The National Fried Chicken Festival

05/01/2026

Attention small business owners 🔈 the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation Merchant Marketplace is returning to the Lakefront this fall, and we want YOU to be a part of it! Visit our website to learn more and apply to showcase your unique products at . Applications are open now through August 1st—don’t miss out on this game-changing opportunity.

friedchickenfestival.com/notcf-vendor-marketplace/

04/23/2026

Kicking off with a 💥 which booths are y’all hitting first this year?!

04/09/2026

Big events don’t happen by accident.

They’re built by teams that can think strategically, execute creatively, and deliver at scale.

Throwing it back to this behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce one of the largest and most prominent food festivals in the country. From marketing and branding to logistics, operations, and everything in between—it’s all powered by Spears Group.

As we head into the 10th anniversary of The National Fried Chicken Festival this fall, we’re raising the bar once again. New ideas. Bigger moments. Same unforgettable experience.

Trust us, you won’t want to miss what’s coming.

👀🍗🎶

04/01/2026

🚨 BIG NEWS, CHICKEN FAM 🚨

We’ve got something to cluck about… the National Fried Chicken Festival has been named a finalist in the international Shorty Awards competition for Best Campaign by a Diverse-Owned Business 🎉

We’re going up against some of the best in the country, and we need your help to bring home the Audience Honor at the upcoming awards gala in NYC.

All it takes is a few minutes to:
👉 Click the link below and create an account
👉 Cast your vote once per day through April 8th

Let’s rally and win this thang 🍗🏆
shortyawards.com/18th/2025-national-fried-chicken-festival-presented-by-raising-canes?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ6Vz5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFjc3psVUZhM29NMTY0SzhUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvxO-d6MYStlzevLhpIiiJEHmC2DCrt8s6ZDROKxPTRw0FNZHz-yVBztKLLC_aem_dtcclDyN_nxhlQvJf2SY6g

03/17/2026

A New Orleans Entrepreneur Week Founder Story brought to you by one of the best in the biz—our very own Cleveland Spears III

01/16/2026

Oh, y’all wanna talk about 2016? Let’s go ahead and run it ALL the way back to the first-ever Fried Chicken Festival in Lafayette Square! Raise your hand if you’ve been rockin with us since year ☝️

01/15/2026

Some BIG news from our friends at Bonafried Truck! Your favorite chicken sandwich now has a permanent home with the soft opening of their new restaurant at 301 Grand Route St. John. 🎉🐔 Stop by for lunch and show them some love.

www.nola.com/entertainment_life/ian_mcnulty/bonafried-restaurant-location/article_0fada868-3880-4dd9-bd39-3d30889d501f.html

01/06/2026

11/04/2025

Please join us in sending a massive congratulations to two of our 2025 vendors on their MICHELIN Guide nods! lufu_nola received the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for offering great food at a great value, and Addis Nola was named a MICHELIN Recommended Restaurant.

These restaurants represent the rich blend of cultural influences that make our festival and the entire American South so special. Cheers to their teams and all the other local eateries who made the list! guide.michelin.com/us/en/campania/nola/restaurants

10/21/2025

The FCF 2025 recap video has officially dropped! And the love we felt out on the Lakefront this year will keep us smiling until next October.

To all of our vendors, sponsors, team members and attendees — THANK YOU for an unforgettable weekend.