Gordon McKernan Is Proud to Support Hogs for the Cause This Weekend in New Orleans

Some events are worth going to for the food. Some are worth it for the music. Hogs for the Cause is worth it for something much bigger than both.

This Friday and Saturday, April 10 and 11, one of New Orleans’ most beloved festivals returns to the UNO Lakefront Arena Festival Grounds. Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys is proud to be part of it, supporting a competing team this year as the event raises money for one of the most important causes around: families battling pediatric brain cancer.

What Is Hogs for the Cause?

Hogs for the Cause started 18 years ago with a simple idea: throw a great party, cook some incredible barbecue, and use every dollar raised to help families who need it most.

That idea has grown into something extraordinary.

To date, Hogs has distributed more than $15 million to families and institutions fighting pediatric brain cancer across the country. That includes more than 2,300 direct financial grants to families navigating some of the hardest seasons of their lives. It also includes millions invested in hospital programs, pediatric oncology unit renovations, and the Hogs Houses, which provide free, family-centered housing near leading children’s hospitals so parents never have to choose between being at their child’s bedside and having a roof over their head.

Eighteen years in, the mission hasn’t changed. The scale of the impact just keeps growing.

What Happens at the Festival

Hogs for the Cause is a two-day experience, and both days bring something different.

Friday, April 10 kicks off at 3:30 p.m. with Bacon and Wings Night, now in its seventh year. Teams compete across four categories: Sauce, Blue Plate Side, Bacon, and Wings. It’s a night to walk the grounds, meet the pitmasters, sample creative dishes, and let the music carry you into the evening. Gates stay open until 11 p.m.

Saturday, April 11 opens at 11 a.m. with the main event: the Ben Sarrat, Jr. Cookoff. More than 90 barbecue teams, ranging from acclaimed chefs to backyard BBQ diehards, compete for the coveted Manning Family Children’s Grand Champion Title. Whole hog, ribs, best bacon dish — the competition is serious, the food is exceptional, and the energy across the festival grounds is unlike anything else in New Orleans.

Both days draw a crowd. The event expects more than 30,000 attendees across the weekend, and for good reason.

Music Lineup for Hogs for the Cause 2026

The food alone would be enough. The music makes it a full weekend.

Stephen Wilson Jr. headlines Friday night, bringing what fans call a fusion of grunge grit and country soul. He’s been turning heads across the industry lately, and his live show has a reputation for being loud, emotional, and unforgettable.

Charles Wesley Godwin tops the Saturday bill, delivering the kind of Appalachian-rooted storytelling that hits differently outdoors with a crowd behind it. The full roster also includes The Castellows, Buffalo Traffic Jam, Jason Scott & the High Heat, Southern Avenue, and more across three stages over two nights.

Twenty acts total. Three stages. Two days of live music woven through the smoke and the competition and the cause.

Why Gordon McKernan Is Part of This

Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys has spent more than 30 years fighting for Louisiana families. That work has always extended beyond the courtroom. Showing up for the community, supporting the things that bring people together, and standing beside families in hard times — that’s part of who we are.

Hogs for the Cause does exactly that for families facing pediatric brain cancer. Every ticket sold, every plate served, and every dollar raised goes toward making an unbearable situation a little more bearable for a child and the people who love them.

We’re proud to support a competing team this year in a small way. And we’re already looking forward to showing up in a bigger way in the years ahead.

Get Out There This Weekend

Tickets are still available at hogsfest.org. Friday general admission starts at $65, and Saturday starts at $81. The event is all ages and cashless, so plan accordingly.

Come for the barbecue. Stay for the music. Leave knowing you were part of something that genuinely matters.

Our New Orleans team is always here for the people of this community, at festivals like this one and whenever life gets a lot harder than a long weekend. We hope to see you out there.

If you or someone you love has been injured and needs legal help, Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys offers a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we win.