Beast Feast to Return for its Third Year

The Centenary Alumni Association’s unique fundraiser, “Beast Feast: Surf, Turf, and More!,” returns for its third year on May 18 from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. on Jones Rice Field. The festival-style culinary event added new elements in its second year, and there are plans to build on these successes to make this year’s event even bigger and better.

Last spring, the event raised over $26,500 for the Centenary Fund for Student Scholarships, increasing the fundraising total by more than $8,000 over the inaugural event in May 2017.

“We were completely overwhelmed by the response to Beast Feast 2018: Surf, Turf, and More!,” says Saige Solomon, director of alumni and family relations at Centenary. “Not only did we increase our overall fundraising goal, but we also increased our number of cook teams and our total attendees. We believe Beast Feast will continue to grow and become a signature event for the Centenary community and beyond.”

At the 2018 event, local band Shayliff entertained more than 500 attendees as they visited 20 food tents to sample dishes ranging from vegan barbecue and mac and cheese to Louisiana favorites, especially the catfish, crawfish, and shrimp donated by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. The Cosse Silmon Kid Zone’s kid-friendly food and inflatables – a new addition last year – were a big hit with the younger crowd.

All attendees received one voting token to deposit at their favorite food tent, and voting for the “Best of Beast Feast 2018” award was ongoing throughout the afternoon. The “Best of Beast Feast 2018” award went to the fried catfish prepared by chefs John May and Alan Davidson, representing the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Several Centenary community members participated as chefs, and many of their culinary contributions were among the most popular of the afternoon. President Christopher Holoman brought back his traditional North Carolina “pig pickin’” and won fifth place overall in the voting. Police chief Eddie Walker, whose grilling skills are well known to Centenary students, earned a tie for fourth place with his stuffed pork tenderloin and chicken breasts from Bergeron’s and sausage and boudin from Down Home Meats. The College’s Sodexo food service served up “The 3 Series” – spicy sausage chowder with kale, a “nutty sloppy joe,” and bacon streusel cream cheese cupcakes – and finished in a tie for third place.

Chefs, cook teams, and potential sponsors interested in participating in Beast Feast 2019 should contact Saige Solomon at ssolomon@centenary.edu or 318.869.5115.