As I’ve said before, king cake is my weakness. So when the city put on a festival to celebrate the king of all cakes, I went running. Plus, it’s for a good cause since this festival is put on to raise money for the Ochsner Hospital for Children. So technically, I was eating king cake for the children – win, win!

The festival is free to attend, but if you actually want to eat king cake (and why would you not?) then its one-dollar per ticket and one ticket per king cake sample. We got 10 tickets each because we wanted to sample allll the king cake. There were tons of vendors that each offered their own unique version of king cake. All of these vendors gathered together in Champion Square meant we had access to almost every version of king cake possible. I’m talking praline stuffed, berry chantilly versions, a twist of snicker doodle, cream cheese stuffed, and of course the always delicious traditional. Not to mention king cake cupcakes, donuts, ice cream, and king cake on a freaking stick! It was absolutely king cake heaven.

If you’re like me, then you might have a hard time straying from your favorite king cake place and branching out to other bakeries. If that is the case, then this is the perfect festival for you to try new places and discover what really tickles your taste buds. The samples are bite-sized so you can try plenty of new places without getting overly high on sugar. My favorite new king cake that I tried came from Cannata’s.

Of course, this festival had some pretty awesome live music. Live music plus king cake equals a very happy crowd. One of the best parts about this festival was the vibe of the crowd. Nobody was pushing and shoving. Everyone was just light hearted, feeling good, and enjoying a beautiful day in Champion Square with a mouth full of king cake. I definitely plan on trying the king cake burger next year because it sounds just crazy enough to work.

The bottom line is this: if you didn’t go this year, you should go next year. Its a relaxing, enjoyable festival that allows you to really explore all king cake possibilities. And don’t forget that it’s for a good cause ;)