She’s your best friend during a hangover. A staple at a drag brunch, or any brunch for that matter. If she’s big enough and topped with plenty of garnishes, she’s a meal on her own. No, I’m not talking about Mary Jane (although she comes through in a clutch, too). The other Mary.

The Bloody Mary Festival returns to The Big Easy for its third time, November 2-3 at The Howlin’ Wolf. New Orleans was hand picked along with nine other cities across the country to host the fest, which was recently nominated as a Top 10 Specialty Food Festivals by USA Today.

Invented buy husband and wife duo Evan and Yunna Weiss and now in its sixth year, the Bloody Mary Festival boasts the craftiest mixes curated by Bloody Mary aficionados.

“What’s special about the event is that there are so many ways to make the cocktail, that you never really have the same Bloody Mary twice. Every recipe is different,” Weiss said. Over the course of two days enjoy live local music, delish local food vendors, and of course Bloody Marys all day every way. Local bars and restaurants will take their own twist on the iconic drink in hopes of winning the top award, Best Bloody Mary in NOLA. So far on the roster to compete is The Maison, Oceana Grill, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, and the The Roosevelt Hotel. 

Tickets start at $45 per day, or if you like to roll VIP style score your ticket at $55 a pop. Each day consists of two different sessions that will include your entry, food and drink specials, photo ops, temporary tattoo station, plus one vote for the People’s Choice Award. More sponsors, vendors and music acts to be announced. Stay informed and catch the latest news at the Fest’s official website.