonica Club. Also, Greyhawk Perkins shared stories of local Native Americans. Children were also able to learn Bogalusa train history in the Pioneer Museum and could get tickets to ride a train around Cassidy Park.

Overall, it was a wonderful event that was made possible by many volunteers and organizers.

It showed once again how great a city Bogalusa is, and how great Washington Parish is.