THANKS FOR HAVING ME. AND FLETCHER, WE THANK YOU. WELL, YOU KNOW, WHILE SEVERAL FESTIVALS ARE WRAPPING UP ACROSS LOUISIANA TODAY, ORGANIZERS ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON ANOTHER EXCITING EVENT. THAT’S COMING UP NEXT WEEKEND. SO JOINING US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE RETURN OF THE NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN FESTIVAL, I’M WAY TOO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. AND THE EVENT’S PRODUCER, AS WELL AS PRESIDENTS OF THE NEW ORLEANS TOURISM AND CULTURAL FUND. GOOD MORNING, GUYS. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING US. ALL RIGHT. LET’S START OFF. WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT? THE FRIED CHICKEN FESTIVAL? I IMAGINE THERE’S GOING BE A LOT OF GOOD CHICKEN. THERE IS. THERE’S GOING TO BE OVER 35 RESTAURANTS MAKING THEIR OWN KIND OF UNIQUE INTERPRETIVE INTERPRETATION ON FRIED CHICKEN, A LOT ON LOUISIANA, BUT REALLY RESTAURANTS COMING IN FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND SO WE’VE GOT DIFFERENT THINGS. YOU CAN SEE IT’S NOT JUST CHICKEN, RIGHT? SO TELL ME, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS PEOPLE CAN EXPECT? YEAH. SO WE HAVE, LIKE I SAY, OVER 35 RESTAURANTS, TWO STAGES OF MUSIC. WE’RE HAVING AN INAUGURAL CAR SHOWCASE. WE KNOW THE LAKEFRONT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CUSTOM CARS. OUR CLASSES ARE BRINGING OUT GREAT ACTIVITIES AND GAMES. AND ONE OF OUR SPONSORS, NEW US TOURS AND CHLOROQUINE, HAS SOMETHING NEW THAT THE MERCHANT MARKETPLACE. YEAH. TELL US ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT’S NEW THIS YEAR. YES. THE MERCHANT MARKETPLACE IS GOING TO BE GREAT. IT’S GOING TO HOST ALL OF OUR ARTISTS AND ARTISANS. THEY’LL BE ABLE TO SELL THEIR ARTS AND CRAFTS AND MERCHANDISE. IT’S REALLY A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY IN THE FALL SEASON TO HAVE THEM COME OUT AND HAVE A WAY TO REALLY STRENGTHEN THEIR ECONOMIC IMPACT AND TALK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FALL WE NORMALLY THINK OF A LOT OF THE FESTIVALS HAPPENING IN THE SPRING OR, EARLY SUMMER. THIS IS ALSO BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019 BECAUSE OF COVID. WHAT DOES THAT JUST MEAN FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO LOOK FORWARD TO, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE KNOW A LOT OF ONE. THE GUESTS AND LOCALS LOOK FORWARD TO IT. BUT IT’S ALSO A REASON TO BRING VISITORS AND TO TOWN. AND ALSO THE RESTAURANTS. THE RESTAURANTS REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IT, AS WE KNOW. AND IN SOUTH LOUISIANA AT THE SUMMER MONTHS, A VERY SLOW FOR HOSPITALITY AND OUR RESTAURANTS. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS ECONOMIC BOOST TO START OFF THE FALL SEASON. AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I MEAN, TOURISM BIG IN LOUISIANA. WE WANT TO GIVE FOLKS HERE TO ENJOY AND █ESPECIALLY TRY SOME O OUR DELICIOUS FOOD. WE CERTAINLY DO. SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DRIVE. IT’S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR THE BEST WEATHER AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THE MUSIC, ENJOY THE FOOD, AND JUST FELLOWSHIP AND REALLY GO OFF INTO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IN A STRONG WAY ECONOMICALLY. AWESOME. THERE ANY PLACES THEY SHOULD REALLY CHECK OUT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT FRIED CHICKEN? YOU GOT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS? WELL, WE ARE NEUTRAL. WE THINK ALL 35 OF OUR RESTAURANTS ARE AMAZING. BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF JUST GETTING FOLKS OUT. WE’RE AT A NEW LOCATION, SO WE DEFINITE WANT TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW ABOUT WHERE WE’LL BE. THE FIRST FESTIVAL ON A NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT. SO KIND OF BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT VIEWS AS FAR AS I CAN SEE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND FOLKS AND CERTAINLY LEARN MORE INFORMATION AT FRIED CHICKEN FESTIVAL BACK HOME. THAT WAS A DIPLOMATIC ANSWER, BY THE WAY. I LIKE THAT. WE THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. AND WE DO HAVE THOSE DETAILS. WE’RE GOING TO POP THEM UP ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW SO YOU CAN GET IN ON THE FRIED CHICKEN FEST FUN. AND WE WILL, OF COURSE, PUT THAT INFORMATION ON WDSU DOT COM AS