Fete Rouge local response to canceled culinary festival

The Baton Rouge Epicurean Society and the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitor’s Bureau have solidified plans for the first annual Fęte Rouge: A Louisiana Celebration of Food and Wine, a three-day festival slated for Aug. 27-29 downtown. The festival was created by the BRES after the Southern Breeze Wine and Culinary festival was postponed until 2010, says Renee Areng, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the CVB. “Once we became aware that Southern Breeze was not returning this year, we asked the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society to create a wine and culinary event,” Areng says. “They accepted and Fęte Rouge is the result.” The festival will kick off with an awards banquet honoring Frank Bologna with the third annual Grace “Mama” Marino Lifetime Achievement Award on Aug. 27 at the Sheraton Atrium. Bologna, a resident of Baton Rouge for 81 years, is responsible for the success of family business Bologna Brothers Wholesale and Baton Rouge Wholesale. Proceeds from the events will benefit local childhood nutrition programs and local programs of the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society. For a full list of Fete Rouge events and prices, click here.—Emma James