Beignet Fest returns Sept. 23 with a jam-packed menu featuring 50 flavorsome varieties of beignets
Gulf South's most family-friendly festival to include new vegan options, more parking choices and expanded Kids Village
NEW ORLEANS – Beignet Fest, the Gulf South’s most family-friendly and inclusive festival, returns Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at City Park’s Festival Grounds with a mouthwatering menu featuring new items and old favorites. Some early standouts include Sweet Legacy’s Bourbon Brisket Beignets, The Vintage NOLA’s Pear & Brie Beignets and non-beignet options like Chubbie’s Fried Chicken and Diva Dawg’s Crabmeat Grill Cheesy.
“This year we’re showcasing a menu that promises one-of-a-kind beignets from vendors across south Louisiana and neighboring states like Texas and Alabama,” says Beignet Fest Foundation executive director Sherwood Collins. “We feel a renewed energy and momentum with more food options than ever before.”
The festival’s menu lineup includes more than 80 menu options with nearly 50 unique takes on beignets, including last year’s winners, Loretta’s Praline Beignet and Crabmeat Beignet as well as Old School Eats’s Blackberry Cloud Beignet. New this year are vegan and gluten-free beignets, ice cream stuffed beignets, Bananas Foster beignets, Ruby Slipper Café’s sweet potato cheesecake and espresso praline beignets, and PJ’s pizza beignets that can’t be found anywhere other than at Beignet Fest!
Beignets from The Vintage NOLA
While attendees chow down on sweet and savory beignets, Flagboy Giz and Flow Tribe will headline the entertainment with additional performances by Black Magic Drumline, Imagination Movers, New Soul Finders featuring Marilyn Barbarin & Marc Stone and Mia Borders. Sweet treats like snoballs and huckabucks as well as shade tents and a complimentary parking shuttle courtesy of Gulf Coast Bank will help everyone keep cool. Other festival attractions include the Abita Beer Garden, an Artist Market and a VIP tent with exclusive access to private viewing near the stage, bathrooms and complimentary beverages.
Keeping true to Beignet Fest’s charitable mission, a fully activated and sensory friendly Kids Village created by Children’s Hospital New Orleans will offer a one-of-a-kind experience for all children – and one that supports children with autism and related developmental differences.
“The Kids Village provides an opportunity for all families, especially those who might not be able to attend other festivals, to come to Beignet Fest and have a wonderful experience,” says Dr. Koren Boggs from The Autism Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Beignet Fest is presented by Children’s Hospital New Orleans, and supported by leading sponsors including PJ’s Coffee, Abita Beer, nola.com, Gambel Communications, Ketel One Botanicals, New Orleans & Co., Gulf Coast Bank, Firefly Marketing and many others
General admission tickets are $20 in advance, and children 12 and under are free. VIP tickets are $50 for adults in advance. Ticket prices increase on the day of the festival. Proceeds from Beignet Fest will go toward local nonprofit organizations that provide quality programs for kids on the spectrum. To view the full menu and to purchase tickets, visit beignetfest.com.
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About Beignet Fest Foundation
Beignet Fest is a premier food festival in Louisiana that celebrates one of New Orleans’s most iconic dishes all in one place on one day. Proceeds from Beignet Fest benefit the Beignet Fest Foundation, which raises awareness and support for programs in Greater New Orleans that serve autistic youth and their families.