FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2006

Hancock Bank to present 17th annual Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival

MADISONVILLE, LA (October 17, 2006) - This weekend, October 21-22, 2006, thousands of wooden boat devotees and regional music fans will gather on the banks of the Tchefuncte River as 107-year-old Hancock Bank presents the 17th annual Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival along Water Street in scenic downtown Madisonville. This is Hancock Bank's fourth consecutive year as presenting sponsor for the event. Benefiting the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum (LPBMM) - a public, non-profit regional research and education repository of information and artifacts commemorating the Lower Mississippi River Basin's rich maritime legacy, the festival spotlights classic wooden boat craftsmanship, pleasure vessels, and local heritage.

The two-day celebration also features one-of-a-kind artwork, a literal and figurative gumbo of Gulf Coast cuisine, a popular Quick-N-Dirty amateur boat-building contest and race, a children's village, and musical entertainment throughout the event. New attractions this year include a classic car show and model yacht sailing hosted by the local Victoria Regatta Club.

This year's bands include Four Unplugged, the Sanchez Twins, Soul Revival, Son of A Sailor, Five Finger Discount, Redline, and Bernie Cyrus & After Midnight.

Tickets for the festival are $8.00 at the gate or $5.00 if purchased in advance from the museum or at these selected Hancock Bank of Louisiana financial centers:

Southshore

• 4545 Veterans Boulevard - Metairie
• 500 Veterans Boulevard - Metairie
• 5600 Jefferson Highway, Building C-1 - Jefferson
• 4041 Williams Boulevard, Suite A-10 - Kenner

Northshore

• 1300 North Highway 190 - Covington
• 2929 Highway 190 - Mandeville
• 1411 Gause Boulevard - Slidell

Baton Rouge Area

• 2600 CitiPlace Drive - Baton Rouge
• 523 Florida Avenue, S.W. - Denham Springs

Hammond Area

• 1855 South Morrison - Hammond
• 120 South Oak Street - Hammond
• 2035 West Thomas Street - Hammond
• 960 West Pine Street - Pontchatoula
• 29435 South Montpelier Road - Albany
• 583 West Railroad Avenue - Independence
• 54025 Highway 1062 - Loranger
• 27373 LA Highway 42 - Springfield

For more information about the LPBMM and the Wooden Boat Festival, readers can visit the museum at 133 Mabel Drive in Madisonville, log on to www.lpbmaritimemuseum.org, or call (985) 845-9200.

Hancock Holding Company (NASDAQ: HBHC) - the parent company of Hancock Bank of Louisiana, Hancock Bank (Mississippi), and Hancock Bank of Florida - has assets of $6.26 billion. Hancock Bank stands among the strongest, safest financial institutions in the United States and is the only financial services company headquartered in the Gulf South to rate among the top 20 percent of America's top performing banks. Additional corporate information or on-line banking and bill pay services is available online.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION
R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
228.563.7953 or paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com