It’s almost the day for Mardi Gras in May.
Y’all can indulge your every whim for authentic, Louisiana-themed music and food, Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 to 10, at the 14th annual Gator by the Bay festival.
Held in Spanish Landing Park on North Harbor Drive across from San Diego International Airport the festival, presented by San Diego’s Bon Temps Social Club, features four days of live music with more than 85 musical acts on six stages.
As a place to beat your feet, Gator by the Bay just can’t be beat. Just ask those who’ve been there.
“Dance floors will be filled with thousands of pairs of feet, twirling to Cajun waltzes, two-stepping to a lively creole zydeco beat, swinging and jitterbugging to blues and boogie-woogie, or moving to spicy Latin sounds,” said Peter Oliver, a Gator by the Bay producer. “This is a festival where there is something for everyone. I can guarantee that you will discover something that you haven’t seen, heard or tasted before.”
“We have heard many great things from our fellow musicians concerning Gator by the Bay and we are very much looking forward to playing the festival this coming May,” said Chris James and Patrick Rynn of Point Loma.
“I love playing Gator, but more than that, I love the food and going around and checking out all of the bands playing,” said Sara Petite of Ocean Beach. “There are always so many fantastic bands. I look forward to this weekend all year.”
“I love playing Gator by the Bay because of the very festive atmosphere there, I always see people having a good time. It seems like the food and music gets everyone in a happy mood,” said Point Loman Dante Loaiza of Agua Dulce band. “Also, you can’t beat the location. It’s the best way to experience a festival in San Diego, out in the sunshine by the water with the smell of some great food in the air. Not too many people can hop on a plane and go to Louisiana. But a little piece of Louisiana comes to San Diego every year and we put our Southern California twist on it.”
“This will be Euphoria Brass Band’s fifth consecutive year playing our favorite festival: Gator by the Bay,” said band member Drew Miller of Pacific Beach. “This wonderful, family-friendly event is second to none in Southern California. The most diverse musical line-up including big-name national artists from the Zydeco, cajun and blues genres, as well as the cream of the crop locally, spanning most styles of music makes this festival really stand out.”
Guests will enjoy a zesty gumbo of music, food and joie de vivre with 85-plus entertaining performances and culinary delights, including 10,000 pounds of fresh live crawfish straight from the Louisiana Bayou.
The festival annually hosts more than 17,000 visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
“This festival is the best way to experience the rich and exciting culture of Louisiana, aside from actually being there, of course,” said Al Gardner, president of the Bon Temps Social Club of San Diego.
Since the first festival in 2001, which focused heavily on the Louisiana sound with zydeco and Cajun bands, the festival’s lineup has grown to include a wide variety of musical genres with both local and visiting musicians.
The zydeco and Cajun artists hail from a noble legacy of American music, originating from the bayous of southwest Louisiana and the descendants of African and Caribbean immigrants. Blues acts include a wide range of blues styles from deep-rooted Delta and Chicago blues to lively jump, jive and boogie-woogie offerings. Also on stage is a great sampling of regional and visiting bands performing gypsy jazz, salsa, western swing, rockabilly, bluegrass and traditional country.
The food, served up in the French Quarter Food Court, features the authentic tastes of Louisiana with many vendors making the cross-country trip especially for the festival.
Shoppers will delight in the carefully selected vendors participating in the crafts market that will feature art, handmade jewelry, sculptures, candles, mosaics, dancing shoes, outlandish hats, Mardi Gras-inspired festival clothing, exciting fashion accessories, musical artwork, puzzles and intriguing games.
In partnership with Gator by the Bay, the Louisiana Office of Tourism is sponsoring a free sweepstakes drawing, open to all ticket holders, for a chance to win one of two trips for two to visit Louisiana — a New Orleans trip or a trip to the Bayou country of Lafayette and Lake Charles.