Don Molino has spent decades behind the mic reporting on agriculture — but last fall, he took on a new role: royalty.
The longtime farm broadcaster and senior voice of the Louisiana Radio Network was named King of the 70th Louisiana Cotton Festival, a beloved tradition in Ville Platte, Louisiana, honoring the region’s deep agricultural roots.
“I’ve never been treated so nice by a bunch of folks,” Molino said. “They just could not do enough nice stuff for us, and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
The Louisiana Cotton Festival began in Ville Platte in 1953, when the area was a major cotton-producing region. Though cotton is no longer grown in the town today, the festival remains a vibrant celebration of agricultural heritage.
Molino said past kings have included governors, politicians and community leaders. He was humbled to be asked.
“I’m told they had wanted me to be king for several years and just didn’t get around to asking me until this past summer,” he said. “To this day, I’m still amazed when people say, ‘Oh man, I listen to you on the radio all the time.’ It just blows my mind—and makes me feel good.”
Though the festival honors cotton specifically, Molino said the broader message is about valuing agriculture in all forms.
“It’s because agriculture in itself is important to that part of the state,” he said. “There’s still sugar cane, rice, soybeans—just not cotton like there used to be. But everyone was so proud of the cotton industry from way back when, they wanted to keep honoring it.”
His reign as king included a coronation, parades, and a Sunday church procession through a historic Catholic church in Ville Platte. The festival concluded with music and dancing under the stars.
Molino said the experience was unforgettable.
“I don’t think there was one favorite part. It was all my favorite part,” he said. “The whole thing was just really a thrill.”
For Molino, who grew up picking and hoeing cotton by hand in Texas, the honor held a personal significance.
“It’s the hardest work you can possibly imagine,” he said. So, I have a special affinity for cotton. To be involved with the Louisiana Cotton Festival as its king—I guess you’d say it’s kind of a crowning glory.”
