Annual event continues to serve as a major fundraiser for the Brees Dream Foundation

NEW ORLEANS – (Dec. 20, 2023) – Brittany and Drew Brees announced today that The NOLA Pickle Fest presented by b1BANK will return to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center August 8-11, 2024. The Breeses and the staff of the Brees Dream Foundation are working closely with local tourism leaders at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and New Orleans & Company, in addition to national partner JOOLA, to organize and grow the annual event.

“Brittany and I are excited to welcome the NOLA Pickle Fest back to New Orleans in August of 2024,” said Drew Brees. “This year’s event was a huge success, and we were overwhelmed with gratitude by the participation and support from not just the local community but all over the country. We look forward to continuing this new tradition and its impact on the mission of the Brees Dream Foundation.”

“We are excited to continue our sponsorship of the NOLA Pickle Fest,” said Chris Keene, Southeast Louisiana Regional President, b1BANK. “Last year’s event was a big success; we’re eager to build on that momentum and increase the positive impact the event will have in our local communities through the work of the Brees Foundation.”

The NOLA Pickle Fest presented by b1BANK is a unique, festival-style pickleball tournament benefiting the Brees Dream Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need. The 2023 inaugural event featured 25 PickleRoll surfaced courts and attracted players from 22 states for three days of pickleball play, live music and celebrity exhibition matches featuring Drew Brees, John McEnroe and MLP pickleball players, Irina Tereschenko and Thomas Wilson.

Registration for the tournament opens on December 20, 2023. To register to play, visit www.nolapicklefest.com. For NOLA Pickle Fest volunteer opportunities, click HERE.

 About the Brees Dream Foundation

The Brees Dream Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that was founded in 2003 by Brittany and Drew Brees. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need. Since its inception 20 years ago, the Brees Dream Foundation has contributed over $50,000,000 to charitable causes globally. 

About Business First Bancshares, Inc.

As of September 30, 2023, Business First Bancshares, Inc., Nasdaq: BFST, through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, has $6.5 billion in assets, $6.0 billion in assets under management through b1BANK’s affiliate Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW) (excludes $0.9 billion of b1BANK assets managed by SSW) and operates Banking Centers and Loan Production Offices in markets across Louisiana and the Dallas and Houston, Texas areas, providing commercial and personal banking products and services. Commercial banking services include commercial loans and letters of credit, working capital lines and equipment financing, and treasury management services. b1BANK was awarded #1 Best-In-State Bank, Louisiana, by Forbes and Statista, and is a multiyear winner of American Banker’s “Best Banks to Work For.” Visit b1BANK.com for more information.

 About The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

Organized in August 1988, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (Sports Foundation) is a non-profit 501(c) (4) organization whose mission is to attract and manage sporting events that have a positive economic impact on Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area. Throughout its 35-year history, the Sports Foundation has hosted and been awarded hundreds of events and turned a $40 million public investment into more than $3 billion in economic impact for the State of Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area.

About the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC)

New Orleans is Built to Host! With 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space on one level, all under one roof, NOENMCC is the sixth largest Convention Center in the United States and provides the largest single exhibit space in the country. NOENMCC is a 2023 IAVM Venue Excellence recipient and is consistently named a regional top workplace by The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Our recent LEED Gold certification makes NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana and the largest convention center project in the U.S. certified under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance, as well as the first convention center in the world to be awarded initial certification under LEED Gold v4.1 O+M. A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, NOENMCC event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening.

About New Orleans & Co.

New Orleans & Company is the tourism and hospitality industry’s official destination sales, marketing and trade organization, responsible for driving over $10 billion of diverse annual business to the regional cultural economy. We attract leisure and cultural travel, business meetings, conventions, weddings, festivals, sporting and special events to New Orleans in a highly competitive global environment. Founded in 1960, New Orleans & Company is committed to celebrating the richness of our culture while creating jobs, building careers, and enhancing the quality of life for every New Orleanian.

About JOOLA

JOOLA has been a pioneer in table tennis since its establishment in 1952. In 2022, its expansion into pickleball quickly attracted the biggest names in the sport. As a sponsor of both the PPA and APP Tours and top athletes in the game, the team at JOOLA combines its expertise with fresh perspectives to bring synergy and innovation to the pickleball market. JOOLA creates a variety of equipment, apparel, and accessories for pickleball players, both professional and recreational. JOOLA is based in Rockville, MD, and is owned by Sport Squad, Inc. Learn more about JOOLA and see why the sport’s best are joining Team JOOLA by visiting joolausa.com.