*NEW IN 2026*
Florida River Fest is excited to announce the 1st Annual Catfish Cook-Off at Neal Landing on Friday February 27th at 6pm cst. This is a ticketed event with limited availability!! Tickets can be purchased below or by contacting any Calhoun County Community Foundation Member.
WHAT IS THE CATFISH COOK-OFF - 10 competitors from across the region will gather at Neal Landing to compete for $500 cash and bragging rights as the new Catfish Cook-Off Champion! Each competitor will prepare sample bites of their best Catfish Cuisine while The Calhoun County Community Foundation will provide side dishes, hushpuppies, drinks, & dessert.
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH MY TICKET - You will receive dinner, live entertainment, and your voting token. Dinner includes samples from each competitor, sides, hushpuppies, a non-alcoholic beverage, & dessert.
HOW IT WORKS - Upon entering you will be given a voting token and dinner tray. You will enjoy your meal while listening to some incredible entertainment on the FL River Fest Riverfront Main Stage. When you've tasted all the catfish drop your token into the basket of the competitor you wish to vote for. When the voting ends, the team with the most tokens in their basket will be named Catfish Cook-Off Champion & take home $500 cash!
ARE KIDS ALLOWED - Yes! Absolutely! But keep in mind all attendees over 5 years old must have a ticket. There are not multiple ticket levels. All tickets are the same.
CAN YOU COMPETE IF YOU'RE NOT A RESTAURANT - Yes! We want anyone who thinks they have the winning Catfish recipe to compete but sign up early because we only have 10 spaces available.
Purchase your tickets here...
Apply to be a competitor here...
RULES & REGULATIONS
All competitors must