As the region continues to recover from the extensive damage wrought by Hurricane Isaac, St. John the Baptist Parish made a difficult decision last week to cancel the parish’s 40th annual Andouille Festival, which was scheduled for the end of October in LaPlace. The parish said in a release that with the massive damage from the storm and long-term recovery efforts underway, it’s not feasible to move forward with the festival.

Although the move might not be popular, canceling the festival is likely the best option for a parish struggling to rebuild and recover from the storm. The number one priority for the parish right now should be a focus on removing debris and helping residents and businesses return to the region. Dedicating resources to the Andouille Festival would require employees to be removed from assorted recovery efforts underway.

The festival is driven by those who come to the area from other places, but local residents, who are now occupied with other concerns following the storm, still make up a large portion of the attendance for the three-day event. The time typically used to plan the festival was instead occupied by rescue and recovery efforts during the immediate aftermath of the storm, leaving the parish with no other option.

The parish says it is working with the River Parishes Tourist Commission and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to promote other initiatives to showcase the food and culture of St. John Parish. The parish has also rescheduled the Miss and Teen Andouille Pageants to December 15 at St. John Theatre.

There are also a good number of other festivals happening in the region in the coming weeks, including the Alligator Festival this weekend in St. Charles Parish, for residents who absolutely need to pass a good time. Let the Andouille Fest take a year off so that it can return bigger and better next October.