Be sure to get in line early on March 11 so you don’t miss out on buying a handmade soup bowl for the 15th annual SOUP’ER Mudfest in Old Town. Bowls can be purchased beginning at 3 pm.
- By Lisa Monti 
Arts Alive
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The 15th Annual SOUP’er Mudfest, being held on Saturday, March 11 from 3 to 6 pm, runs concurrently with the Second Saturday Artwalk, when merchants extend their hours and offer special deals along with live music by local performers. This pairing of events will make for an extra special afternoon and evening of shopping, eating, and strolling around downtown Bay St. Louis. Former Main Street business owner Nancy Moynan came up with the idea for SOUP’er Mudfest to draw people back to downtown after Hurricane Katrina. Learn about the origins of Mudfest here. 
For the upcoming Mudfest, ten talented Hancock County potters created hundreds of beautiful soup bowls that will sell for $25. The artists who handcrafted these bowls are Steve Barney, Toby Bass, Nina Cork, Marc Currier, Judy Lee, Cynthia Maher, Julie Nelson, Georgia Reeves, Thomika Segar, and Dale Simmons. Bay St. Louis-based potter Steve Barney coordinated the massive production effort for this year’s event. "SOUP’er Mudfest is the largest and most highly anticipated pottery event of the year,” Barney said. “Potters in studios across Hancock County have been working around the clock for months making bowls. It'sa great example of how local artists and Old Town merchants collaborate to drive the creative economy of our region.” 
With your bowl purchase, you get a wristband and a list of around 20 merchants offering free samplings of gourmet soups. Think gumbo, chowder, tomato basil and artichoke soup, among others. Barney added, “It is so exciting to see hundreds of collectors queue up to pick out their favorite bowls.” The line to buy bowls starts on the Main Street side of the United Methodist Church. Proceeds will benefit Hancock County Tourism, the Old Town Merchants Association and Ruth’s Roots Blessings Box, which operates under the motto, “Take what you need. Leave what you can.” The local arts community also receives a portion of the proceeds. 
SOUP’er Mudfest insiders know to get in line early to buy a bowl, because they will sell out quickly. It is hard to buy just one bowl with so many colors and shapes to choose from, and shoppers tend to buy multiple bowls for themselves or as gifts. Another tip: Don’t wait too long to get soup samples. Even though merchants prepare gallons for Mudfest, the tasty soup goes quickly, too. Samples will be offered by merchants in the 100 and 200 blocks of Main Street as well as Second Street, Court Street, and Cue Street. 
After bowl shopping and soup sampling, it’s easy to join right in on the March edition of Second Saturday, the monthly retail ritual for shoppers visiting downtown shops, restaurants, and galleries, now in its 31st year. The featured Hot Spots for Second Saturday are B.E.E. by the Bay Gallery at 131-A Main Street; Bubbly Babes at 212 Main Street, Suite #C; and the Hancock County Historical Society at 108 Cue Street. Janice Guido, owner of Bay Life Gifts, said she and other members of the Old Town Merchants Association look forward to SOUP’er Mudfest on Second Saturday because it draws large numbers of people as the weather warms toward springtime. Bay Life Gifts will have two soups to sample, and Guido said other merchants in Century Hall will have their own soups to offer as well. “We love Mudfest,” Guido said. “It’s the first big event of the year as far as volume of business goes, and it’s become more important to us. The New Orleans weekenders know about it, and tourists know about it. It kicks off the season and keeps building month after month. We always look forward to it.” SOUP’er Mudfest & Second Saturday Artwalk March 11, Old Town Bay St. Louis Mudfest Bowls sold 3 - 6 pm for $25 each, while supplies last Main Street side of United Methodist Church 162 Main Street Enjoy This Feature?
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