Alligator Saint

Every Christmas Eve, families in Louisiana's River Parishes light wooden bonfires on the Mississippi River levees. In December 2020, with that year's bonfires cancelled because of the pandemic, the Louisiana's River Parishes Tourist Commission unveiled a year-round reminder: Saint, a 50-foot bonfire alligator.

The Commission said Saint was designed by Garyville's bonfire builders Blood, Sweat, and Bonfires and was added as a permanent fixture at its office in LaPlace. The name had already been used the year before, when, according to the Commission, Saint made its debut as a 78-foot bonfire structure near the corner of LA 44 and South Church Street in Garyville. The 2020 Saint is a separate, permanent wooden figure. Executive director Buddy Boe told WWL the Commission decided earlier in 2020 to build a permanent structure and mascot, and called the new Saint a smaller version of the 2019 alligator.