Photos: The State of Louisiana and the Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival Team Up for a Taste of Culture

BATON ROUGE, La., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu announced today that the State of Louisiana has been invited to take part in the 2008 Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival, which will take place Friday, September 26, to Sunday, November 9.

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This will mark the 13th year of the festival, which is hailed as one of the largest and longest-running food and wine festivals in the world and ranked one of the best food and wine festivals in the United States by Forbes Magazine. This year, the festival will feature the state with an experience dedicated to Louisiana culture and heritage. It is the only U.S. state-dedicated experience at this year's festival.

"We are honored to be invited to take part in such a respected and successful event as the Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival," said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. "Louisiana's participation in the festival will provide us the opportunity to share our unique culture and authentic heritage with travelers from all over the world."

The Louisiana Experience-"My Louisiana"-will feature a food and beverage kiosk, an artisan area, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, children's activities and a merchandise and artisan shop modeled after the French Market. The Experience is custom-built by Walt Disney Imagineering to offer visitors a sensory experience of Louisiana's unique culture and heritage.

Jim MacPhee, Epcot Vice President, is delighted to have the State of Louisiana represented at this year's festival. "Louisiana is a state with such a strong heritage and an incredibly vibrant culture, and will serve as a great experience along with all the other festival offerings at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival," said MacPhee.

"We are excited to give travelers just a small taste of what our state has to offer and invite them to Louisiana to get the full cultural experience," stated Chuck Morse, Assistant Secretary, Louisiana Office of Tourism.

The Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival provides an opportunity for Louisiana to showcase its unique culture to an international audience with a high tendency to travel. Visitors to the festival come from across the globe to experience the finest in culinary traditions, culture and entertainment. In addition, the festival will provide the state an opportunity to showcase the Louisiana Culinary Trails program to a global audience that has a higher focus on culinary tourism.

Each week the "My Louisiana" experience will feature a different region of the state focused on the state's newly launched Culinary Trails program:

-- Week 1: Creole Fusion region in the New Orleans area, including St. Tammany and Jefferson parishes

-- Week 2: The Delta Delights region, covering northeast Louisiana including Ruston and Monroe, in partnership with the Prairie Home Cooking region in the center of the state, including Alexandria

-- Week 3: Seafood Sensation region, including Lake Charles and the surrounding area

-- Week 4: Red River Riches region in the northwest corner of Louisiana, including Shreveport

-- Week 5: Cajun/Bayou Bounty region in Acadiana, including Lafayette

-- Week 6: Capital Cuisine region in southeast Louisiana including Baton Rouge and the surrounding area

The Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival features cuisine from across the globe, a spectacular live music concert series, exciting culinary demonstrations and seminars presented by celebrity chefs.

Sub-sponsors for The Louisiana Experience include Abita Brewing Company, Louisiana Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Travel Promotion Association, Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board and TABASCO(R).

Additional sub-sponsors from the tourism industry across Louisiana include Alexandria/Pineville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, Ascension Parish Tourist Commission, Avoyelles Parish Tourist Commission, Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bossier Parish Police Jury, Caddo Parish Commission, Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau, Cameron Parish Tourist Commission, City of Alexandria, City of Bossier City, City of Pineville, City of Shreveport, Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority, Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, Iberville Parish Tourist Commission, Jeff Davis Parish Tourist Commission, Jefferson Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission, Lake Charles / Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, Livingston Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, Monroe-West Monroe Convention & Visitors Bureau, Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, Paragon Casino Resort, Pointe Coupee Parish Office of Tourism, River Parishes Tourist Commission, Ruston Lincoln Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sabine Parish Tourist and Recreation Commission, Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, St. Bernard Parish Government Office of Tourism, St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission, St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission, St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission, Tangipahoa Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission, Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, West Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau and West Feliciana Tourist Commission.

For more information about the Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival, guests can call 407-WDW-FEST(407-939-3378) for special events and programs. Festival details can be found at www.disneyworld.com/food.

For more information on Louisiana and traveling to the state can be found at www.louisianatravel.com.