Cookin’ in Central March 22-23

The 16th Annual Cooking in Central Festival will be held Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 at Amazing Place, 10305 Blackwater Road in the City of Central.

Founded after 9/11 by local contractor Louis DeJohn as a way to help New York City, the festival has grown and evolved over the years.

What remains the same is great food and entertainment that bring the Central community together for a good cause.

Cooking in Central is now an official festival which partners with the City of Central.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Cooking in Central will open at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22.

The Central Jazz Band will provide lively entertainment.

Guests will begin sampling the food which will include a seafood plate, hamburgers, and hot dogs.

The auction will begin at 6:30.

The Rouge Crew Band will play beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Activities will continue until closing time at 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

On Saturday, March 23, the festival will open at 12 noon.

There will be special entertainment for kids from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The Chris LeBlanc Band will perform starting at 3:30 p.m.

Judging for the Cook-Off will begin at 4 p.m.

Dinner will be served starting at 5 p.m.  Guests will choose from jambalaya, pork roast, pork ribs, and barbecued ribs.

At 6 p.m. winners will be announced and raffles will be held. The Chee Weez Band will perform starting at 7:30 p.m.

The festival will close at 10:30.

Cooking in Central began after the attack on New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Thousands of people died in the attack and in the aftermath.  One of the agencies hardest hit was the New York Fire Department.  Many firefighters were injured or killed.

A lot of the NYFD firetrucks were destroyed.  Louis DeJohn and many of his friends and employees wanted to help and decided the best way was to donate brand new fire trucks to the New York City Fire Department.  The units were built in Livingston Parish and delivered to New York.  Ever since then, Cooking in Central has raised money for a variety of worthwhile causes in Central and across Louisiana. Those efforts continue.