[StBernard] Old Arabi Sugar Fest!

[Westley Annis]

Old Arabi Neighborhood Association and St. Bernard Parish Government  

Hold 1ST Annual Sugar Fest 

 

Commemorating 100 years of sugar refining in St. Bernard Parish, the Old
Arabi Neighborhood Association hosted the first annual "Sugar Fest" on the
grounds of the LeBeau Plantation, Sunday, May 17th from noon until 6 p.m.
The festival was held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of Domino
Sugar Refinery.  Domino Sugar Refinery produces over 7 million pounds of
sugar per day and is now the largest sugar refinery in the world. 

 

"This is a great start and a great effort to showcase our historically rich
Old Arabi neighborhood and a very important local industry," said Parish
President Craig P. Taffaro Jr., who believes the festival is a way to
properly honor the contributions of Domino Sugar to St. Bernard. 

 

The Meraux Foundation graciously allowed the event to be held on the grounds
of the historic LeBeau Plantation. It featured live music, local food, lots
of sugary desserts, fine arts and hands on children's activities. The
festival emphasized sugar and sugar activities including the Domino's Sugar
Exhibit with sugar products, vintage photographs and sugar history lectures.
There were sugar sculptures, sugar demonstrations, a sugar cube art project
by local schools, sweets contest, children's cupcake decorating, games and
the unveiling of the first annual "Sugar Fest" Poster. Posters can still be
purchased for $20 from the Office of Tourism in the St. Bernard Parish
Government Complex. All festival proceeds benefit the Old Arabi Neighborhood
Association and will be used to benefit our National Historic District.

 

The St. Bernard Tourist Commission, as part of the Sugar Fest and in
observance of National Tourism Awareness Week, offered a driving tour on
SBURT busses of Old Arabi to see the National Historic Registry District
with about 100 guests and Parish Historian Bill Hyland, Diane Crespo and
Alberta Lewis as tour guides. The Meraux Foundation allowed the SBURT busses
to pick up and drop off at a Meraux Foundation property. 

 

The tours were very well received, and Hyland said they showed historic
sites of note in Old Arabi, including Maumus High School, LeBeau Plantation
on Bienvenue and LeBeau, Cavaroc House/American Sugar Refinery, St. Bernard
Voice Office, Arabi Post Office, the Old Arabi jail and collection of
historic houses along Angela Avenue. 

 

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