NOLA Happenings – Oak Street Po-Boy Festival

Yesterday was the annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival – one of those wonderful, random festivals that New Orleans throws…just ‘cause. And the beauty of this year’s was that I could actually attend! I was so tickled that I was finally in town to experience this culinary feat. It’s always on a Sunday so in the past I either wasn’t in town or was driving back to Birmingham.

So yesterday, we had actually just driven back in town so we weren’t able to go until around 4:30 p.m., which is pretty late by local standards, so a lot of vendors had run out of their most notable delicacies.

My little sis's fav sausage!

This festival had more than 30 vendors, an artist village (check out: Heather Elizabeth Designs) and three music stages with a great line-up of local favs (including one of my favs, the Honey Island Swamp Band). Despite the overcast weather, there was a great crowd of happy, full-bellied people and all the local businesses were all open and welcoming the festive faces.

The Street Car stage featuring Papa Grows Funk to close the fest.

Lines at the po-boy tents were down the block and you could spend at least 45 minutes waiting for one of your favorite vendors. They had everything from “Root beer glazed ham & cheese“ from Mahoney’s Po-boys on Magazine St. to a “Confit pork cheek po-boy with dirty rice aioli and southern-style cole slaw” from Emeril’s Delmonico to your traditional “fried shrimp” po-boy (Jacques-Imo’s had a killer one).

Line at the Jacques-Imo's tent.

It was a tough decision, but I chose a “crawfish sausage” po-boy from Vaucresson Sausage Company = yum! Can’t wait until next year…maybe I’ll be able to squeeze both lunch & dinner into the fest (and perhaps a snack in between).