36th Annual Festival of the Bonfires

OFFICIAL RULES & GUIDELINES

We would like to thank you for your continued support of the Festival of the Bonfires and for keeping our St. James tradition burning bright. Bon Appetit!

 

Our Creed
Rules and regulations are designed to be fair and equal to all competitors. Integrity of the cook, assistants, participants, spectators and the organizers is essential to a fair and impartial contest.

 

GENERAL STATEMENTS

The 2025 Annual Bread Pudding Bake-Off is open to all ages. The person who bakes the First Place Bread Pudding will be crowned Best Bread Pudding of St. James Parish.

NOTE: You are not required to be a citizen of St. James Parish to own this prestigious title.

BAKE-OFF & JUDGING DATE: Friday, December 12, 2025

 

SUBMISSION: Deadline: Bread Pudding must be submitted on festival grounds by 2:00 pm on Friday, December 12, 2025

OFFICIAL RULES & GUIDELINES

 The following rules and guidelines must be followed by all bake-off participants and/or assistants.

1.  You must bake your Bread Pudding in a disposable steam tray/aluminum pan.
2. You must purchase your own Bread Pudding ingredients or obtain a sponsor to purchase ingredients. Your Bread Pudding will be considered a donation to the Festival of the Bonfires.
3. You must make your Bread Pudding away from the festival grounds. (For example, your home, office or any other location you choose.)
4. It is recommended that you bake your Bread Pudding on Friday, December 12, 2025. Baking on Thursday, December 11, 2025 will be acceptable, however, please do not do so prior to Thursday, December 11, 2025 for food safety concerns. NOTE: The Board & Committee of the Festival of the Bonfires expects that you follow general food safety rules while preparing and baking your Bread Pudding.
5. Your Bread Pudding must be submitted on festival grounds by 2:00 pm on Friday, December 12, 2025. Your Bread Pudding can be delivered to the festival grounds warm or cold (baker’s choice).  If you choose to submit “warm” Bread Pudding and it is your wish that judges taste the Bread Pudding while warm, the festival committee members will accommodate your request.
6. A representative of the Festival of the Bonfires will be available to accept your pan of Bread Pudding under the Lutcher Park pavilion. At this time you will be issued an identification letter, such as A, B, C. From this point on your Bread Pudding will be identified as and referred to by your respective letter.
7. Entries are sealed at the time of submission and identification. Entries are sealed and remain sealed until judging is complete.
8. A sufficient number of samples will be collected from your Bread Pudding pan and transferred to the judges’ tent. The remaining Bread Pudding will be sampled and set aside at the “Gumbo Tickets” booth to be served as dessert on festival grounds on the evening of Friday, December 12, 2025.
9. Judging will begin at approximately 5:00 pm on Friday, December 12, 2025 on festival grounds. The judges will taste (and re-taste if necessary) the entries and scoring will be documented in a formal manner. Appearance and texture are encouraged, but we are looking for the Bread Pudding that tastes “Mmm, great!” NOTE: Judging of Bread Pudding is based on taste.
10. The top three (3) scoring entries will be tallied, First Place being the Bread Pudding with the highest overall score.
11. First, Second, and Third Place winners will be awarded the annual trophies. Announcement of results and awards will occur on festival grounds at the main stage at approximately 8:00 pm on Friday, December 12, 2025.

 

Contact Jamie Vicknair at (504) 491-4274 or jvick623@gmail.com with any questions.