The menu will include grilled buffalo, deer sausage jambalaya, smoked pork, rock shrimp, barbecued ribs and just about any kind of chicken you can imagine. And that’s just a sampling of the early entries in the Cassidy Park Cook-Off and BBQ, which will be held in conjunction with the Grand Reopening of the park’s Museum of Indian Culture Saturday, Oct. 3.

From 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. the park will be the site of all kinds of fun and educational opportunities.

Lots of events advertise themselves as having “something for everyone,” but this could very well be the real deal.

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Any of a number of its components would be expected to draw interest from miles around, and there are plenty of components.

During the reopening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors will not only get a chance to check out the re-worked museum, they will be virtually immersed in Native American culture.

There will be a Pow-wow complete with traditional Choctaw dancing and drumming, a Stone Age Weaponry workshop, canoe rides on the Bogue Lusa Creek and much more.

Chitimacha basket weavers Scarlett and John Darden will demonstrate their skills as they have done at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. Chitimacha baskets are highly regarded and sought by collectors of Native American crafts, according to Millicent Canter, museums director. Scarlett was taught her craft by her grandmothers, both famous weavers, she said.

John is also a tribal linguist who teaches the children of the Chitimacha tribe, and during the reopening ceremonies, he will offer a blessing in the Chitimacha language.

Although Bogalusa is a Choctaw area, the museum goal is to tell the stories of all Louisiana Native American peoples, said Canter.

Tom Colvin of Mandeville, a recognized authority on Louisiana Indians and whose work has been included in Smithsonian exhibits, will also be on site to demonstrate how to build a dugout canoe. Colvin also makes palmetto baskets from local materials, and teaches wooden boat building and conducts workshops at the new Maritime Museum in Madisonville.

Trained dogs will provide a different sort of entertainment, and a herpetological group will be on-site with a variety of snakes, said Johni Miles, committee chair. A NKota Indian breed horse will also be on display.

Canter said the Indian Museum gift shop will be open with affordable items for children to purchase, and vendors outside will add to the attraction for people who want to shop. Items like dream catchers, flutes, bows and arrows, gar jewelry and bead jewelry will be available for purchase.

The vendors will include Margo Rosas, a part Native American craftsperson from Lacombe who uses natural materials and processes to fashion beaded jewelry, leather pouches and belts, and other distinctive and unusual items.

The reopening events are free of charge, and the craft booths will remain open until 6 p.m.

At 4 p.m. it will be time for everyone to follow their noses to the far side of the park, grab a plate and check out the competition in the Cook-off and BBQ which will continue until 7 p.m. Entry will cost $10, and children under 12 will get in free with an adult.

The menu is still in the works, but organizers promise beef, pork, seafood, wild game and lots of chicken. Sides like beans and salad will also be available, and live music will be provided by Paper Town.

For a complete schedule of the day’s activities and an updated menu, check out Wednesday’s Daily News.