After a two-year hiatus, organizers have unveiled a fully revamped experience for National Fried Chicken Festival goers .
The National Fried Chicken Festival (FCF) presented by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has announced a series of exciting changes and enhancements to mark its fifth-anniversary event October 1 – 2, starting with its new and expanded home along the New Orleans Lakefront.
In addition to the new location, FCF organizers are excited to unveil a variety of new festival partners and sponsored experiences, including a perfectly-aligned partnership with 2022 major sponsor, Heinz, boasting some of America’s most beloved food brands and condiments enhancing flavors and overall dining experiences across the globe since 1869. In a statement regarding their participation in the festival, the Heinz team said, “We are excited to be partnering with The National Fried Chicken Festival for its fifth-anniversary of this event. FCF has done a great job bringing together amazing restaurants, food, and people in New Orleans and we look forward to being a part of it!”
Other sponsor-led experiences debuting at this year’s FCF include the Merchant Marketplace presented by New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund (NOTCF), where attendees can peruse arts, crafts, wears, and more from local artisans and designers that embody New Orleans’ rich culture and vibrant business community; and the Community Corner presented by Capital One Bank, which will feature several amazing local nonprofit organizations, allowing guests to learn more about the causes they support, and get involved in the impactful work they’re leading in the greater New Orleans area.
And it doesn’t stop there; keeping true to the culture and tradition of the Lakefront, FCF 2022 is also proud to announce the addition of its 1st Annual Custom Car Showcase curated by Hot Cars TV and Drive New Orleans. Custom car and fried chicken lovers alike will have a chance to get up close and personal with some of the cleanest custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles across the region during the inaugural showcase taking place on both Saturday and Sunday.
“Custom cars and trucks have always been synonymous with the New Orleans Lakefront – especially on Sundays – so it was only right that we feature them in the 2022 festival as a way to honor and celebrate this particular history of our new location,” said FCF Director of Operations Terence King.
In two more big changes from previous years, organizers have also announced that this year’s festival is going cashless and will also be ticketed, introducing an admission fee of $15 per day or $20 for a weekend pass for those ages 12 and up.
“As we’ve seen with many other local and national festivals as a result of the current economic conditions, it has become increasingly impossible to continue to produce these types of large-scale events for free,” said FCF Executive Producer Cleveland Spears III. “However, we are working closely with our many community partners to make FCF one of the most accessible ticketed festivals in our city by keeping the entry fee as affordable as possible, offering free transportation and parking for the first time, and giving away thousands of free tickets to our first responders, teachers, students, families, and nonprofits, among others.”
Back by popular demand, festival-goers will have the opportunity to upgrade their experience through the return of two luxurious VIP offerings: Chicken & Champagne VIP Lounge Presented by Chandon, and the Royalty VIP Lounge presented by Crown Royal. Both general admission and VIP tickets are now available for purchase on the festival’s website.
And while there’s no shortage of new making its way to the fifth annual festival, attendees of FCF can continue to expect all the things they’ve come to know and love over the last four years, including access to 30 chefs and restaurants from across the U.S., a top-tier entertainment line-up of musical performances and cooking demonstrations across three stages, the return of the Best Fried Chicken Contest, Best Use of Chicken in a Dish Contest and the naming of this year’s Culinary Icon Award.
Since its founding in 2016, FCF has been bringing people together around a shared love of great food, music, and culture to create a truly memorable experience for all.
FCF 2022 is made possible thanks to the generous support of festival sponsors, including Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Heinz, New Orleans Tourism and Culture Fund, AT&T, Crown Royal, New Orleans & Company, Capital One Bank, Delgado Community College, Chandon, Louisiana Lottery, and Lakefront Management Authority, as well as media partners WWL-TV, The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, OUTFRONT MEDIA, iHeart Media, WBOK 1230am, and Where Y’at.
The National Fried Chicken Festival Presented by Raising Cane’s is produced by the Spears Group and Festivals for Good.
