A Taste of Louisiana: Gator by the Bay

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!

From Friday, May 6 – Sunday, May, 8, the 10th Annual Gator by the Bay Festival will return to Spanish Landing Park at Harbor Island for three action-packed days of Cajun flavor, culture and fun.  

The yearly music and food festival pays respect to the distinctive 19th century French folk customs of the Louisiana Bayou. Complete with live Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Swing, and Jambalaya bands, nonstop dancing, and over 8,000 pounds of live Crawfish for an authentic Louisiana Crawfish Boil, this high-energy extravaganza is guaranteed to be a Mother’s Day weekend to remember.

In celebration of 10 years of colorful fun and success, this year’s three-day festival will proudly feature over 85 talented musicians and performers on six stages. The music kicks off at 3pm on Friday featuring Horace Trahan on the Festival Stage for the Friday Night Zydeco Dance. The weekend will also showcase a handful of other incredible headliners including Brian Jack & The Zydeco Gamblers, Elvin Bishop & Johnny Vernazza, Maria Muldaur & Norton’s Knockouts, Eve Selis, Lazy Lester, Ryan Brunet & the Malfecteurs, Missy Andersen, Sue Palmer, L’Angelus, The Stilettos, Bill Magee and many more!

Aside from live music, attendees will also have the chance to participate in dance workshops taught by national and regional instructors. Non-stop classes will be taught all day at the Bon Temps Social Club Dance Pavilion and will include varieties such as swing, zydeco, salsa, line-dancing, zumba, the waltz and the jitterbug. The festival will also include a children’s activity center, costumed New Orleans style daily parades, strolling entertainers and a quality artisan marketplace.

Hungry? If the 8,000-pounds of crawfish ain’t enough to satisfy your craving, mosey on over to the food court and dine on authentic Louisiana delicacies including jambalaya, po’boy sandwiches, gumbo, catfish, red beans ‘n' rice, gator on a stick, seafood gumbo, chicken gumbo, crawfish etouffee, crab cakes, collard greens, hush puppies, barbeque ribs and trip-tip. And don’t forget to save room for dessert! There will be plenty of sweet and tasty treats to sample including pecan pie, bread pudding, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, homemade ice cream, funnel cake, and beignets.

Don’t miss the 2011 Gator by the Bay Festival coming to San Diego May 6th, 7th & 8th! Tickets are $25 for Friday, $30 for Saturday or Sunday, or you can splurge on a 3-day pass for $75. Children 17 and under are admitted for free with a ticketed parent or guardian. Purchase your tickets or visit gatorbythebay.com for further information.

Discover more entertainment ideas in our San Diego events calendar.