San Diego already has plenty of pizzazz, but for the weekend of May 11-13, the city will be getting an extra dose of cultural zest when the 11th annual Gator by the Bay storms into town. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the three-day Zydeco, Blues and Crawfish Festival. Gator by the Bay is presented by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, with a goal of bringing the rich culture of the bayou to San Diego. The festival is three days of live music, Cajun food and family fun. No celebration of Louisiana would be complete without food. More than 8,000 pounds of live crawfish will be trucked in straight from Louisiana. Many vendors will also be making the cross-country trip just for the festival and selling authentic Cajun and Creole food like boudin sausage, catfish, “po’ boy” sandwiches, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, beignets and sweet potato pie. For the first time, the festival will also have fresh, raw oysters all three days of the festival. There will also be culinary professionals creating and demonstrating delicious Creole cooking, like how to make beignets, jambalaya and banana bread pudding. And the music is as good as the food. More than 85 performances are scheduled between the festival’s six stages. Headlining are Grammy Award-winning Chubby Carrier, Commander Cody with Johnny Vernazza and Grammy Award-nominated Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, playing music ranging from blues and country to Americana and uniquely Cajun Zydeco. For those moved by the music but not well acquainted with the dance moves, the festival has an official “no fault” dance policy. There will also be free dance lessons by some of the country’s best Cajun and Zydeco instructors, who will teach participants how to connect their feet, hips and soul. Adventurous guests can pick up a rub board or squeezebox and try their hand at creating Zydeco in one of the free workshops. Each day of the festival features something different. May 11 is “Gator by Night,” with dinner and dancing in a Blues Supper Club atmosphere on the Bourbon Street stage. On May 12, there’s a dance at the nearby Sheraton Marina Hotel with cake and optional costumes. On Mother’s Day, the last day of the festival, there’s a special Mardi Gras parade. The festival will be held at Spanish Landing Park, across from Lindbergh Field on North Harbor Drive. Tickets are $25 for Friday, May 11 and $30 for Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13. For more information, call (619) 234-8612 or visit www.gatorbythebay.com.
