Everyone Can Play at Beignet Fest

The weather is cooling down and the fryers are heating up for Beignet Fest this October, and you don't even have to find a babysitter to treat yourself to a day out—the kids are more than welcome, too!

“Kids are a main focus for us, and we really are one of the most family-friendly food festivals in New Orleans,” says Sherwood Collins, founder of Beignet Fest and the Tres Doux Foundation.

While the littler ones will certainly appreciate a bite or two of the many beignets the festival has to offer, that's far from the only thing for them to enjoy. The morning's live music lineup is sure to have kids' (and many parents') hands clapping and toes tapping with favorites such as the Confetti Park Players and the Imagination Movers, but the fun doesn't stop at the stage either.

If the smell and taste of delicious beignets and the sight and sound of boppin' bands weren't enough, Ochsner Hospital for Children also hosts a Kid's Village chock-full of activities.  In keeping with the mission behind the Tres Doux Foundation and Beignet Fest—supporting children with developmental delays—the Village is a positive environment for kids of all ages and all abilities. They can engage in sensory arts and crafts, Giant Jenga, bike-powered smoothie making, and much more. There's even a “respite” tent for those who might need a break before the next round of fun. Be sure to keep an eye out; you never know when a favorite local sports mascot might make an appearance!

Thomas Harris Jr., Vice-President of Pediatrics, is proud to share in Beignet Fest's mission of educating and advocating for children with special developmental needs. This fall is an especially exciting one for the partnership in light of Oschner's newly-opened Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development, which offers multidisciplinary care and services for kids with developmental and special needs across the spectrum.

“[The center] encompasses 99% of care or more in many cases, and it's all under one roof.” says Harris. “There's nothing like it in the state.”

Clinicians from The Boh Center for Child Development will be available at the Kid's Village to chat with kids and parents and answer questions. Beignet Fest and the Kid's Village will be open 10 am– 6 pm on Saturday, October 6, and admission is free and open to the public.