LAPLACE, LA – The 43rd Annual Andouille Festival presented by Marathon Petroleum Company, LP announced Friday, October 14, 2016, is $1 Night. On $1 Night, adult entry is $1 with a non-perishable food item donation. Additionally, all rides and select concessions are $1. Donated items will benefit St. John Ministry of Care. This year's Andouille Festival is set to take place Friday, October 14, through Sunday, October 16, at Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park, 2900 Highway 51, in LaPlace, LA.
"The Andouille Festival is more than a weekend of fun, food and family," said Jerry W. Jones Jr., Director of Economic Development. "While this is an exciting time for our community, it will be a special one for me. This will be my first Andouille festival."
St. John Ministry of Care provides charitable services to the community like assistance with food, financial support and more. Additionally, St. John Ministry of Care aids fire and national disaster victims through community service. The work of St. John Ministry of Care also coordinates the parish's community service organizations to best utilize and not duplicate efforts.
The Andouille Festival features music, festivities, good times and great food cooked with andouille, the delectable sausage for which the festival was named. Thousands of people gather at the parish tradition to participate in the many events the festival has to offer.
will be a judge for the Andouille Cook-Off Contest and lead a cooking demonstration on Saturday, October 15, at 12:30 p.m.
Chef Jeff is a television personality, a public speaker and mentor, as well as the first African Chef Jeff Henderson American executive chef at the Bellagio and a New York Times best-selling author. As a California native, he's worked his way up in the world of culinary arts. In 2001, Chef Jeff was named Las Vegas Chef of the Year by the American Tasting Institute. Additionally, he was the first African American Chef de Cuisine at Caesars Palace. Chef Jeff's commitment to culinary arts are not restricted to the kitchen. In 2007, his memoir, "Cooked," provided him the opportunity to appear on "Oprah" and launch his reality show "The Chef Jeff Project." His show gave disadvantaged youth the opportunity to learn life and professional skills in a private dining kitchen. Most recently, Chef Jeff released his first self-help book, "If You Can See It, You Can Be It."
"I am eager and humbled with the opportunity to put my skills to the test at the Andouille Festival," said Chef Jeff. "Louisiana's food and culture are very rich. I am ready to see if I can prove my west-coast skills in the deep south."
Cook-Off registration is open to the public. Participants can begin as early as 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 15, with set up and preparation to serve their andouille gumbo. Judging is based on taste, aftertaste, aroma, appearance and consistency. Awards will be presented to 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and the people's choice. Judging will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
A downloadable registration form is available here
To participate, the form and payment need to be submitted to the Economic Development Department located at 1801 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace.
This year's music lineup features Amanda Shaw & The Cute Guys, Gina Brown & Anutha Level, Image, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, Karma, New Birth Brass Band and Category 6. Festival posters, Jazz Brunch Tickets and Pay-One-Price Ride Bracelets are available for sale online and at the St. John Parish Economic Development Department, Matherne's Supermarket in LaPlace, Don's Supermarket and Greg's Supermarket in Reserve in October.
The Andouille Festival presented by Marathon Petroleum Company, LP is sponsored by EuroChem, Denka Performance Elastomer, Entergy, Gulf South Pipeline, Reserve Telecommunications, Pin Oak Terminals, AAB Electrical Industries, Inc., ACT Technologies, Digital Engineering, Humana, Metro Service Group, Nalco Champion Ochsner Health System and Riverlands Insurance Services, Inc.
