Corn and community pride define life in rural Bunkie
Corn grows tall on the outskirts of Bunkie. The crop has backed the town’s economy for a long time, and, before that, the railroad bolstered Bunkie’s industry. But today, the population is aging, and the community is having difficulty bringing in new residents. “In our area, Bunkie can be the hardest to sell,” says Realtor Jamie Ponthier with Keller Williams Cenla Partners, who was born and raised in town. “There’s no work, and about 70% of the houses are rentals.” But the Avoyelles Parish community of about 5,000 is still proud, and they celebrate their fields full of stalks on the second weekend of June every year during the Louisiana Corn Festival. Plus, Lafayette is within reach, potentially attracting folks who work in the city but want a sense of small-town seclusion. “Bunkie is about an hour drive from Lafayette, and a lot of people like that they can shoot down there for work without having to live in the thick of it all,” Ponthier says.
Historic depot and corn festival highlight Bunkie’s local pride
The train still chugs through Bunkie, and the old depot is now the Bunkie Chamber of Commerce, which features a small museum cataloging the town’s history. The chamber of commerce also hosts the annual Louisiana Corn Festival, celebrating the plant’s impact on the local economy. The event features corn eating, shucking and cooking contests, as well as an annual state-wide softball tournament, live music, carnival rides and more.
Older homes sell through landlords and succession sales
Small cottages and ranch-style homes sit on gridded, sidewalk-lined streets. For under $100,000, buyers can find a house needing significant repairs, while move-in-ready properties range in price from $170,000 to $290,000. “Most of the homes that go up for sale are deceased succession stuff,” Ponthier says. “A lot of it is private through different landlords that sell in bulk.”
Gator Grounds and Chicot Park provide year-round recreation
Gator Grounds is a family-friendly destination. With heated pools, splash areas, playground, fishing pond and on-site golf course, it caters to all ages. About 18 miles southwest, Chicot State Park spans over 6,400 acres. A hiking trail circles the park’s Lake Chicot, which is known for yielding large numbers of fish. The park has three landings. The South Landing features cabins, playgrounds, a fishing pier, a boat launch and a dock with boat rentals. A scenic drive links it to the North Landing, where there are also campsites and a boat launch, as well as a 400-foot fishing pier. The East Landing is the least developed of the three, with a boat launch, a dock and a barbecue pavilion. The park is also home to the Louisiana State Arboretum, with education programs in its outdoor classroom and over 600 acres of beech-magnolia forest. About 26 miles northeast, Spring Bayou State Wildlife Management Area sits on about 12,500 acres, nearly half of which are water. Hiking trails lead through hardwood forests filled with tall oaks. On the forest floor, holly and hawthorn grow. Hunting is permitted in season, and fishing, boating and waterskiing are popular in the spring and summer.
Main Street offers vintage shopping, casual dining and groceries
Main Street in Bunkie features a sidewalk-lined strip of small storefronts. Griffin’s Antiques & Main Street Market is the cornerstone of this area. The eclectic shop sells various new and vintage items, from rustic home goods and artwork to cards and magnets. The store doubles as a restaurant and bakery, with a menu featuring sandwiches, breakfast biscuits and salads, as well as a clear pie case and homemade milkshakes. Nearby, Bunkie Pizza Shack is a cozy spot popular for casual dinners, while Bernice’s Sandwich Shop, a modest eatery where patrons walk up to an outdoor window and order, specializes in burgers and po-boys. Griffin’s Service Station is a blast from the past. An attendant pumps the gas for visitors, and an old blue Chevrolet sits on the roof. To grocery shop, there’s a Lyons Market in town, and Bunkie General Hospital is in town.
Zoned for Avoyelles Parish Public Schools district
Students attend Avoyelles Parish Public Schools. Bunkie Elementary School educates kindergarten to sixth-grade students and gets a C-plus from Niche. Bunkie High School gets a B and offers many clubs, from Yearbook to 4-H, a traditionally agricultural program. St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School is also in town and educates kindergarten to eighth-grade students. Niche does not grade the school.
Walkable layout with highway access to nearby cities
Bunkie is walkable with a gridded street pattern and a network of sidewalks. U.S. Route 71, or Main Street, cuts through the center of the community and leads to other small towns in the region. Alexandria is about 38 miles north, Lafayette is about 57 miles south and Baton Rouge is 82 miles southeast. For air travel, Alexandria International Airport is about 46 miles north.
Written By
Adreanna DeMarino
