The Louisiana Food & Wine Festival, a world-class culinary and beverage celebration, will take place in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 14 – 17, 2023. It will be a showcase of culinary, beverage, and music that highlights Louisiana’s unique culture and heritage, celebrity guest chefs, local chefs, celebrity winemakers/proprietors, artisans, farmers, musicians, local craft spirits and beers, along with renowned wine, spirits, and beer brands from around the world. The inaugural festival will offer a wide variety of events for all tastebuds and budgets, from wine dinners and tasting events, to master classes and more.

Additional events and details will be announced soon, as the festival is currently finalizing its full schedule of events, partners and plans for 2023, including some host locations for events. Louisiana Food & Wine Festival tickets will be available for sale on the festival’s website on Thursday, December 1, 2022. 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, along with 100% of the proceeds from a silent auction on Saturday, September 16 at the Main Event, going directly to the United Way of Southwest Louisiana.

“The Louisiana Food & Wine Festival will become a premier culinary event for the destination and the entire state of Louisiana, providing an opportunity to feature the best of Louisiana from its varied culinary trails and history, to its unique outdoor amenities, said Kyle Edmiston, President/CEO of Visit Lake Charles. We are branded as Louisiana’s Playground and are very fortunate to be the host location for the festival, as it will be an opportunity for many festival guests to experience Southwest Louisiana’s culture for the first time.”

Schedule of Events
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 – “Louisiana’s Celebrity Chef Wine Dinner” – 6:00 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Dinner, L’Auberge Casino & Resort
A gourmet food lover’s experience with a six-course dinner, featuring a host of Louisiana’s most celebrated chefs, with each course expertly paired with the perfect wine.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 – “Master Classes” 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, location TBD
A series of interactive and intimate sessions with guest celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, beverage experts, tastemakers, artisans and more.

“Lake Charles Creole Nature Trail Wine Excursion” 2:00 – 4:00 pm – A guided adventure tour with wine through the Creole Nature Trail which will allow you to explore surrounding wildlife, including alligators, birding and crabbing/ shrimping. A hands-on opportunity to experience one of America’s untamed natural wonders near Lake Charles, more details coming soon.

“Fire on the Bayou” 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Bord du Lac Park, Lake Charles, LA – A quintessential Louisiana “Cochon de Lait” and a live fire cooking extravaganza with a variety of meats, Louisiana Seafood and more – highlighted by some of the south’s most celebrated Pitmasters, chefs and grill masters. Enjoy unlimited food and wine, beer, and spirits tastings with a souvenir glass, along with live music and more, along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Charles.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 – “Louisiana Food + Wine Festival” 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Bord du Lac Park, Lake Charles, LA
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, including a souvenir glass for unlimited beverage tastings from hundreds of wines, beer and spirits exhibitors, Silent Auction, Cooking Demonstration Stages and a “A Taste of Louisiana’s Culinary Trails” with samplings from some of Louisiana’s best chefs from around the entire state.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 – “Sunday Jazz & Zydeco Brunch” 10 am – 2:30 pm, location TBD
This lively Jazz & Zydeco Brunch will be one like no other, with an all-inclusive priced ticket featuring unlimited beverage tastings with a souvenir glass, live music, a lavish brunch with carving stations, sushi, salad bars, 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!

SEPTEMBER 11 – 17 – “Festival Happenings Week”
Look for a variety of tastings, dinners and events taking place in partner restaurants, bars and more throughout Lake Charles during the week of the festival.

The Louisiana Food & Wine Festival takes place September 14 – 17, 2023 with culinary, wine, beer and spirit tasting experiences. The most up to date festival information is available on the website, Louisiana Food & Wine Festival and the festival’s social media channels Facebook and Instagram.