The New Orleans FoodFest kicks off Saturday in the French Market. It’ll be four blocks of foodie fun. Oh my! If are a social media maven, follow #foodfest, Twitter (@NOLAFoodfest) and Facebook.
Schedule:
Sun., March 24 – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Prices:
Admission is free.
Vendor samples range from $3 to $8. A Food Fest organizer said most will be about $4.
Info from NOLAfoodfest.com:
Four blocks in the French Market will be lined with dozens of America’s best hometown eats from New Orleans and all of Louisiana as well as from all across America, each offering a unique specialty. This is NOT typical and expected festival fare: it is a taste of America’s most celebrated dishes, all gathered in one place: a foodie’s dream.
Portions are right-sized and priced to provide everyone a chance to taste the maximum number of great regional eats as they stroll through the French Market inhaling delicious smells that range from real Texas pit barbecue to Pecan Pie to artisan boudin sausage made by Cajun country’s most beloved butchers. There is no admission fee; just bring plenty of appetite!
Foodfest began five years ago as the New Orleans Roadfood Festival, spun out of the website Roadfood.com, which was founded in 2000 by Stephen Rushmore and Jane and Michael Stern. Roadfood.com, which has inspired countless other media to follow its path to the nation’s edible treasures, remains the premier internet source for discovering authentic regional American food.
Info about the beignet-eating contest:
The ultimate French Quarter eating competition! The New Orleans Fire Department will field a team of its top eaters to determine which of them can eat the most beignets in the least amount of time. Whereas normal eaters consume the city’s beloved silky fritters in lots of two or three along with cafe au lait, in this fast-paced contest, the men in uniform devour them by the dozen, and the powdered sugar flies! The winning team takes home the World Champion Beignet Eating Belt.