LOCAL

Jambalaya Capital of the World: Gonzales featured in Ascension Parish tourism video

Staff Report

Ahead of the annual Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, Ascension Parish's tourism commission Louisiana's Sweet Spot has been promoting the event with a new YouTube video released earlier this year.

Ascension Parish actor Richard Zeringue narrates the three-minute video featuring scenes from past celebrations.

Rich in history and tradition, and diverse in its ethnic background, Gonzales holds the distinction of the title of Jambalaya Capital of the World, the description reads.

The City of Gonzales water tower displays "Jambalaya Capital of the World" along with a painting of a jambalaya pot. The aerial image was part of an Ascension Parish tourism commission, Louisiana's Sweet Spot, promotional video for the annual Jambalaya Festival.

The Jambalaya Festival Association stages one of the largest festivals in Louisiana every year in May.

According to the City of Gonzales website, the first festival was held in 1968. Stephen "Steve" F. Juneau, who served as the first president of the JFA, came up with the idea.

The video is available on YouTube, the city's site, as well as the city's official Facebook page.

For more information on the festival, see the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival site and its Facebook page.

Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow at facebook.com/WeeklyCitizen and facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.