This Friday on Oak Street, you can watch a 300-foot-long ham po-boy being built, one whole loaf at a time, and then take part in the group effort to devour it. That spectacle, however, is mere prelude to the main act on Sunday.
That’s when the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival returns, and once again presents a pantheon of po-boy creativity along a seven-block stretch here.
![Oak Street Po-boy Fest 2018](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=150%2C110 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=200%2C146 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=225%2C165 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=300%2C220 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=400%2C293 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=540%2C395 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=640%2C468 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/f6/0f627c9e-61c6-540f-940c-7b81a8f791cc/5cfe8e9f2819e.image.jpg?resize=720%2C527 750w)
Andrew McCord and Emily Sehrt enjoy po-boys at the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival in New Orleans. (Dinah Rogers Photo)
While Friday’s 300-foot po-boy will be remarkable in its scale, the 30-plus vendors taking part in this year’s festival on Sunday will bring po-boys that range from traditional to wild.
The escargot po-boy from NOLA Boils is back, for instance, and there’s a fried lobster po-boy again, this time from Voleo’s (picking up the mantle from past vendor GW Fins).
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The Po-Boy Fest in New Orleans features an escargot po-boy from NOLA Boils. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Seafood Sally’s has a barbecue pork jowl po-boy, and a shrimp one tossed with chili butter. The Swinel Richie Charity BBQ team (of Hogs for the Cause fame) will bring a fried porchetta po-boy and “the Chub,” with homemade bologna and (not homemade) American cheese.
How about a calamari Parmesan po-boy? Brocato’s Catering has you covered.
See below for details on this po-boy packed day (which, yes, is the Saints bye week). But first, there’s Friday.
Ham it up Friday
![parkway1](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=150%2C104 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=200%2C138 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=225%2C156 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=300%2C207 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=400%2C276 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=540%2C373 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=640%2C442 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/25/125c51a3-b19a-585c-8325-4d2b5825ca56/5dd755cb04795.image.jpg?resize=722%2C499 750w)
Justin Kennedy of Parkway Bakery & Tavern in New Orleans prepares a 200-foot-long shrimp po-boy at the Biloxi Seafood Festival in Mississippi.
Overseeing Friday’s gigantic po-boy block party is a man with specific experience in such undertakings.
Justin Kennedy, of Parkway Tavern & Bakery, has presided over 300-foot po-boys in the past for events at his own restaurant, and he’s coaching this one.
![NO.parkway.033022.02.jpg](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=150%2C186 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=200%2C249 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=225%2C280 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=300%2C373 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=400%2C497 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=540%2C671 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=640%2C796 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=750%2C932 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1231 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1287 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1492 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/09/609a2630-b598-53ba-af7f-30954401a3aa/6243a6e0d9022.image.jpg?resize=1291%2C1605 1333w)
A 300-foot-long po-boy is assembled at Parkway Bakery & Tavern in 2022 as a fundraiser for Hogs for the Cause. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune)
Assembly begins at 10 a.m. on the street outside the Maple Leaf Bar (8316 Oak St.). The po-boy should be ready around noon, when it will be available for the public to sample, free of charge.
The giant po-boy, using Chisesi ham and bread from the John Gendusa Bakery, is billed as a kickoff to Sunday’s festival.
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The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival in New Orleans in 2022 filled its namesake street with crowds out to sample different po-boys. (Photo by Scott Threlkeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
For vendors taking part, though, Po-Boy Fest preparations started long ago, and they often begin with a concept made to stand out.
Competitive juices, gravy
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Jason Seither has built a multi-faceted business around local seafood from his Harahan restaurant Seither's. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Po-Boy Fest is a feast, but for vendors it’s also a competition. Winners in various categories get bragging rights, and sometimes the po-boys they create end up on their permanent menus.
Jason Seither, of Seither’s Seafood, credits early appearances at Po-Boy Fest with making his Harahan restaurant what it is today.
“It’s like Mardi Gras day for us; we all go out there and have a blast celebrating our city’s sandwich,” Seither said.
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The "Voodoo Fish & Chips Po-Boy" from Seither's Seafood won Best Specialty Po-Boy at the 2019 Po-Boy Fest in New Orleans. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
This year, he’s bringing a roast beef po-boy with thin, crunchy potato sticks, and bringing back a past winner, “the "Voodoo fish & chips po-boy" with blackened redfish, slaw and a layer of Zapp’s Voodoo chips.
While Seither has been part of Po-Boy Fest for many years, the 2023 lineup includes numerous new vendors.
![NO.mrmao.liv.110321_220.JPG](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C889 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C985 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/7d/a7dc865f-9741-516c-9d97-184a46399ed2/617c400214413.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1176 2008w)
Chef Sophina Uong runs Mister Mao restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
What kind of po-boy do you think the genre-defying “tropical roadhouse” restaurant Mister Mao would bring for its debut? The answer is twofold: a Tunisian smoked tuna po-boy with lemon, olives and spicy harissa, and a chicken al pastor po-boy with pineapple hot sauce and cotija mayo.
Moe’s Original BBQ is also debuting with the “gobble wobble,” a Thanksgiving po-boy with white barbecue sauce, and a rendition of the Cuban sandwich, also with white barbecue sauce (Moe’s roots are in Alabama, after all, home of white barbecue sauce).
Gonzo’s Smokehouse & BBQ, the exceptional Texas-style barbecue restaurant out by the levee in Luling (open Fridays only), will be back at the festival for the second year.
![poboy fest gonzos](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=225%2C161 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=400%2C286 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=540%2C386 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=640%2C457 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=750%2C536 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=990%2C707 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C739 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C857 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C952 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1054 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/44/b44642ca-5ed7-11ed-b002-d7eb4a4dfe0a/6369658d8dfc8.image.jpg?resize=1703%2C1216 2008w)
The smoked beef cheek po-boy from Gonzo's BBQ and Smokehouse at the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival on Nov. 6, 2022. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
In 2022, Gonzo’s won the best specialty category for its smoked beef cheek po-boy. This year, pitmaster Jason Gonzales is upping the ante with a po-boy filled with beef belly burnt ends, richly imbued with smoke and fat and pepper, on a Dong Phuong loaf.
“People love the beef belly burnt ends at the restaurant, so let’s put it on a po-boy loaf; it’s as simple as that,” Gonzales said.
![gonzosjason1](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=150%2C103 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=200%2C137 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=225%2C155 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=300%2C206 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=400%2C275 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=540%2C371 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=640%2C440 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=750%2C515 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=990%2C680 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C711 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C824 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C916 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1014 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07a6e228-25cb-11eb-9175-6f6cd431cda0/5faeb0c315888.image.jpg?resize=1737%2C1193 2008w)
Jason Gonzalez by his smokers, dubbed Mabel and Patsy, at Gonzo's Smokehouse & BBQ in Luling.
Meatless po-boys are also in the mix from the vegan bakery Breads on Oak, Voodoo Vegan (which won best meatless category last year for the fried oyster mushroom po-boy) and Blessed Sacrament/St. Joan of Arc Church (with a vegetarian eggplant Parm).
See updates to the festival menu at poboyfest.com/food-vendors.
How it works
![NO.poboyfest.110722.001.jpg](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=150%2C104 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=200%2C139 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=225%2C156 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=300%2C208 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=400%2C278 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=540%2C375 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=640%2C444 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=750%2C520 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=990%2C687 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C718 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C833 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C925 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1024 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/0b/70b905cb-68e4-5aed-a26e-382e683ccc3f/636846fc7b6c0.image.jpg?resize=1728%2C1199 2008w)
People course between booths at 14th Oak Street Po-Boy Festival in New Orleans in 2022, which features the popular New Orleans sandwich. (Photo by Scott Threlkeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Festival admission is free for the music areas and street scene and a wristband purchase is required to buy food from vendors. It’s a unique format, and one that keeps the festival ostensibly free while still generating revenue as local events face rising fees and production costs.
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Mayo dreams come true at the 14th Oak Street Po-Boy Festival in New Orleans in 2022. (Photo by Scott Threlkeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
As always, the setting is an important part of the festival. It transforms Oak Street’s historic, low-rise corridor of shops and offices into an open-air food court. Many of these businesses take part with their own food and drink offerings.
Oak Street is lined with various music areas and stages, including a piano truck and a new stage at Dante Street, dubbed “Urban South on Oak” with a draft beer truck from Urban South Brewing. One stage is now at the end of Oak Street by Eagle Street this year, stretching the festival out a bit more (you’ll find Mister Mao and Moe’s near this stage). George Porter Jr. headlines the festival, with a 4 p.m. set on the Leonidas Street stage.
Also new this year is a Kids’ Zone run by the School of Rock music school (at Joliet and Zimple streets).
The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
Sunday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Oak Street from South Carrollton Avenue to Eagle Street
300-ft. Po-boy Block Party is Friday (Nov. 17), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at, free admission.
Free entry, $10 wristband required to buy food; $25 "fast pass" for faster access to food booths; $125 tickets for indoor VIP lounge with food and drink and fast pass access.
Details and tickets at poboyfest.com.