Get out those dancing shoes, polish up the scrub-board, and plan to wear some stretchy pants. The Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival is on, cher! Sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, this free two-day fest is held in the city’s historic Tremé neighborhood at Armstrong Park. With two stages, a huge crafts fair, and great food, the Cajun-Zydeco Fest is a dance-happy celebration of the rocking music of Southwest Louisiana. The annual extravaganza lines up a slew of beloved Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco musicians ready to chank-a-chank, plus plenty of vendors offering delicious food straight from the heart of Cajun Country.
There’s a melting pot of tunes to match your groove in the Bayou State. Park yourself in front of either stage to hear some of the most talented bands of both respective genres, including Grammy award-winning acts and local favorites. Previous years have seen the likes of the Jambalaya Cajun Band, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, the Lost Bayou Ramblers, and many other respected acts take the stage to get people two-stepping all day long.
Also featured at the Cajun-Zydeco Festival are cooking demonstrations, Cajun specialty food vendors, and some of the finest heritage crafts to come out of Bayou Country. Skilled artisans from the Acadiana Region sell handmade art, jewelry, colorful hand-carved duck decoys, and other goods.
Speaking of food, some say the word “Zydeco” is derived from the phrase, “les haricots ne sont pas salés,” which in Creole-French sounds like “leh-zy-dee-co nuh sohn pas salay.” Literally translated, “the beans aren’t salty,” the phrase is a Creole-French idiom for having no gossip or spicy news. Even when it’s about music, it’s also about food and spice. Check out a few choice ideas for what to eat, drink, see, and (fais-do) do at the Cajun-Zydeco Fest below. jazzandheritage.org.
Photo by Eric Simon, courtesy of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation
Sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation
