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Get ready, Baton Rouge — Poppa Earle’s Tailgate Festival 2025 is here! This isn’t just another cookoff; it’s a full-on community celebration with food, music, games, and a whole lot of tailgate pride. Best of all, it’s free for the public to attend, and we’ll be awarding over $5,000 in trophies and prizes to our cookoff champions.

We all know nothing brings people together quite like food, and this festival makes sure you get your fill. Attendees can snag a $25 Food Pass at the gate, which gives you all-you-can-taste access to every dish served by our competing teams. Think of it like a golden ticket — except instead of chocolate, it’s endless gumbo and tailgate favorites. Every bite also makes a difference: all food pass proceeds will be donated to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, helping feed families across 11 parishes.

This year’s competition is a two-part culinary battle where teams will stir, season, and smoke their way to glory.   You must prepare two (2) dishes and teams of all kinds may enter — businesses, friend groups, or your cousin’s legendary backyard tailgate crew. Full cook-off rules at the bottom of the page.  Each team must bring their A-game with two dishes:

• Dish 1:  The Gumbo Dish – Judged by a panel of celebrity judges (rumor has it they’re just as tough as your grandma when it comes to roux)
• Dish 2:  The Tailgate Dish – Served to the crowd, who will cast their votes with their taste buds

Winners will be crowned in both categories, but only the team with the highest combined score will walk away with the ultimate bragging rights: Best Tailgate of the South.   Trophies and prizes awarded in all 3 categories.  Spots are limited, so sign up fast — because no one wants to be the team left watching from the sidelines.

Of course, Poppa Earle’s Festival isn’t just about cooking. Here’s a taste of what’s waiting for you:

• A 25-foot game-day TV screen to keep the football spirit alive.
• Live music from Blue Crab Redemption and Connor Martin Music — because good food deserves a good soundtrack.
• A full-service bar and plenty of ice-cold drinks to wash it all down.
• Kids’ games and activities so the little ones can have just as much fun as the grown-ups.
• A live and silent auction featuring autographed memorabilia from stars like Joe Burrow, Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Shaquille O'Neal, Jayden Daniels and more— with 50% of the proceeds going directly to the Food Bank. (Yes, you might just outbid your buddy for that signed Joe Burrow game helmet.)
• And of course, endless food and entertainment throughout the day.

At the heart of it all, this festival is about more than trophies and tailgates. It’s about neighbors coming together, sharing laughs over steaming bowls of gumbo, and making a real difference for families in need.

Let’s cook for a cause — together.