Voice of the Wetlands Festival

When Grammy-nominated bluesman Tab Benoit flew above his beloved South Louisiana wetlands over a decade ago, he became alarmed. The coast—and the Cajun way of life—was disappearing. After seeing it first-hand, Benoit was compelled to become a vocal advocate for the preservation of an irreplaceable part of the world. The first Voice of the Wetlands festival, organized by Benoit and his musician friends, took place in 2004. Since then, the festival and its cadre of dedicated Louisiana musicians has attracted an army of volunteers, who arrive from all parts of the country to support the cause. The musical lineup includes a gumbo of old and new favorites whose roots run deep in the region: Tab Benoit, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Waylon Thibodeaux, Nonc Nu and da Wild Matous, Chris Leblanc, and much more.  A full "Cajun Food Experience" will be provided as well, satisfying all your needs from chili cheese Fritos to fried seafood. The festival is free. 5403 West Park Avenue. For schedule or to volunteer, visit voiceofthewetlands.org.

For the festival's tenth anniversary, contributor Kristy Christiansen profiled the festival in "Bluesman in Brown Water," published in our October 2013 issue.