Bringing a taste of Louisiana to San Diego, The 17th annual Gator by the Bay music and food festival takes place on May 10-13 at Spanish Landing Park. The four day event will feature more than 100 performances across seven stages. The fun in the sun will include two outdoor dance floors, but there is more than music on offer, such as a parade and plenty of Louisiana’s food favorites, including 10,000 pounds of the events signature snack, crawfish. Notably, admission is free for all active military personnel with I.D., while children 17 and under, are free with paid adult. The event will – feature a number of Grammy nominated performers, including swamp-pop/zydeco groups, the Pine Leaf Boys and the Revelers; blues guitarist Sonny Landreth, acclaimed combo Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers and The Igor Prado Band, from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Meanwhile, some of San Diego’s top talent with also be in the spotlight with performances from Gospel/blues singer Earl Thomas, Celtic quintet, Skelpin, featuring fiddler Patric Petrie and rock-a-billy/cumbia band, The Sleepwalkers. “I bring in artists from all over the world,” said Gator by the Bay producer, Peter Oliver. “It’s definitely an opportunity to bring some artists to town that otherwise might not get a chance to play here. Igor Prado, for example, is only coming to the U.S. for this one show,” he said. One of Gator by the Bay’s most popular local performers is Oceanside-based blues guitarist Johnny Vernazza, who has played the event eleven times. “I really like the diversity of music,” said Vernazza. “Besides the bands from out of town, the talent that’s brought in, they also really give local bands a shot.” He notes that events like this are special for the artist. “It’s a seventy minute set, so we keep things concise and high energy,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. We try to keep the music uptempo to keep everyone dancing, that’s the type of event it is.” Oliver notes Gator by the Bay takes months to prepare, with a core group of 40 people behind the scenes and up to 350 volunteers as well as 15,000 attendees on the day, but the hard work is worth it. He’s clear on his favorite thing about the event. “Well, I lead the parade in my tux, so I’m into that,” he laughed good-naturedly. “But for me, it’s the mix of artists and our two wooden dance floors. We catered a bit to the dancing crowd and made sure we had a good surface for people to move on,” Oliver continued. “We encourage people to get out there and have fun, but we also have a ‘no fault dancing’ policy at Gator by the Bay. Even if you don’t know the steps, as long as you’re smiling, you’re doing it right,” he said. Plans are already underway for Gator by the Bay 2019 and beyond. “We have gotten so much support from the Port and the City,” Oliver said. “Even the State of Louisiana Office of Tourism is sending six people out this year. It’s a big family friendly event, I see this as an ongoing endeavor.” For his part, Vernazza considers Gator by the Bay to be his favorite event on the annual calendar. “I like the sights, the food and smells,” he said. “But for me, what I enjoy most is the people. This is the type of event that people work into their annual schedule, they make a point of being here, from around the country, Europe or Australia. Getting to meet these folks over the years, having them come and say they are looking forward to next year, that’s a nice feeling. It’s a good thing for San Diego,” he said. For more information, visit gatorbythebay.com.