Lick your lips for 'A Taste of Louisiana' at Hoover Met

If you like jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee or red beans and rice, Hoover Metropolitan Stadium may be the place for you Saturday, Oct. 27.

The Greater Birmingham LSU Alumni Association is holding its third annual “A Taste of Louisiana” event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the stadium concourse.

For $15, visitors can make the rounds to sample all kinds of Louisiana food cooked by teams competing to see who is the best. Proceeds benefit scholarships to Birmingham area students headed to LSU and the Sid Strong Foundation, which raises money and awareness to fight pediatric cancer.

The Sid Strong Foundation was named in honor of Mountain Brook resident Sid Ortiz, who died battling cancer at the age of 16 in 2015. He was an avid LSU fan.

“It’s just having a good time, Louisiana-style, for a good cause,” said Debbie Greengard, the publicity chairwoman for the event. “It’s a lot of fun.”

In addition to the food tasting, there will be music and, hopefully, dancing again by the Birmingham Cajun Zydeco Association, Greengard said. There also will be inflatables and face painting for children, a raffle and an auction, she said.

“Last year, it was freezing cold outside and raining, and we were really surprised with the crowd,” Greengard said. “We had a really good turnout.”

The event raised about $3,000 to $3,500 for the Sid Strong Foundation and about an equal amount for college scholarships, she said. Around 400 to 500 people showed up, which roughly doubled the crowd from the first year, she said.

Tickets are $15, but children 12 and younger get in free. Tickets can be obtained at lsubirmingham.org or at the gate.

Individuals, companies or restaurants interested in forming teams should contact Austin Hatch at 801-941-1874 or austinphatch@gmail.com. The cost to enter a team is $100 for amateurs and $250 for professional teams. Awards will be given for best main entrée, best dessert and best overall.