ARLINGTON, VA – The International Rice Festival (IRF), held the third full weekend in October in Crowley, Louisiana, is the oldest and largest free agricultural festival in the state (see USA Rice Daily, October 20, 2025).
After missing last year’s IRF, USA Rice Vice President of Communications & Strategic Development Michael Klein returned to Crowley. He’s back with two new shirts, a collectible pin, a branded rice scoop, a mug, and all new memories. He also brought back interviews with Rice Farmer of the Year Eric Unkel, 2025 Chef de Riz Katherine Richard, 87th IRF Queen Alana Abshire, 88th IRF Queen Ansley Dawson, and guest judges and USA Rice members Kirk and Bridget Satterfield and Jim and Lesli Whitaker.
Klein sat down in The Rice Stuff studio with Deborah Willenborg, USA Rice director of communications and previous IRF attendee and cooking judge, to talk IRF and reminisce about past festivals for the current episode of the podcast.
“The IRF really needs to be experienced to be understood,” said Willenborg. “It’s unlike other festivals and it’s unlike typical rice events. Listening to these interviews makes me really want to go back in 2026!”
Klein and Willenborg talked cooking contests, family legacies, pageants, and more, and be sure to hang in to the very end to hear very special parade content.
New episodes of The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and are available wherever you get your podcasts or online at www.thericestuffpodcast.com.