The best fried chicken combines a satisfying crunch with a savory juiciness and just the right spice. Is it possible that within the love for great fried chicken there can also be a dose of unity, that civic ideal that too often feels elusive?

That goal was the initial spark behind the National Fried Chicken Festival , and it's guided the event's growth over nearly a decade into a marquee food event on the New Orleans calendar.

The National Fried Chicken Festival returns this weekend, Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, with a greatly varied menu of its namesake dish and many other types of food from more than 40 vendors. It brings music on two stages, an expanding list of programs and attractions and a location directly on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans for waterfront breezes and views.

The concep

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