Beignets With a Mission

New Orleans' favorite fried dough piled high with pizzazz, live local music that'll have you dancing all day long, a Kid's Village to keep the little ones' bodies and minds active...it's impossible to deny that Beignet Fest is all in good fun, but did you know it's also for a great cause?

Three years ago, the New Orleans food festival scene was growing rapidly, but somehow the beignet hadn't yet been given its own day in the sun. When organizers hit upon the notion of basing a food festival on the city's iconic beignet, founder Sherwood Collins said it was “novel but obvious.” The same description might be applied to the festival's cause: expanding availability of resources for developmentally challenged children and their families.

It's the kind of cause that, unless it touches your life, you might not have much occasion to consider, but Collins and his wife, Amy, are trying to change that through their non-profit Tres Doux Foundation, which uses the proceeds from Beignet Fest to fund grants for Autism Spectrum Disorder programs and help raise awareness. The effort is a personal as well as a community-driven one for Amy and Sherwood, who were confronted by the lack of easily-accessible resources in the area when their own son was diagnosed with Autism.

“We've been incredibly lucky to have been blessed with all possible support and opportunities,” says Collins, “and it can still be hard. We wanted to make sure anyone who might not have had the same chances can still get whatever help they might need.”

Collins is thrilled with the community's enthusiasm and with the impact Tres Doux has been able to make so far with proceeds from Beignet Fest. The Foundation is currently focused on Greater New Orleans, but the hope is to one day expand in scope, reaching a wider area and building more fundraising sources.

With over 30 beignet-centric dishes both sweet and savory at Beignet Fest on Saturday, October 6, there's no excuse not to heap your plate high—it's literally raising dough for children's futures. Admission is free, but VIP passes are available, complete with delectable perks such as a premium seating area, complimentary beignets from Café du Monde, and more.  For more information about Beignet Fest and Tres Doux, visit beignetfest.com.