Louisiana Food & Wine Festival

The inaugural Louisiana Food + Wine Festival, presented by Rouses Markets and hosted by Visit Lake Charles will celebrate the best of Louisiana and the South, from culinary superstars and beverage experts to southwest Louisiana’s unique Cajun and Creole heritage and culture, seafood, artisans, live musicians, and more from September 14 to 17. The festival will offer a wide variety of events for all tastebuds and budgets, everything from wine dinners and tasting events to intimate master classes.

Guest celebrity chefs include: John Currence of City Grocery Restaurant Group in Oxford, Mississippi; Edgar “Dook” Chase of Chapter IV, Meg Bickford of Commander’s Palace, Ryan Hacker of Brennan’s in New Orleans ; Amanda Cusey of The Terrace in Lake Charles; and David Rose, TV personality, chef, and author, with additional talent announced soon.

The United Way of Southwest Louisiana has been chosen as the festival’s official charity partner, with a portion of the festival’s ticket proceeds and 100% of the proceeds from a silent auction on from the Main Event on September 16, going directly to the United Way of Southwest Louisiana.

Louisiana’s Celebrity Chef Wine Dinner

Thursday, September 14 

A gourmet food lover’s experience with a six-course dinner, featuring a host of Louisiana’s most celebrated chefs. Each course will be expertly paired with a wine from the vast portfolio from official festival winery partner, Jackson Family Wines. The dinner will also feature Jackson Family Wines Master Wine Educators, including a Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, and national wine brand ambassadors.

Master Classes

Friday, September 15

A series of interactive and intimate sessions with guest celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, beverage experts, tastemakers, artisans, and more – tickets available soon.

Fire on the Lake

A quintessential Louisiana faire la fête and live-fire cooking extravaganza with a variety of meats, Louisiana seafood highlighted by some of the south’s most celebrated pitmasters, celebrity guest chefs, local chefs, and grill masters. Guests can enjoy unlimited food and wine, beer, and spirits tastings with a souvenir glass, along with Zydeco from Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Charles.

Grand Tasting

Saturday, September 16
A fun afternoon of culinary and beverage tastings with live music in the beautiful surroundings of the Bord du Lac Park. Tickets are all-inclusive for food and beverage tastings, a souvenir glass for unlimited beverage tastings from hundreds of wines, beer and spirits exhibitors. Additionally included is access to the silent auction, Rouses Markets cooking demonstrations, Louisiana Craft Brews Alley presented by the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild, Best Taste Awards presented by Rouses and Acadiana Profile magazine, the “Taste of Louisiana Alley” presented by Louisiana Seafood and Louisiana Cookin’ magazine, and samplings from some of Louisiana’s best destinations and chefs.

Sunday Jazz Brunch

Sunday, September 17 
This lively festival finale event, the Sunday Jazz Brunch, will be one like no other. With an all-inclusive-priced ticket featuring unlimited beverage tastings and souvenir glass, live music, a lavish brunch with carving stations, signature coffee drinks and beignet station, salad bars, Louisiana seafood stations, made-to-order omelet stations, a bounty of desserts, and more. A variety of the festival’s official beverage partners will also participate in an impressive bloody mary bar, mimosas, sparkling wines, sprits, wine, beer, and more.

The Louisiana Food & Wine Festival takes place from September 14–17 with culinary, wine, beer and spirit tasting experiences. The most up to date festival information is available on the Louisiana Food & Wine Festival website and the festival’s social media channels.