Founded originally as a grassroots organization promoting local music, Poor Pony Inc. is now a charitable entity dedicated to improving the quality of life in Southwest Louisiana by supporting and promoting not only music but also the art and culture of the area.
“We are trying to really look at what we have here,” said Victoria Bradford, Poor Pony CEO and cofounder, at Wednesday’s meeting of the Sulphur Kiwanis Club.
“We’re about all of Southwest Louisiana.”
The idea for the group originally came about in response to hearing people complain about a lack of things to do in the local area in comparison to places like Austin or Lafayette. Bradford believed it to be otherwise, but she felt that the area didn’t seem to know how to market itself. She also knew that the people in those cities went out and made things happen.
“They weren’t entitled,” said Bradford, “They didn’t wait around. They got excited and involved.”
“There are amazing things here to offer.”
Bradford also realized the growing importance of local economies and the need for people to have less expensive options nearby for entertainment. She also hoped to bring divergent groups of the community together.
“We see music as a gateway for that type of opportunity,” said Bradford. 
Last year the group held their first Pony Fest. Originally intended to be a launch party for their website www.poorpony.com, it became a showcase of music, the arts and culture in the lake area. And this year’s Fest should prove to be an even bigger success.
Pony Fest 2008 is scheduled for October 31 to November 2. It opens with a kid-friendly Halloween party, the Monster Mash Bash, on Friday, October 31, from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. The hours for Saturday, November 1, are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, November 2, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival will feature bluegrass, rock, Cajun, funk, folk and hip hop bands at Central School Theatre. Bands include the Red Stick Ramblers, Eleisha Eagle, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Wendy Colonna, Ashes of Babylon, Dappled Grays, Susan Cowsill Band, The Vettes, Dash Riprock, Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys, Magnolia Sons, Josh Garrett and the Bottomline, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, and Big Sam’s Funky Nation.
There will also be food, collaborative art and public art projects on the grounds of Central School.
Green Space, a partnership with the Coastal Plain Conservancy, will highlight the region’s native plant life through lectures, literature and activities at the festival.
The events are free and all kid-friendly.
The festival is also part of Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu’s World Cultural Economic Forum October Passport Events. It is a showcase of Louisiana’s unique cultural assets across the state, allowing the state to build cultural economic development opportunities with cultural ambassadors and leaders around the world. Pony Fest 2008 is a representative the Southwest Louisiana contingency of the state, and the only event featured from last year as well, according to Bradford.
“Get out of your neighborhood and see what we have,” said Bradford.
“It’s not just about the one festival. There’s a larger mission at stake here.”