Farmers’ market celebrating 15 years with ‘Tailgating Throwdown’

If you can’t make it to Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5 for the LSU-Alabama football game, Red Stick Farmers Market wants you tailgate downtown from 8 a.m. to noon to help them celebrate 15 years in Baton Rouge. For its first-ever “Tailgating Throwdown,” the farmers’ market is hosting individual and team cooking competitions with emphasis on local ingredients from the market. Winning categories include the best use of local ingredients, a people’s choice award and Tailgating Throwdown Champion. There is a $100 entry fee per team, with no limit to the number of team members. The fee includes $20 worth of farmers’ market tokens, which teams can use to purchase ingredients from local vendors. Shoppers can purchase a $15 tasting bracelet to sample the tailgating fare and vote for the people’s choice award winner. Each team is required to incorporate two local ingredients into their dish, one of which must be a fruit or vegetable. Entry guidelines and forms can be found here. The deadline for team entries is Saturday. In addition to the cooking competition, there will be live music, kid-friendly activities, and a cake to celebrate the 15th anniversary.