BATON ROUGE — Capital Area United Way announced on Wednesday that it will once again host Jambalaya Jam 2026, an annual fundraiser for Greater Baton Rouge featuring dozens of community organizations vying for the title of the region's best jambalaya.

The event, known as Jam Jam, will take place on Oct. 15 at North Boulevard Town Square in downtown Baton Rouge from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jam Jam 2026 is presented by Regions Bank, a longtime CAUW partner supporting financial security across the area.

For the first time in Jam Jam history, local musical acts will be performing throughout the day across two stages: the Main Stage, located in Galvez Plaza, and Stage 2 situated along Lafayette Street. Artists include Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, Justin Garner, The Michael Foster Project, Kids' Orchestra, Electric Rendezvous, DJ Rome and Josh Martin.

"We could not be more excited to put the 'jam' in jambalaya this year," said Christian Duhon, CAUW marketing and communications manager. "With a larger focus on music, we wanted to bring the energy of a true Louisiana festival that serves as the perfect backdrop to the cook-off people know and love."

More than 65 jambalaya cooking teams competed in the event’s namesake competition in 2025, raising more than $174,000 for CAUW initiatives across its 10-parish service area.

The celebration kicks off at 11 a.m. with the appetizer cook-off, where residents can taste dozens of starters. The main event takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., when jambalaya samples are served and judged, with awards presented to the top teams. Attendees can sample entries from both competitions, and VIP ticket holders can access a special lounge with an assortment of food, an open bar and easy access to the Main Stage performances.

Organizations interested in entering a team or sponsoring this year's Jam Jam can register at cauw.org/jamjam or reach out to Christian Duhon at christiand@cauw.org. Spaces are limited and are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Individual tickets are also available for purchase, both in advance and the day of the event.