The 43rd Annual St. John Parish Andouille Festival presented by Marathon Petroleum Company, LP will feature music, rides, crafts and of course great food.

Thousands of people merge upon the festival grounds each year for a fun-filled weekend, and everyone is invited to join us again this year!

This year’s festival is scheduled for October 14, 15 and 16 at the Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park, located at 2900 U.S. 51 in LaPlace. Amusement rides, bands, games, arts and crafts, children’s activities and more will be featured along with cooking contests, a Second Line Parade, an Andouille eating contest and a Jazz Brunch.

A children’s art tent will be open throughout the weekend, featuring canvas art painting with kid-friendly entertainment.

As in years past, Andouille is the main ingredient featured in delectable dishes ranging from jambalaya and gumbo to pasta and pizza. Other food such as onion mums, fried and boiled seafood, cracklings and desserts will also be available.

On Sunday/Oct. 16, the annual Andouille Run, a 5-mile run and 2-mile run/walk will begin at 8 a.m. at the festival grounds.

The annual Jazz Brunch is also slated for Sunday morning in the Community Center. Forms and tickets for both events are available at the Percy Hebert Building.

Admission to the festival is $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 3-12. The festival is open from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday/Oct. 14, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday/Oct. 15 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday/Oct. 16.

Each year we strive to make the Andouille Festival poster better and more appealing to traditional festival-goers.

This Monday, Parish officials will host a print unveiling to reveal the 2016 Official Andouille Poster. Posters will be sold, beginning in October at the St. John Parish Economic Development Department, Matherne’s Supermarket in LaPlace, Don’s Supermarket and Greg’s Supermarket in Reserve. They will also be available at the festival with the opportunity to meet the artist, Dana Wallace.

As the festival approaches, so does the competition for the title of Miss and Teen Andouille Queen.

The Annual Miss and Teen Andouille Pageants are scheduled for Saturday/Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at St. John Theatre. This year’s theme is “The Wild, Wild West.”

To be eligible for participation, contestants must be single, childless, a resident of St. John the Baptist Parish and between the ages of 13-16 for the Teen Division and 17-23 for the Miss Division on the date of the pageant. Registration forms can be turned into the Parish office or at the Pageant informational meeting scheduled for Wednesday/ Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at St. John Theatre.

As you can see, there is plenty to do in St. John as we begin festival season! The Andouille Festival is rich with pride, culture and diversity and yields great family fun and an overall rewarding experience for all ages.

Come join us the weekend of Oct. 14-16 for a Smokin’ good time!

For more information, please visit andouillefestival.com for the band lineup, food vendor list and more in the upcoming weeks and remember to sign up for Parish alerts.

Natalie Robottom is St. John the Baptist Parish President. She can be reached at communications@stjohn-la.gov.