On Oct. 25 and 26, Blackpot Festival and Cookoff is returning for its 14th year of celebrating the music, food and culture of Southwest Louisiana. 

The festival will include performances by zydeco artist Preston Frank, blues guitarist and singer Little Freddie King, who recently performed at the National Fried Chicken Fest; slide guitarist Sonny Landreth; folk duo Hoot & Holler, consisting of guitarist Mark Kilianski and fiddler Amy Alvey; Austin-based singer-songwriter Jenny Parrott; and string swing band Big Cedar Fever, among many others.

The cookoff will take place Saturday afternoon, with categories ranging from gravy and gumbo to cracklins and jambalaya. The rules state the dish must be cooked in a cast iron vessel. Canopies are allowed for each entry (sized 10 x 10) and cooking time will take place from noon until 5 p.m. The winners will be announced at 6 p.m. Participants are encouraged to cook enough food for the festivalgoers to taste, but this is not a requirement. Tasting operates entirely on a first come, first serve basis, and participants may stop serving guests at any time on their own discretion, in order to save enough food for the judges.

The first place in each category wins $150 and a seven-quart Lodge Blackpot; second place wins $75 and a 3.2 quart Lodge Skillet and third place wins $50. 

Individual entry into the cookoff is $50, civic organization entry is $75 and business entry is $100. The entry fee for each dish is $50, and for each member added to the cookoff team, a charge of $25 is required.

Blackpot Camp takes place each year at Lakeview Park & Beach in Eunice, LA, about an hour north of Lafayette. Tents and RVs are welcome on the campground. Kids, aged 12 and under, get free admission. For more information about the festival, including ticket prices, rules and the music lineup, visit the festival website, here.