LAFAYETTE, La. — The smell of smoked meats, simmering seafood, and sweet desserts filled Blackham Coliseum as teams with decades of culinary experience gathered for the fifth annual Fin Feather Fur Food Festival — a tradition that blends Louisiana cookery with community support.
“I’ve been doing this, not just this event but other events like it, for close to 40 years,” said Lynn Gothreaux, a longtime festival participant.
This year’s festival once again raised funds for the Team Gleason Foundation, which supports individuals living with ALS. Participants said the spirit of giving is at the event’s heart.
Gothreaux, with a lifetime spent around food, showcased a standout dish that drew praise from the crowd. “I never was raised on a lot of seafood being from the country south of Lake Charles, but when you taste this, it is unbelievable,” he said.
One taster quickly agreed, declaring it “amazing; 12 out of 10! A million out of 10.”
For Stephanie Hill, the festival is a source of comfort and connection. Hill, whose husband cooked alongside her at this same competition before his passing, keeps the tradition alive each year. “We cooked together, we had a cooking team together, and cooking is my therapy — it helps me have a connection to him,” Hill said.
Behind every dish and every story is a commitment to making a difference. “I’m going to get them a sponsorship to get the front where I can cook for everybody, and we did that for 30 years, so I got to shake a lot of hands and I know the money goes to education, I know it goes to scholarships, I know it goes to labs,” said Joe Benard, co-chairman of the Steve Gleason Foundation.
Organizers say the event has always been about lending a hand and bringing neighbors together in support of a cause. “We always gave back, we always helped, that’s the way we were raised; somebody need help and they’d call or asked, we help. So I’ve always been a giving person,” Benard said.
With every bite, the festival continues to strengthen community bonds and raise critical funds for those in need.
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