Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival

Now this is a Bite and Booze event that is not to be missed!

The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the fourth annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival, which will take place at a new location on the banks of the Mississippi River at River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans on April 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m. Featuring a crawfish competition, Louisiana beer garden, local music, and children’s entertainment, this family-friendly festival will benefit the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.

“My husband Drew embraced life and believed that cancer would not win each day,” said Mary Kathryn Rodrigue, Chairman of the Board of the Drew Rodrigue Foundation. “This event is in homage to that passion for life, an opportunity for us to change the lives of others, while celebrating moments with friends and family.”

Proceeds from this event will support the Foundation’s many charitable projects. The Foundation’s mission is to change the lives of individuals who have stared their adversities in the face and have bravely decided to suit up and march onto the playing field of life and show others that giving up is not an option.

Growing rapidly in its first few years, the event will move from its original location at Jesuit High School
to the River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, where over fifty teams from around the region will compete for the titles of “Best Crawfish” and “Best Lagniappe.” The festival will also feature local craft beer and a cask-aged beer garden, hosted by the recently formed Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild, with participation from all seven of Louisiana’s breweries: Abita, Bayou Teche, Chafunkta, Covington, NOLA, Parish, and Tin Roof. “The Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild is honored to be a part of Bugs & Brew in our inaugural year,” said Conrad Rolling, Executive Director of the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild. “It’s a fantastic chance to celebrate the exceptional craft beer that Louisiana breweries are producing, while supporting a great cause.”

In addition to the crawfish boil-off and beer garden, Bugs & Brew will feature the musical talents of Papa Grows Funk, Honey Island Swamp Band, Johnny Sketch, and Stone Rabbits. Kids can enjoy face painting, and there will also be a raffle, with the opportunity to take home gift certificates to local restaurants, local artwork, vacation packages at hotels along the Gulf Coast, and more. Admission to the festival is FREE. Advance VIP tickets can be purchased online for $50 until April 15 at www.bugsandbrew.com, or after April 16, for $60. Also known as the Cajun Pass, this ticket allows you to eat and drink all day. Separate drink and food tickets will also be sold at the event. Enthusiast Members of the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild receive a $10 discount.