First Louisiana Twinfest has Houma seeing double, raises money for charity

Thousands flocked to Louisiana Twinfest to raise money for foster care children.

The inaugural Twinfest Louisiana drew thousands to downtown Houma for music, games and food April 6. The festival was a celebration dedicated to twins, multiples and those who grew up in foster care. One set of twins said they were surprised there were so many twins.

"I never knew how many twins were in Houma," Hailey Gilmore said. "And everybody is proud of it, so they dressed the same."

Gilmore was with her twin sister, Kaily Robert. The two said they had seen about 20 other sets of twins, and it was only about an hour and a half into the festival. They were sitting down with some food from a local food truck. There were about 10 lining Main Street, inviting the crowds with their savory smells.

Being a twin, Gilmore said, was a bond built on looking out for one another's well being. It may look supernatural, but it's just built on knowing each other thoroughly, Robert said.

"You always have a best friend. It can be annoying at times," she said. "I wouldn't say twin telepathy, but I know how her brain works. I know what she's thinking. I know how she feels most of the time based on the situation we are in… I know this is how I can react so she feels comfortable."

The festival was set up by Sherry and Cherry Wilmore, activists and social media personalities known as "Everybody's Favorite Twins." Cherry said that, according to the unofficial numbers, about 2,500 people showed up. The festival raised money for their nonprofit, which aims to help foster care children.

The festival is planned to be their main fundraiser each year. This year they raised about $40,000, before expenses. Whatever the final number is, Cherry said, it will go toward their yearly donation of laptops to college-bound foster children. A mission the two have been doing since 2020.

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Cherry said she and her sister chose twins as the theme of the festival because it cuts across political, social and cultural boundaries. It worked. Attendees ranged from teens to people in their 80s. They came from the east and west side of Houma, from up and down the bayou, neighboring parishes and Texas.

"It was amazing," Cherry said. "So many people were commenting to us about how remarkable it was to see so many different races and cultures and ages in the courthouse square and in downtown Houma interacting with each other and having a good time. That was everything because that was an underlying theme of Twinfest."

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Louisiana Twinfest celebrates multiple, raises money for foster care children