Louisiana eating champion Adrian Morgan will go plate-to-plate with arch-rival Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas at the Acme World Oyster Eating Championship at 11:45 a.m. on June 1st in Woldenberg Park.

Oyster Festival 2013 (photo: Kim Welsh)

Thomas holds the world record for eating 48 dozen Louisiana oysters in eight minutes, but was recently beaten by Morgan at the crawfish-eating world championship during April’s French Quarter Festival.

The contest will occur during the fifth annual New Orleans Oyster Festival, a two-day celebration of Louisiana oysters that features cuisine from the city’s most celebrated restaurants. The festival also hosts a number of musical guests, including the Michael Foster Project, Ben Labat, The Bucktown All-Stars, Honey Island Swamp Band, New Orleans Suspects, The Mercy Brothers, The Mulligan Brothers, Bonerama and (fittingly) Raw Oyster Cult.

Thomas, an oyster-eating legend hailing from Alexandria, VA, is ranked #5 in the world. She broke the oyster-eating world record in 2012 and is hungry to win her third consecutive title.

The #7-ranked Morgan, however, may well secure the Acme World Oyster Eating championship belt this year. The Baton Rouge resident has fallen just short in past years, but Morgan’s win at French Quarter Fest has given him the momentum to out-eat Thomas.

“Adrian has proven that he can beat The Black Widow, yet he’s never beaten her in our Oyster Eating World Championship,” Paul Rotner, Chief Operating Officer of Acme Oyster House, said in a press release. “We expect our largest crowd ever this year, as Adrian’s local fans feel this is the perfect opportunity for Morgan to beat Sonya and prove he’s the king of Louisiana seafood.”

The New Orleans Oyster Festival will take place from May 31st to June 1st at Woldenberg Park between the river and Conti Street. In addition to musical entertainment, the festival will present a variety of cooking demonstrations and festivities including the P&J Oyster Shucking Championship on Saturday.