You Never Know What You’re Going to get at Louisiana Festivals
by Caroline Callais, Social Media Manager & Web Editor
Music for the Soul // Soul Project NOLA
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor New Orleans music is one of the jewels of the south. Inspired by the city’s rich cultural background, Soul Project NOLA has gathered great crowds everywhere they go. The group composed by six musicians has achieved its recognition playing a range of gigs, FROM THE STREETS OF NEW ORLEANS TO THE BIG STAGES OF MUSIC FESTIVALS. “Festivals are all about the interaction with people. It is the energy of New Orleans that drives the place,” key player Jeremy Habegger says. The band songs illustrate the rhythms of New Orleans in a mix of jazz, blues, soul, funk and gospel. “Actually, the gospel today itself has all of those elements. It has the blues. It has the funk. Very much like New Orleans that is not only a blues town,” Habegger explains. They established themselves in New Orleans’s competitive music scene through their songs, and have captivated a fan base with their soulful music. “People down here are truly interested on what kind of music statements you are making,” bass player Scott Jackson says. “We got a supportive crowd and an environment that is conducive to grow and produce new [music].” Soul Project is one of the regular bands to play at Café Negril on Frenchmen Street every Thursday night. “We play up and down Frenchmen street,” Habegger explains. “And we are pretty busy every weekend since we are the folk band of the street.” Soul Project’s festival appearances include the French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and Jazz In the Park at Armstrong Park. “It is a very different thing doing music festival than to do a stage gig,” Saxophone Player Phil Morin says. “To play festivals in your home town is really nice, to go up there and create music without worrying about working the crowd right to get tips.” Other members of the band not featured in this story are guitarist and lead vocals Jon Cristian Duque, drummer Colin Davis and saxophone player David Ludman. It doesn’t have to be festival season to catch good South Louisiana music, just head to Frenchmen Street and have some fun.
Louisiana Artist Finds Inspiration in the Beauties of the South
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor THE RICH WILDLIFE AND UNIQUE SCENERY OF THE SOUTHERN COAST is the main theme in the paintings of Kelly Pierre, an artist native to Houma, Louisiana. Pierre is a 44-year-old artist who saw opportunity in Louisiana’s themed art to launch his career in fine arts painting. He showcased his paintings at the Voice of the Wetlands Festival, where he could be found at a vendor tent working on one his of paintings throughout the night. “The majority of my painting is about coastal wildlife and landscape of the south. This is my inspiration because I grew up in the Gulf of Mexico,” Pierre says. Coming from a family of shrimpers, Pierre started painting the scenes he saw along the gulf of Mexico since he was a child. His career as an artist, however, came much later in life. The artist explains he began to make a living out of his art after he found out about airbrushing. “At that time, becoming a full time painter was just a dream, but I continued working hard until I could afford to make the decision and take the risk going into fine art painting.” Pierre made a promise that he would be prepared to go into the fine arts business if the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2010. He believe the team would win and to help launch his career as an artist he painted a fleur de lis he called “The Black and Gold Dream.” “It was a dream to win the Super Bowl and what I am doing now was a dream to live out my artist career,” Pierre says. “I painted four fleur de lis and put them in an art gallery in New Orleans and after the Saints won I had 130 orders.” Nowadays, Pierre’s art studio is located in Destin Florida. He says that the he has added beach sceneries to his repertoire, but his paintings continue to be heavily influenced by the beauties of the south. He adds that he is a strong supporter of the efforts for the preservation of the wetlands. “I was born and raised in South Louisiana and coastal erosion is a big problem here. There is so much of wildlife and sealife that is born right there, so, as a fishermen, it is hard to see the whole culture disappearing,” Pierre explains. “So we do what we can to educate ourselves and other people to try to protect the barrier islands we have left.”
A Sneak Peek // Louisiana’s Backyard
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor Record-breaking hard freezes and hurricanes have directly affected Louisiana’s citrus industry for decades. The persistence of the farmers, support of locals and incentives from the local government is what keeps the production going until today. You can see the community involvement in the promotion of the local citrus crop at the annual PLAQUEMINES PARISH ORANGE FESTIVAL. This year, the festival took place at the Historic Fort Jackson in Buras from December 3-4, featuring carnival rides, music, a variety of locally produced citrus and fireworks. “I’ve been doing [this festival] my whole life. Some years we didn’t have a booth because of hurricanes and things like that, but we always come back,” Jeremy Becnel, from the Becnel Citrus Company, says. The music line-up featured Big River Band, Aaron Foret and Boot Hill on Saturday, and Ernie Wilkinson & the Hot Sauce Band and Rockin Dopsie on Sunday. Other activities included helicopter rides, a 5k run/walk, a children’s pageant, and contests such as Orange Eating, and Orange Peeling. Since its first edition in 1947, the orange festival is an opportunity for farmers to showcase their produce and for locals to supporting and celebrating the region’s main industry. Considering that the climate best allows the mass production of oranges in restricted areas only, the main crops cultivated for commercial purposes in the state are SATSUMAS AND NAVEL ORANGES. Those two along with tangerines, blood oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are just a small sample of the variety of Louisiana’s citrus produce displayed in the individual vendors’ booths at the festival. “We grow about five varieties of citrus commercially. It is predominantly Satsumas and Navels, but we have a nursery operation in which I grow about 25 varieties of citrus trees in a pot,” Becnel says. The state’s ties with citrus produce is what allows such diversity. In Louisiana, the tradition of cultivating those fruits has gone beyond commercial purposes and now citrus trees can be easily found in backyards of Louisiana’s homes. Take a look at the different citrus trees found along Louisiana’s neighborhoods in Luling, Thibodaux and Napoleonville. Know of a backyard where you can get your hands on some fresh Louisiana citrus? Here’s some lagniappe for you: visit our Chu-Chut page to learn how to make orangecello.
The Po’Boy // A Piece of Louisiana History
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor A loaf of french bread split open, filled with meat and dressed properly is not just a sandwich; THE FAMOUS NEW ORLEANS PO’BOY is a piece of Louisiana’s history. The Oak Street Po’boy Festival celebrates the richness of Po’boy sandwiches with lots of music, arts and innovative takes on the traditional food. With more than 30 vendors and 50 different variety of the sandwich, the 10th annual Po’boy Fest happened on Sunday, Oct. 23 at the New Orleans’ Carrollton neighborhood. There are countless legends as to the origin of the Po’boy, but it is believed that the sandwich popularization happened amid the streetcar workers strike of July of 1929. According to the research of University of New Orleans History Professor Michael Mizell-Nelson, the Po’boy was created then by former streetcar operators Bennie and Clovis Martin. To support their fellow coworkers, Martin brothers began making these sandwiches to feed then during the strike. Originally called “POOR BOYS,” the sandwiches consisted mainly of meat and bread. The bread is one of the things that makes a Po’boy special. These sandwiches are usually made on either a six-inch or a footlong crisp French bread and, at the time of its popularization, the more common fillings were comprised of roast beef and fried seafood. Because of the cheap cost of its production, this combination allowed the working class to have a great meal for a great price. With time, variations of the Po’boy began to appear and the dish became popular among both locals and tourists. Today, local restaurants in the state offer Po’boys filled with pretty much every kind of meat, from pulled barbecue pork to soft shell crab and fried chicken. Although each local has a different opinion about the best place to get a Po’boy, all of us agree that every tourist needs to grab a bite of a Po’boy to have a complete experience of South Louisiana’s cuisine. If you aren’t hungry yet, wait until you see the tasty Po’boys we found at the festival in the slideshow above.
Voice of the Wetlands // Putting Louisiana’s Coastal Loss in the Spotlight
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor Louisianans love to celebrate — everything from food to music to crops. But what many tourists don’t see is we also hold festivals to raise awareness. THE VOICE OF THE WETLANDS FESTIVAL is one of those festivals that brings attention to how coastal erosion and land loss is affecting Louisiana’s ecosystem. The 2016 VOW, held from October 7 to 9, celebrated South Louisiana’s culture while advocating for environmental awareness. The festival featured local and national performers in two music stages, a taste of typical Louisiana dishes from local vendors and arts exhibits. The music festival is just one of the initiatives created by the namesake organization. In an effort to preserve Louisiana’s environment and its culture, the Houma-based organization promotes activism through three days of festival celebrations every year. “We wanted to raise our voices and address the concerns of the people. We were the first organization to go coast to coast saying our wetlands are disappearing.” Rueben Williams, co-founder of the Voice of the Wetlands organization, says. “We are losing over a football field every 45 minutes.” Tab Benoit, a Louisiana Cajun-blues musician, is the founder of the Voice of the Wetlands organization. The organization is comprised of members who were born, raised and still resides in the wetlands’ region. Williams explains that the organization came to terms after the group realized the wetlands loss was a big problem that wasn’t receiving the attention it should receive. “Coast to coast nobody really knew what was going on,” Williams says. “There was salt water coming in and no fresh water going out and that’s not how it used to be. Fresh water used to travel from the Mississippi down Lafourche and Bayou Terrebonne and deposit sediment that build our wetlands. There is no rebuilding process anymore, because the river has been turned towards the Atchafalaya. If the river was still in its natural state we wouldn’t be having a wetlands problem.” Each year, exhibitors from all over the country and, in some occasions, from foreign countries volunteer their times to share their knowledge about coastal land loss and promote awareness of Louisiana’s wetland crisis. “People from outside Louisiana come and see Louisiana’s worth, all this culture, the food and the music. And all of this is possible because of the wetlands and the people that live here,” Williams says. “Even the music we play has come from this place that we are seeing disappear before our eyes.” This years festival had its largest attendance ever during the first day of the event on Friday, Oct. 7. One of the night’s highlights, the “Friday Night Guitar Fights”, featured freestyle performances from musicians Tab Benoit, Mason Ruffner, Josh Garrett, Tyrone Vaughan, Bart Walker and Jonathon Boogie Long. The festivals offers a taste of Louisiana’s Cajun food with traditional dishes like seafood gumbo, andouille sausage, jambalaya and sauce piquante. A selection of classic American fair food, including hamburgers, hot dogs and more is also offered every year. Along with the musical acts and the traditional food, the Voice of the Wetlands organization had booths set up on the festival grounds to share information about the current situation of the state’s land loss and how people can get involved with the efforts for wetlands restoration. The event is free and, therefore, is not strictly a fundraiser for the Voice of the Wetlands organization. Its main purpose is to educate the visitors about coastal restoration, and, although this is such timely matter, the goal is to create a laid-back venue where visitors have the opportunity to get in contact with environmental agencies and political candidates and discuss potential solutions to the crisis. The festival is more than just another opportunity to party it up, it is also a chance to engage in the cause and help preserve the coast, while listening to local music and having some fun.
Music Pulls the Strings // A Vendor’s Booth
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor Music in Louisiana moves more than the tourism industry in the state – it is also the inspiration behind STRING THEORY: GUITAR STRING JEWELRY COMPANY. Amanda Wells is Houma native who created the line of designer jewelry. String Theory’s jewelry are one of a kind designer pieces handmade in Louisiana from guitar strings. Besides the exclusivity of each piece, Louisianians’ love for music made the company a instantaneous success. “Everybody loves music and guitar strings definitely pull at the heartstrings of people,” Wells says. String Theory is a recurrent vendor at the Voice of the Wetlands Festival. Their booth is also a guaranteed presence on several other festivals in the region. Designer pieces from the Louisiana Blues Collection jewelry, made with guitar strings from VOW founder and musician Tad Benoit, raised $700 for the preservation of the wetlands at the festival’s live auction. Wells, who is a former nurse, is married to a local musician Bob Wells and is mother to three musical talented daughters. Before her music-related jewelry line, she was the only one in her family who had no strings with music. Her designer jewelry line reflects a combination of her passion for music, talents and interests. “I decided I need to do something creative,” Wells says. “I was the only one that wasn’t musical, so I just went in the back door of music.” The idea of crafting string jewelry came on a saturday afternoon. Wells found one of her husband’s spare guitar string laying around in her house and, instead of putting it aside in a storage box, she decided to give the strings a new purpose. A couple of strings, some crystals and wire was all she needed to create what came to be the first piece of her jewelry company. After a very positive feedback from her daughters, Wells published a picture of the bracelet on social media. For her surprise, the jewelry was hit and she had dozens of people offering to purchase the piece on the first day. “It is beautiful jewelry that just happens to be made out of guitar strings,” Wells adds. The next step was to create more pieces and put it to the test at Wells’ sister’s gift shop. The jewelry sold quickly and attracted the interest of sales representatives. After that point, the guitar string jewelry rapidly grew from a hobby to a successful entrepreneurship. Currently, Wells’ jewelry is sold in more than 600 stores across the country. With the increasing demand for the handmade pieces, Wells’ middle daughter Hilary decided to join her mom in the pursue of the business venture. The mother-daughter duo are responsible for the design, creation and marketing of all the jewelry. Hillary, who graduated in Mass Communication from Nicholls State University, is also the Public Relations person for the company.
Duck Racing // Down the Bayou
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor THE THIBODAUXVILLE FALL FESTIVAL DUCK RACE became a tradition that gathers thousands of people on the banks of Bayou Lafourche every year. 2,000 numbered ducks are dumped on the bayou at 4 p.m. to compete for cash prizes. Tourists and locals alike cheer for their yellow rubber ducks as it races its way from the weir of Bayou Lafourche to the Jackson Street Bridge. The ticket holders of the first six ducks to cross the finish line are awarded with cash prizes. After the race, volunteers retrieve the ducks, count it to make sure none is missing and store it for the next year’s race. Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased as early as September with the sales continuing until the day of the event. This year, however, all 2,000 tickets were sold out at the very beginning of the festival. Chairman of the Board of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce Marguerite Knight explains that the duck race is a fundraiser for both the Chamber of Commerce and Thibodaux Main Street. The Thibodauxville Fall Festival is a free festival held annually at the second Saturday of November in Historic Downtown Thibodaux. Vendors booths and music stages take the streets from Highway 1 to West 4th Street and from Canal Blvd. to Jackson Street. Other activities for the whole family include a 5k run/walk, a car show, continues live musical entertainment, arts, crafts and the best of southern cuisine are featured at the festival. Boutiques and restaurants in the route also take part in the event celebrations. Music performances featured this year included local entertainment from Treeter, Foret Tradition and the Groove. Other addition to the festival this year included a 40 mile bike tour around the city’s outskirts and a “Duck Punch”, an adult beverage made with Thibodaux’s Donner-Peltier Distillery spirits. “Thibodauxville was started to bring people downtown,” Knight says. “It was started in 1992, 24 year ago with 13 vendors. It now has expanded and this year, our biggest ever, has 113 vendors and 30 food booths, which had amazing food.” Named after the previous name of the city, the Thibodauxville festival began as an initiative to create interest in the downtown district. The event gained national recognition after it was awarded the number one festival in the Southeastern United States in 2011 by the Southeast Tourism Society. Nowadays, the festival attracts over 15,000 people from all over the country. “We couldn’t do it without 100 volunteers, all of the people, all of the vendors and specialty boutiques,” she adds. “Thibodauxville is great. If you weren’t here this year, make sure to come next year.” https://youtu.be/X9Fh7iQTqjA
Big Boys // Can Cook
by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor THE BIG BOY’S MAIN STREET COOK-OFF unites the best of South Louisiana’s culture: the flavorful dishes of cajun cuisine prepared by locals with fresh ingredients. Over 45 teams gathered on historic downtown Thibodaux on November 11, to prepare traditional dishes such as jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee and much more. “This is actually one of the largest [cook-offs] we’ve ever had. We have 42 dishes total, which is phenomenal,” Chef Randy Barrios, judge and co-coordinator of the Big Boy’s Cook-Off, says. What makes it different from other cooking competitions is that the event represents the greatest of Louisiana’s tradition: the cooking on the Big Boy’s Cook-Off are primarily made by groups of local men. The event is the official kick off for the Thibodauxville Fall Festival and happens on night of the second Friday of november every year. As a culinary showcase of Louisiana fare, the festival’s main goal is to both promote and preserve Southern culture – especially the tradition of preparing dishes of the flavorful Louisiana’s cuisine. “We have a great set of judges that are going to be here, in a separate judging room. The judges are broken down in four different categories this year,” Barrios says. Participants compete for the top prizes in the gumbo/soup, jambalaya/pastalaya, sauce piquante/etoufee and variety categories. The top three of each category are chosen by a panel made of five Southern chefs and the public votes to choose the winner of the People’s Choice Award. This year the first place winners of each category were Alex’s Lawn Services with chicken and sausage file gumbo, Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court’s Office with pastalaya, First American Bank with chicken sauce piquante and Advance Physical Therapy with oyster eggrolls consecutively. The People’s Choice Award went to Better than Michael with pork routee over smoked gouda grits. Tents lining up the street lead to a music stage, in which local musicians perform many different genres. This year’s featured musicians Nonc Nu and da Wild Matous, also participated in the cook off. The band showcases a unique mix of zydeco, rock and country with lyrics in both English and Cajun French. Nonc Nu and da Wild Matous group got second place with their gumbalaya egg rolls. “This is our first year cooking gumbalaya egg rolls. We cook a gumbo, put rice in it like a jambalaya, then we roll it into an eggroll and fry it,” Cody Guidry says. “And then we put a special potato salad sauce on it,” adds Michael Collins. Charbroiled oysters, shrimp & grits, crawfish boil chowder, pork sauce piquante and every other serving from all the cook-off participants are included in the $5 admission fee and all the money raised in the event is donated to benefit downtown Thibodaux. The cook-off, which is usually composed by one amateur division, also added a new Restaurant and Chef division this year. The event is named after its founder, the late Norm “Big Boy” Swanner. Swanner was Nicholls State University supporter, former city councilman and owner of the Thibodaux-based restaurant Bubba’s II. “It’s just a great evening and a fun time. There is nothing like South Louisiana food and music,” Barrios says. https://youtu.be/wVDPdxf32X8
Louisiana Festivals // Off The Beaten Path
Previous Next by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor Every semester, the staff at Garde Voir Ci takes a look at different aspects of SOUTH LOUISIANA’S UNIQUE culture, places and people. The Fall 2016 issue will showcase a selection of offbeat festivals that represent the ultimate South Louisiana experience — celebrations of our culture beyond the nationally known festivals like Voodoo, Jazz and Essence. Our guide to the festivals you can’t miss this season will feature the best of the region’s music, cuisine, arts and more. Come “look at this” and get a true taste of the state’s cultural celebrations outside the mainstream festival scenery. And look for the logos to see what we’re finding!