Schedule:

September 19, 2024

Louisiana's Celebrity Chefs Wine Dinner

A gourmet food lover’s experience with a six-course dinner, featuring a host of Louisiana’s most celebrated chefs. Many guest chefs will include James Beard Foundation award-winning and nominated chefs will prepare a memorable feast, each chef’s course expertly paired with the perfect wine. A once in a lifetime dining experience, with very limited ticket availability. Louisiana’s Celebrity Chefs Wine Dinner is a fundraising dinner to benefit the Culinary Arts program at SOWELA.

Jackson Family Wines vast portfolio of wines will be expertly paired with each course of “Louisiana’s Best Chefs Wine Dinner”. Jackson Family Wines is a wine company headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. At 6 million cases sold per year, it is the ninth-largest wine producer in the United States.[1] Jackson Family Wines includes 40 brands, sourced from vineyards and wineries in California, Oregon, the Bordeaux region in France, Tuscany in Italy, Australia, Chile and South Africa.[2][3] It controls 50,000 acres in the United States and is the largest owner of coastal vineyards in California and Oregon.

Location: L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles. 777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles, LA 70601

Time: 6:00 pm Cocktail Reception, 7:00 pm Dinner

Tickets: $225 per person.

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September 20, 2024

Louisiana Inspired Master Classes

Interactive and intimate learning experiences with celebrity guest chefs, cookbook authors and beverage experts. Each class includes tasting bites with a paired wine, beer, or signature cocktail.

Schedule:

10:30 am - 11:30 am: “The Perfect Wine & Oyster Pairings” with David Reuss, Advanced Sommelier, Jackson Family Wines and Ryan Anderson, aka “Oyster Daddy” - Little Moon Oyster Ranch, Grand Isle, LA.

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: “The Art of Making Southern-Style Collard Greens with cookbook Author & Celebrity Chef Jernard Wells”
Join us for an immersive culinary experience where you’ll learn the secrets to perfecting a classic Southern dish—collard greens. This master class is designed for both novice cooks and seasoned chefs who wish to explore the rich flavors and traditions of Southern cuisine.

Discover the cultural significance and history of collard greens in Southern cooking. Learn how to select the freshest collard greens and complementary ingredients, including the best types of smoked meats, seasonings, and aromatic vegetables. Master the art of cleaning, cutting, and preparing collard greens for cooking.

Come and experience the warmth and hospitality of TV host Savor the City and New Soul Kitchen Chef Jernard Southern cooking while learning to make collard greens that will become a cherished part of your recipe collection.

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: “The Freshest of Fresh Sushi: Breaking Down a Yellowfin Tuna and Savoring Varieties of Different Cuts & Flavors” with Huy Pham, Sushi Chef, Yakuza House, Metairie, LA, with a variety of the freshest of fresh, yellowfin tuna sushi cut sampling appetizers paired with a signature cocktail.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: “Créole Soirée - Put a Party in Your Mouth!” with Sheri Raleigh-Yearby, Chef Instructor, Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, Waco, TX. Enjoy the bold melt-in-your-mouth flavors of traditional Southwest Louisiana Créole Cuisine and don’t forget the Lagniappe and a special Tequila-Mezcal educational class/pairings!

Time: 10:30 am - 4:00 pm

Location: SOWELA Technical Community College - Culinary, Gaming & Hospitality Building, 3841 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Ave Lake Charles, LA 70615

Tickets: $79 per person per class

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Fire on the Lake

A showcase of the south’s most celebrated chefs, Pitmasters and grill masters with live music and wine, beer and spirits along Lake Charles. Enjoy unlimited food and beverage tastings with a souvenir glass. A variety of culinary creations will be available, from the freshest Louisiana Seafood options to select meats – along with vegetarian options. Delicious grilled, roasted and smoked gourmet tasting bites will be showcased, including options for all palates.

“Taste of Louisiana Alley”
presented by, Explore Louisiana and Louisiana Seafood

In Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, just 35 miles south of New Orleans, is an authentic Cajun lifestyle unlike any other. This unapologetic culture of Lafourche Parish is all up and down the Bayou, and is filled with outdoor experiences like fishing and swamp tours, Cajun food and music, and festival celebrations. Our Cajun runs just a little bit deeper than the rest of the state, and it shows up at every bend in the Bayou.

Indulge in Ruston-Lincoln Parish, a thriving college town with a culinary scene that delivers a mix of fresh, bold flavors. Delight in a local culinary adventure, from Cajun and Middle-Eastern to slow-smoked BBQ and Southern classics. While you’re here, immerse yourself in interactive attractions, rich public art, local museums, outdoor adventures, and our charming downtown district. Savor the unexpected in Louisiana’s College Town.

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: 1111 Bord du Lac Park, Bord du Lac Dr., Lake Charles, 70601

Tickets: $109 per person

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September 21, 2024

Louisiana Food & Wine Festival, Grand Tasting

A fun afternoon of culinary and beverage tastings, with live music in the beautiful surroundings of Lake Charles, along the Bord du Lac. Tickets are all-inclusive for food and beverage tastings, including a souvenir glass for unlimited beverage tastings from hundreds of wines, beer and spirits exhibitors and samplings from some of Louisiana’s best chefs.

Enjoy food and beverage artisan booths, live music, cooking demonstration stages and the Best Taste Awards, Presented by Acadiana Profile Magazine and Louisiana Seafood!

Rouses Markets Cooking Demo Stage

4:15 - 4:45 pm: Rouses Markets Chef

5:00 - 5:30 pm: Jernard Wells, Award-Winning TV Host, CLEO TV “New Soul Kitchen”, Celebrity Chef/Best-Selling Author

5:45 - 6:15 pm: Paul Fehribach, Executive Chef/Partner and Author, Big Jones, Chicago, IL, Eight-time semi-finalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes, James Beard Foundation Award

6:30 - 7:00 pm: Amanda Cusey, Executive Chef, The Terrace at Lake Area Adventures, Lake Charles, LA

Location: 1111 Bord du Lac Park, Bord du Lac Dr., Lake Charles, 70601

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September 22, 2024

Sunday Jazz Brunch

This lively Jazz Brunch is one like no other, with an all-inclusive priced ticket featuring unlimited beverage tastings with a souvenir glass, live Jazz music, a lavish brunch with carving stations, Louisiana Seafood stations, made-to-order omelet stations, variety of desserts and more. A variety of the festival’s official beverage partners will participate with an impressive Bloody Mary Bar, Mimosas, sparkling wines, sprits, wine and beer and more. A fantastic festival finale event!

Featuring Live Music from The Jairus Daigle Network

Time:  Seating One: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm,  Seating Two: 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Location: SOWELA Technical Community College

Tickets: $119 per person

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Date: September 19 - 22, 2024

Location:

Various Venue in Lake Charles, LA 70615

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