The Buck Creek Festival is approaching on May 8 and 9 – a family event that is growing in popularity with an estimated 20,000 attending in 2008.

Helena newcomer Laura Beth Joseph created this year’s winning T-shirt design.

“I wanted to create a more adult-themed image that blends elements of the old and the new,” Laura Beth said. “It has the feel of grunge rock posters from the ’70s and ’80s.”

A closer look reveals the focal instrument to be a curvy mandolin.

“This being the eighth year for the festival, I thought it would be fun to ‘hide’ eight little ducks in the design,” she said.

The duck race, of course, is a highlight of the day. Joseph plans to attend the event for the first time with hubby, TJ and daughter, Anna Kate.

Laura Beth, a marketing coordinator for Medicraft in Chelsea, is responsible for styling product photoshoots and ad layouts. She is the printer liaison for catalog production and also does web site updates. Her college degree is in advertising and graphic design.

Helena proved to be the midpoint for the couple’s job locations. TJ is an engineer project manager with ACIPCO. Both value the opportunities for family fun in Helena and Laura Beth is quick to note that “the more I am involved locally, the happier I am.”

She extends her thanks to Hal Woodman, aka ‘No Sleep in Helena’ blogger, for keeping the community abreast of Helena happenings.

“His web site is a wonderful resource for new residents,” Laura Beth said.

Laura Beth is one of several Helena-based bloggers and writes under “Ruminations of a Working Mom.”

“I blog about whatever is in my head; writing is an important outlet for me,” she said.

“We have an awesome blogging community for a town of our size and I have made many friends that way,” Laura Beth said. “We are beginning to meet together informally -getting to know each other face-to-face.”

The Josephs grew up in Decatur, and attended high school together, as did their mothers. Their New Orleans wedding took place a few months after Hurricane Katrina.

“We were nervous about the condition of the old historic home where the ceremony was to be held, but the owners had completely restored the structure by our March wedding date.”

“Even though the guests drove in through areas that still looked like a war zone, the grounds there were green and lush, surrounded by live oaks,” she said.

The Josephs honeymooned in Venice, Italy, enjoying a sunset gondola cruise and appreciative of the majestic history of a city that is rapidly disappearing under water.