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LAPLACE — The steaming pot of gumbo that warms spirits on the first cold snap of the fall season was the inspiration behind the official 2022 Andouille Festival poster.

St. John the Baptist Parish artist Karin Douroux used acrylic paint on canvas to capture the essence of the festival season and the Andouille industry. A smokehouse, sprouting stalks of sugarcane and a sky full of music notes come together to define what makes the region unique.

Douroux’s poster also incorporates elements of art classes she leads through the Parks & Recreation Department in both St. John and St. Charles parishes. The fire in the smokehouse is identical to a campfire project she helped children create last fall, while the gumbo pot is visually similar to the crawfish pots that were the focus of her spring art class.

Douroux was joined by St. John Parish President Jaclyn Hotard, Marathon Petroleum representatives, the Andouille Festival Queens and other stakeholders as the 2022 poster was unveiled last Thursday. It was the official start of the long-awaited Andouille Festival season, returning October 14-16, 2022 to the Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park after a two-year hiatus.

Hotard expressed her excitement for this year’s festival as St. John Parish rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida.

“It has been an unprecedented two years filled with many challenges and although Hurricane Ida recovery is still ongoing, we look forward to coming together on this weekend to celebrate great food, rides, music and more,” Hotard said.

Douroux hopes her poster will serve as a reminder of good times on the horizon.

“Especially now, after the storm and with the festival being on hiatus for so many years now, I think everyone is looking forward to doing something fun, something normal,” Douroux said. “I think we are all ready for that excitement with the food, the fun, music and friends to be back in our lives. It’s just a great bonding experience for our community.”

Douroux has been an art educator in the River Parishes for the past 20 years. She’s loved visual art since she was a child, and that passion has reflected in every job she’s had, from jewelry making to graphic design and education. Prior to holding art and painting workshops in St. John Parish, she spent 17 years as an art teacher at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic School in LaPlace.

“It’s part of who I am, and I love sharing my love of art with St. John Parish,” Douroux said.

Posters order forms are now available at www.andouillefestival.com or at the St. John the Baptist Parish Government Complex. Follow the Andouille Festival – St. John the Baptist Parish on Facebook and Instagram for updates.