NEW ORLEANS – The annual National Fried Chicken Festival (FCF) presented by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, held in Woldenberg Riverfront Park since 2017, has announced a new home along the New Orleans Lakefront as the festival approaches its fifth-anniversary event taking place on Saturday, October 23, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, October 24, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The new location will provide festival-goers with more than one million square feet of beautiful waterfront views, which is double the size of Woldenberg Riverfront Park’s 500,000 footprint. The festival’s footprint will span from Franklin Avenue to the Seabrook Bridge to ensure attendees are safe and able to socially distance themselves while enjoying the festivities.
“The New Orleans community has eagerly awaited the return of festivals, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate together once again at a new and exciting location to mark the fifth anniversary of the National Fried Chicken Festival,” said Cleveland Spears, III, FCF Executive Producer and President/CEO of the Spears Group. “We’re looking forward to safely gathering and providing a platform to support small, independently owned restaurants, sponsors and performers after such a challenging year. We have new things in store for this year’s attendees, including a new venue, more restaurants, more attractions and an enhanced guest experience. We are extremely grateful to our presenting sponsor Raising Cane’s and all of our partners for sharing our vision of celebrating togetherness, and using food as a catalyst to bring diverse groups together.”
The free outdoor festival broke its attendance record at the fourth annual event in 2019 and brought over 183,000 guests out to Woldenberg Riverfront Park. The National Fried Chicken Festival will be the first event on the Lakefront since Back to the Beach in 2005, not long before Hurricane Katrina made landfall 16 years ago.
“We’ve waited years for an event to return to the Lakefront, and we could not think of a better fit than the National Fried Chicken Festival,” said Louis J. Capo, Executive Director of Lakefront Management Authority. “The Lakefront is a beautiful location to provide an unforgettable experience while also ensuring everyone can socially distance while enjoying great food, music and so much more. We’re honored to provide a space where citizens and visitors can come together to support local restaurants and enjoy everything they love about New Orleans.”
This year’s FCF will feature more than 33 chefs and restaurants from across the U.S., a diverse line-up of entertainment and musical performances across two stages, new sponsor activations and several new upgraded guest experiences.
“We are excited for the return of the National Fried Chicken Festival and to once again serve as the presenting sponsor. We look forward to having all of these great restaurants showcasing their dishes and to once again fest together safely,” said Todd Graves, CEO of Raising Cane’s.
Festival attendees can expect the return of the Best Fried Chicken Contest and Best Use of Chicken in a Dish Contest. FCF will once again honor a New Orleans culinary icon. Since its founding in 2016, FCF has been bringing food, music, family and festivities together in celebration of the classic southern dish.
For more information, please visit friedchickenfestival.com.
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