For it 55th anniversary, the Contrabrand Days festival has received a complete overhaul with an extended name, a revamped logo, additional entertainment and a more kid-friendly focus.

“The purpose is to ensure the offerings … of the festival are communicating the spirit of the event,” Angie Manning, communications director of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, said at a news conference Wednesday.

Leading up to the 55th anniversary of the festival, Peter O’Carroll with the O’Carroll Group conducted interviews, held focus groups and partnered with Houston-based Saurage Research to survey the five-parish area by telephone.

“We contacted 307 people by phone, and we asked them what they liked and disliked to find out the areas for improvement,” O’Carroll said. “We’re ready to look at where the festival needs to be in 2012.”

One result was a name change. The official festival name has been extended to “Contraband Days, Louisiana Pirate Festival.” Among other changes, there will be more kid-friendly entertainment.

Oran and Michelle Parker of Parker Brand Creative Services designed a new logo based on Parker Brand’s research on Jean Lafitte.

“One of the things we wanted to make sure we did was honor the history of Contraband Days,” said Oran Parker. “Contraband Days has always had Jean Lafitte in the logo, but it was more of a traditional pirate. But when you really research Jean Lafitte, you learn that he wasn’t really that type of pirate at all.”

He was more of a “gentlemen, swashbuckling pirate,” he said.

“John Lafitte was more of a businessman, so we wanted to make sure we echoed that,” he said.

Performers for this year’s festival will include Josh Turner, Tenth Avenue North, Adam Trent, The ZAPP Band, Bryan Fontenot, The Molly Ringwalds, Ryan Andreas and Beverly McClellan. Musical guests will also include Travis Matte & the Kingpins, Steel Shot, Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys and Chris Miller & Bayou Roots.

“People have told us they want entertainment, and we are delivering on that,” said Dean Day, Contraband Days president. “That is going to be the distinct difference. If you’re a family, you can feel safe in knowing that you can come with your family and see entertaining things such as music, Disney illusionists, people in costumes­­. That is the main difference — fun and good times. If you haven’t been to Contraband Days, you need to come for the 55th year. It is something you will not be disappointed in.”

The poster for the festival was made by local artist Candice Alexander. Her original work is a mixed media creation with a map inspired by the 1985 film “The Goonies.” The poster will be for sale for $39 in April.

The 55th annual festival will take place May 1-13 in Lake Charles.

For more information or for a list of events, visit www.contrabanddays.com or call the festival office at 436-5508.

The 55th anniversary commemorative poster for the Contraband Days Louisiana Pirate Festival was produced by local artist Candice Alexander. The poster will be available for purchase on the Contraband Days website

as well as at the Contraband Days office in the Civic Center starting the first week of April. The cost will be $39. (SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN PRESS)