“In times of crisis, families come together at the table,” says Ewell Smith of the Louisiana Seafood Board. “And this enormous oil spill is our crisis. I see this festival … and others like it … as an opportunity for the community to come together and support each other because no one is in this by themselves, we’re all in this, whether we like it or not.”

Held in conjunction with the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival and the French Market’s Creole Tomato Festival, the Louisiana Seafood Festival featured Grammy award winning music and extraordinary local cuisine with chef demonstrations.

Outback Steakhouse, which consistently is a supporter of Louisiana seafood, sponsored a shrimp peeling challenge. The winner has the honor of representing Louisiana and compete against Australia’s Prawn Peeling Champion at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans on August 7.

“The festival is one way to come out for a little while and support our fishermen, support our community, and forget about this challenge for a little while and enjoy some music and enjoy some Louisiana seafood.”