NEW ORLEANS – Fried Chicken Festival organizers officially announce its rebrand and are hosting a special New York media tour today, Thursday, July 6, to celebrate National Fried Chicken Day in America.
The team is scheduled to engage with more than 30 journalists from outlets including The Huffington Post, Essence Magazine, Food Network Magazine, Marie Claire and Time Inc. to invite a national audience to New Orleans this fall. Organizers have also announced the addition of chefs from across the country including New York, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and more will participate as vendors. With the engagement of national media and added vendors, the festival has officially rebranded to the National Fried Chicken Festival in New Orleans.
The second annual National Fried Chicken Festival (FCF) presented by Raising Cane's is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 24, from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., at Woldenberg Park, the site of Super Bowl Blvd., Lundi Gras, French Quarter Festival and other major events.
"We are excited to invite a national audience to New Orleans to experience our food, festival culture and help celebrate New Orleans as the culinary icon, it has always been," said Cleveland Spears, III, FCF organizer and president and CEO of the Spears Group. "Our team is extremely pleased to have iconic national chefs vending alongside New Orleans staples."
The New York tour will conclude with a special media dinner. Dinner will be prepared by celebrity Chef Jeff Henderson, an award-winning chef and bestselling author, most known for his Food Network TV show, “Flip My Food.” Henderson has been tapped to serve as the national spokesperson for this year's festival.
Dinner will be served at The Breslin Bar and Dining Room, where Chef April Bloomfield, a James Beard Award-winning chef and one of the few American female chefs to hold a Michelin Star, will also serve her rendition of the classic southern dish.
On top of 35 restaurants from across the U.S. debuting their extraordinary dishes, the festival will have two music stages and a cooking demo stage. In addition, there will be live entertainment, celebrity chefs, The American Federation for Children Kids' Coop, the Sucré Sweet Spot, the return of the Moet Chicken and Champagne VIP Lounge and more.
The AT&T and Best Buy Football Fan Zone will provide attendees with multiple big screen televisions to watch NCAA and NFL football games that take place during the festival. Also, the GoNOLA Mist and Chill Lounge sponsored by the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation will provide festivalgoers a space to relax and keep cool.
The National Fried Chicken Festival presented by Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is sponsored by NOLA Brewery, NOTMC, New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network, The Advocate Newspapers, Southern Glaziers, Willie's Chicken Shack, Event Rentals, Event Restroom, iHeartMedia, WWL-TV and Inthenola.com.
The National Fried Chicken Festival is produced by the Spears Group, a New Orleans-based public relations and special events firm.
