Louisiana Shrimp Festival & Shrimp Aid: October 20

It’s a terrible situation that has only gotten worse. For the Louisiana shrimping industry and the fishing communities who support it, it is now becoming a matter of survival with the odds drastically stacked against them. 

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“The last few shrimp seasons have been horrible, dock prices have been extremely low and it’s financially unviable,” says Chef Dana Honn, who is a strong advocate for the Gulf of Mexico fisheries and local fishers, and who serves on Chefs Brigade’s Executive Advisory Council. “It’s a direct result of imported shrimp and it’s been exacerbated by a lack of information and also misinformation.”

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Honn says it’s time to fight back to help preserve the local shrimp community, fishing families, and celebrate our locally-caught seafood. The public must be alerted to the shrimpers’ plight, the facts about imported shrimp, and how Louisiana shrimp are the best in the world. What better way to promote this than by hosting the inaugural Louisiana Shrimp Festival & Shrimp Aid?

With a rallying cry of “SOS: Save Our Shrimpers,” the festival will be held at the Broadside (600 North Broad Street, New Orleans) on Sunday, October 20 from 11 am to 7pm, and tickets are available now. The festival will showcase award-winning musical performers, food booths from top New Orleans restaurants and pop-up vendors, along with a wide range of youth activities, offering a fun, family-friendly atmosphere for all. Chefs Brigade is a proud partner in the event.

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Similar to Farm Aid, the festival isn’t intended to be simply a good time, which it will be, but it is also meant to spotlight what is happening to our fisheries, coastal fishing towns and villages, regional fishing industry, toxic imported shrimp, and what the public can do about it. There will be an inside pavilion with a number of panels, documentaries, and discussions that will feature local fishers, chefs, industry experts, and community representatives.

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“We need to reconnect with our coastal communities,” says Honn, who owns Cafe Carmo. “And that means finding out what’s happening there and meeting these people.”

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The festival’s main stage will feature headliner Louis Michot & Swamp Magic, and other notable acts including Sunpie and the Louisiana Hotspots, Amigos do Samba, and the 79rs Gang. 

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As the organizer and a renowned chef, Honn wants to create something that separates it from other events, and he says that some of the food isn’t always the type that makes it into festivals. For instance, Greta Sushi will be offering a Japanese soup, and Los Crudos will be preparing a Mexican shrimp dish, and, of course, there will be plenty of fresh Louisiana shrimp. 

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There are a few different ticket levels such as Shrimp Star, which includes refreshments, a special viewing area for the musical acts, and schwag; and a Launch Party with Shrimp Star Fest Access that includes all the above plus a launch party with food and beverages. General admission is just $12 and there is a “pay-what-you-can” option so anyone can attend who wishes to. 

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Honn sees this first festival as a tipping point.  It can unite with others to demonstrate how dire the ongoing conditions have become for Louisiana shrimpers, fishers, the disappearing coast and coastal communities, and that we the public have a chance to seize the moment and do something about it.

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“This is the beginning of this movement, and there are other groups out there,” says Honn. “Hopefully, it will become a vehicle for other causes to join us, and then it can become national.”

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