Abbeville will mix it up once again at its 37th annual Gigantic Omelette (the French spelling) Celebration November 6 and 7 with two days of merriment, dancing, hot Cajun food, live music, and general joie de vivre.
This unique festival is the only one of its kind in the U.S. Enjoy family-friendly entertainment, street dancing, a top-notch art show, kids activities, food vendors and free samples of the largest omelet you will ever enjoy.
Many good cooks have a recipe or two they wouldn’t think of sharing with their best friends, but the chefs in Abbeville who stir up a delicious—and gigantic—omelet once a year have posted their “secret” recipe online for all to see.
It’s simple: Take 5,037 eggs and stir in 50 pounds of onions, 75 bell peppers, four gallons of onion tops, two gallons of parsley, three boxes of salt, and two boxes of black pepper. Add 15 pounds of Louisiana crawfish tails, hot sauce to taste, some milk, and cooking oil. Then pour the mixture into a heated 12-foot skillet that has been prepared with 52 pounds of melted butter. Cook gently and serve.
Giant Omelette Celebration Details
The Giant Omelette Celebration is held at Magdalen Square in downtown Abbeville, Louisiana.
In the event of possible COVID-19 restrictions or schedule changes, you may want to call (337) 344-9232 or check the Giant Omelette Celebration Facebook page before you go.
| Saturday, November 6 | 9AM-5PM |
| Sunday, November 7 | 6AM-4:30PM |
The Story Behind the Giant Omelette Celebration
Of course, there’s a story behind the Gigantic Omelette Celebration. It begins with Napoleon’s love of omelets and his request that one community gather all the eggs in the village and make one big enough to feed his entire army. This request would later evolve into an Easter tradition to feed the poor, and, eventually, the Giant Omelette Celebration.
With a desire to bring Abbeville closer to its French heritage, the town became part of a small international Confrerie (“fraternity”) of just seven cities in the world who celebrate the omelet. The other six cities are Bessieres, France; Frejus, France; Dumbea, New Caledonia; Granby, Quebec in Canada.; Malmedy, Belgium; and Pigue, Argentina.
Each year, representatives from each of these cities come to Abbeville to be knighted as chevaliers (knights) into the Abbeville’s Confrerie, making the city’s event a truly international festival.
The local celebration is, as residents proudly say, “like no other.”
It begins with live music, kids activities, arts and crafts, and more family-friendly events on Saturday morning, and builds to the big finish on Sunday afternoon, with thousands gathering to watch the “Procession of Chefs and Eggs”—the signal that the omelet-making is about to commence.
Chefs (and would-be chefs) then file down historic Concord Street under moss-covered live oak trees two by two, with each pair carefully sharing the load of a large basket brimming with dozens of eggs. Their destination as they greet the crowd: the 12-foot skillet.
To the delight of children, the kids are allowed to gather around a four-foot skillet to cook their own 600-egg omelet alongside the official “Giant Omelette.”
Giant Omelette Celebration Events
Highlights of the events of this two-day festival are listed below. Check the full schedule of events to enjoy, including:
- Live music performances by Amis du Teche, Jambalaya Cajun Band, Jourdon Thibodeaux et les Rôdailleurs, Grammy Award Winner Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band, and Fa Tras Cajun Band
- The Confrerie d’Abbeville Juried Art Show (considered to be among the best in Louisiana)
- Food vendors
- Antique implement viewing
- Kids World games and activities
- Tractor “egg cracking” competition (adults only)
- Children’s book reading
- Antique car show
- Street dancing
- Charity walks through historic downtown Abbeville
Enjoy the unique, family-friendly fun of Abbeville’s annual Giant Omelette Celebration the first weekend every November!
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