I was excited to learn that the first annual Charlotte Bayou Festival will take place at Independence Park on June 23. I met my husband almost 20 years ago while attending college in New Orleans and anything associated with Louisiana is dear to my heart. Louisianans know all about good music, good food, and good times.
The indigenous cuisine of the Bayou Region is distinctive (crawfish, alligator, and boudin) and at The Bayou Festival you’ll be able to eat plenty of it. Tickets are $25 in advance ($30 on-site) and are all you can eat. Children 5-12 are 1/2 price. Only 2,000 tickets will be sold.
There will be live music (Blues, Jazz, Funk, Cajun, and more), more than 50 vendors, cooking demos, a hot pepper eating contest, and a Kids Zone with lots of fun activities. Among the food offerings- boiled crawfish, red beans and rice, crab, jambalaya, etoufee, alligator, and po boy sandwiches. There will also be beer and wine.
Festival takes place at Independence Park in the Elizabeth Neighborhood from 12-8pm on June 23.
Maybe I’ll see you there!
More info can be found at CharlotteBayouFestival.com.
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Christin, did you attend last year’s event in Charlotte? What was your opinion of it?
I did not attend last year’s event but I heard there were a few kinks. Did you attend?
I attended the event in Durham on Saturday. Lots of problems there with long lines, food and drinks running out, and people not able to get their money back who purchased the all you can eat/drink package. By the time I arrived at 5:45, they were no longer selling tickets for food.
As a Louisiana native who moved to NC in 1988, I felt the event made a mockery of true cajun culture.
Sorry to hear that Lason. Those sound like the same problems in Charlotte last year. My husband and I went to college in New Orleans. No one can do a festival like Louisianans can
My thoughts on the Durham 213 Bayou Festival :
Oversold. Poorly organized and executed. Overpriced food, under-filled “sample” cups, long sloooooow moving lines, and lots of angry patrons. In short, it was a rip-off. I am not thinking that things will be any different in Charlotte, or anywhere else, for that matter. Just “buy you” the same items at the store for less money, and do it yourself for a much, much better time (beads included).
Looks like they’ve just canceled the Charlotte Festival.