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 Potato Salad 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: Potato Salad 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 showdown participants and/or assistants.

1.  You must make at least 5 pounds of Potato Salad.
2. You must purchase your own Potato Salad ingredients or obtain a sponsor to purchase ingredients. Your Potato Salad will be considered a donation to the Festival of the Bonfires.
3. You must make your Potato Salad away from the festival grounds. (For example, your home, office or any other location you choose.)
4. It is recommended that you make your Potato Salad on Friday, December 12, 2025. Cooking 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 Potato Salad.
5. Your Potato Salad must be submitted on festival grounds by 2:00 pm on Friday, December 12, 2025.
6. A representative of the Festival of the Bonfires will be available to accept your pan of Potato Salad 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 Potato Salad 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 Potato Salad dish and transferred to the judges’ tent. The remaining Potato Salad will be sampled and set aside at the “Gumbo Tickets” booth to be served as a side 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 Potato Salad that tastes “Mmm, great!” NOTE: Judging of Potato Salad is based on taste.
10. The top three (3) scoring entries will be tallied, First Place being the Potato Salad 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.