Southerns swept the crowd vote winning both sweet and savory categories

NEW ORLEANS (Nov. 18, 2025) –The eighth annual Beignet Fest took place this past Saturday at the City Park Festival Grounds where attendees were able to taste 40 different types of beignets from more than 20 vendors and vote for their favorites in three categories – sweet, savory and traditional.

Marking their first year participating in Beignet Fest, Southerns was selected as the crowd favorite for the Best Sweet Beignet with their Crème Brûlée Beignet and Best Savory Beignet with their Spicy Chicken Beignet. Café Beignet was voted Best Traditional Beignet.

“At Beignet Fest, beignets take center stage as our incredible food vendors create outstanding twists on New Orleans’ most beloved treat,” said Sherwood Collins, co-founder and executive director of Beignet Fest and the Beignet Fest Foundation. “I am always blown away by the array of imaginative beignets our fest attendees get to experience all in one place, for one delicious day.”

A celebrity panel of judges including Tamela Gill Davis, Malik Mingo, Eating NOLA, Tam Loves to Eat, Aint that Phancy and two contest winners awarded the Judge’s Choice to Loretta’s Authentic Pralines’ Praline Beignet. Loretta’s has been a staple of the Beignet Fest since it began in 2016 winning Best Savory and Judges Choice for its Crabmeat Beignet in the past. This was the first year that the Praline Beignet received the Judges Choice.

Thanks to generous support from the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation, Beignet Fest brought a full lineup of local talent, headlined by Marc Broussard and the legendary Rebirth Brass Band. Other musical performances included the Imagination Movers, Jeffrey “Jellybean” Alexander presents KINDRED and the Prism Project.

Beignet Fest was supported by leading sponsors PJ’s Coffee, Abita Beer, The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, Gambel Communications and other local businesses.

Proceeds from Beignet Fest benefit the Beignet Fest Foundation with a mission to celebrate, embrace and empower the lives of children with autism and their families. To learn more about the Beignet Fest Foundation, visit beignetfest.com.