Support Coastal Restoration With a Cook-Off
This year's Cook-Off for the Coast event will take place on February 28 at 11 a.m. in Violet, Louisiana.
Head down to Docville Farm to get your pick of culinary sampling as chefs face off to attain your votes, while also helping to promote coastal restoration.
Event Details
The event—including food, entertainment, and informational booths on coastal restoration—celebrates Louisiana's culinary ingenuity, while also pairing it with an awareness of the state's land loss crisis.
While event entry is free, any proceeds from purchases within the venue will benefit the coastal workforce. Associated restoration projects include: the Coastal Studies Scholarship at Nunez Community College, the Chandeleur Sound Living Shoreline Program, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Restoration Programs, the St. Bernard Parish 4H Black Mangrove Program, and the St. Bernard Wetlands Foundation.
Sample various dishes as chefs cook live for guests, specifically fish and wild game dishes. The entertainment will feature traditional Louisiana band T Marie & Bayou Juju.
Event Hosts
The event is hosted by the Meraux Foundation, which works exclusively with St. Bernard Parish in order to uphold local environmental, economic, and educational programs.
The Vanishing Paradise program also
hosts the cook-off, promoting their initiative that was founded in 2009. This is a
project by the National Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited, which advocate
for a restored and protected Mississippi River Delta.
Also in connection to the river, Restore the Mississippi River Delta works towards proactively rebuilding Louisiana's landscape.
Cook-Off For the Coast's Past Events
Over the years, the event has had various editions, including virtual, wild game, and wild hog versions. Since its founding in 2017, the event has shared free bites and entertainment on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Each event has five eligible categories for winning, with chefs being recognized for different skills and cooking styles. In 2025, teams won in the categories of swims, crawls, flies, student, and crowd favorite dishes.
