It's fair time in Vernon Parish and the Leesville Lions Club Rodeo is a main attraction every year at the West Louisiana Forestry Festival.

A new sound system and instant replay monitor are among some of the changes at this year's rodeo, but the club's decision to allow alcohol sales for the first time ever was met with some concern by local pastors.

Pastor Jack Osteen, president of the Leesville Area Ministerial Alliance (LAMA) questioned the morality of alcohol sales at a family event. The group met privately with members of the Lions Club on Monday and invited them to a LAMA meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Alcohol will only be available Saturday night. The Lions Club shared details of the plan while Pastor Osteen and others asked them to reconsider. In the end, the two groups cordially agreed to disagree.

"We just got wind of this as pastors this past Sunday," said Osteen, also a pastor at Leesville First Assembly of God.

Although the Lions Club voted on it at the end of August, Osteen said he was only made aware after getting calls and messages about it from residents, faith and community leaders.

"As the church of Vernon Parish and the voice of the people in Vernon Parish, we felt like we needed to address this issue."

But the Lions Club said another revenue source was needed for the rodeo, their largest fundraiser that supports the Lions Club Summer Camp of disabled children.

Lions Club treasurer Logan Morris said the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned event has an overhead cost of $90,000 before the rodeo even begins. "The Leesville Lions Club is not selling alcohol at the Vernon Parish Fair," clarified Morris. "It is only within the rodeo arena on Saturday evening and it is only low content so beer and wine only."

Pastor Osteen proposed an alternative at LAMA's Wednesday meeting.

"Our association would personally raise the funds for them to offset the cost by taking up additional offerings this coming Sunday."

However, beer and wine will be available Saturday night as planned.

The rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. Alcohol will only be sold at a designated location at the arena marked with orange and white flags.

The Lions Club said underage volunteers at the forestry festival will not be working at the booth.

Customers will be asked for ID's and given a wrist band to keep track of consumption.