Bayou Boogaloo Festival (English version)

Bayou Boogaloo Festival

One of the standouts in the seemingly never-ending string of festivals New Orleans hosts all year round is Bayou Boogaloo, which grew from the post-Katrina scrappy little neighborhood festival to a four-stage, weekend-long extravaganza. Since its inception in 2006, Bayou Boogaloo now draws upwards of 35,000 people and has become as much a fixture on the festival calendar as its Mid-City neighbor, Jazz Fest, and the city’s street-party season opener, French Quarter Fest.
Also a favorite of both the locals and the in-the-know visitors, this festival is taking place not in the French Quarter but on the sprawling, picturesque banks of Bayou St. John — between Dumaine Streets and Lafitte Avenue in the in Mid-City neighborhood. Its bucolic setting as a floating party, with its flotillas of inflatables, paddleboats and kayaks, gives the three-day festival its own unique character.

This year, Bayou Boogaloo falls on Friday, May 17 – Sunday, May 19. Just like in the previous years, the festival is pet- and kid-friendly. Traditionally the Boogaloo has been focusing on mostly local music, including the best of the brass bands, zydeco, Mardi Gras Indians, and other incredible New Orleans and Louisiana acts. In the past, the Boogaloo has hosted everyone from Irma Thomas to Lost Bayou Ramblers and Beausoleil.
The food vendor list also reads like the who-is-who of some of the best restaurants in the city, including the returning mainstays like Boswell’s Jamaican Grill, Ajun Cajun, Gulf Tacos, plus snowball and lemonade booths, and plenty of booths with adult beverages from Pal’s, Pearl Wine Company, local breweries, and others. The ever-growing food menu now includes more gluten-free and vegan options.
The curated arts market includes dozens of regional artists, with the booth spread out between the Dumaine Street stage and Orleans Avenue. The Family Village will once again offer games and activities to the kids and families and provide the respite from the heat with its misting fans and shade.

2019 Updates

• For the first time in its history Bayou Boogaloo will be charging admission fee — $10 per day or $20 for all three days to cover the increased land use fees from the City of New Orleans. Children under 12 are free. VIP passes for the Canopy Club, which was introduced last year, are $75-$250. You can get three-day and VIP tickets online, or one-day tickets at one of the several entrances to the fest on the days of the fest. The Canopy Club is the fest’s VIP lounge located next to the main stage, with access to a climate-controlled restroom, a private bar, and catered food. The lounge features shade, misting fans, seating, and the stage-front view.
• The state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department will have now presence at the fest to help ensure boat safety. This means that, depending on size of the boat and passengers’ ages, people in boats and rafts might have to wear life jackets and follow other boating guidelines.
• This year, there are 22 acts in the stellar lineup, including Anders Osborne, Amanda Shaw, Cowboy Mouth, Little Freddie King, Debauche, Tab Benoit, plus the out-of-town the Suffers and RAM Haiti.
• Urban South Brewery, which is sponsoring a stage at the far end at Lafitte Avenue, will be serving its recent creation, Boogaloo Blonde.
• Look for a paddle boat race hosted by Kayakitiyat and a pub crawl on bikes hosted by Mid-City Volleyball, both on Saturday morning.
• A new vendor Creole Caveman will be serving four dishes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, and egg. The fest has partnered with Ochsner’s Eat Fit NOLA to bring some healthier options to the fest, as well as the offerings that can accommodate various diets, like sugar-free snoballs and unsweetened drinks.

Music Lineup examples

Anders Osborne

Friday | 8:00 PM | Friends of Bayou St. John Orleans Stage | Presented by Positive Vibrations Foundation

Between the potency of his richly detailed songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today. Guitar Player calls him “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene.” New Orleans' Gambit Weekly has honored Osborne as the Entertainer Of The Year. OffBeat named him the Crescent City’s Best Guitarist for the third year in a row, and the Best Songwriter for the second straight year. Osborne also won Song Of The Year for his composition, Louisiana Gold.

Amanda Shaw

Sunday | 6:00 PM | Port Orleans Dumaine Stage | Presented by New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation

Mix a little bit of country and Cajun, with a touch of Rock-n-Roll and Blues, and you have a funky Louisiana flavor that fiddler and singer Amanda Shaw brings every time her high heels dance across a stage. Amanda's passion for her culture is evident in the diverse blend of music she creates with every note. Music has been engrained into Amanda’s world for as long as she can remember. That exposure greatly paid off as the Louisiana-raised musician has carved out her place in Cajun culture, and has become one of the most recognizable brands in Louisiana music. From national appearances on the Rosie O’Donnell Show, to once in a lifetime performances with Cyndi Lauper, Amanda’s magnetic presence helped her to build an extraordinary following of fans and supporters. Amanda’s award-winning music and high-energy performances with her band, The Cute Guys, produce a unique balance of mainstream harmonies with grassroots charm. The local artist has received dozens of awards including the Big Easy Award for Best Female Entertainer, Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Future Famer, Offbeat Magazine’s Best of the Beat Singer/Songwriter of the Year and many, many others. In the past, she has also collaborated with Grammy award-winning musicians, such as Chubby Carrier, and renowned songwriters, including Matthew Gerrard, to give her fans a superior way to experience Louisiana-rooted, world-class music.

Tab Benoist

Sunday | 7:00 PM | Friends of Bayou St. John Orleans Stage | Presented by National Endowment for the Arts

Tab Benoit is a Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable 30+ year career on the foundation of his gritty and soulful Delta swamp blues and acquiring a devoted legion of fans along the way, as well as 5 Blues Music Awards, including BB King Entertainer of the Year (twice) and an induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He has recorded and/or performed with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musslewhite, Kenny Neal, Chris Layton, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jim Lauderdale, Anders Osborne, and Alvin Youngblood Hart to name a few. Tab's accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands. Benoit is the founder and driving force behind Voice of the Wetlands, an organization working to preserve the coastal waters of his home state. In 2010, he received the Governor's Award for Conservationist of the Year from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Benoit also starred in the iMax motion picture Hurricane on the Bayou, a documentary of Hurricane Katrina's effects and a call to protect and restore the wetlands.

Erica Falls

Saturday | 5:15 PM | Friends of Bayou St. John Orleans Stage | Presented by Keesler Federal Credit Union

Soul singer and songwriter Erica Falls credits her unique vintage sound to her childhood growing up in New Orleans’ 9th Ward, where her parents introduced her to Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, and Whitney Houston. Whether on stage or in the studio, she channels a sassy, soulful tone that recalls an earlier era. But Erica cautions her fans: “Vintage soul is not about bringing the listener back to a time of authentic music, it’s about reminding them that it never went anywhere,” she says. Erica’s latest project re-released album 2018, HomeGrown, that she co-produced showcased her vocals, arranging, songwriting talent, and introduced her to a wider audience in the world of neo-soul. Through out her career, Erica has recorded and performed with icons including Grammy®-winner Allen Toussaint, Sting, No Doubt, Joe Sample, Dr. John, Jennifer Hudson, and John Fogerty, among others. Offbeat Magazine nominated Erica twice for Best Female Vocalist in which she won in 2017 where she was also nominated for Best R&B Artist and Best R&B Album. Erica participated to the MNOP Tour of 2015 with the Roommates and she is currently touring nationally with renowned New Orleans funk band Galactic.

Suspects Tribal Gold

In Uptown New Orleans, where the Mississippi River bends an elaborate patchwork of cultures, races, and, music come together like a well made gumbo. New Orleans Suspects call this area home. Big Chief Juan Pardo and the Golden Comanche Indian Tribe also hail from Uptown and are upholding the proud cultural traditions of Mardi Gras Indian Culture, while bringing funk infused Caribbean rhythms to the masses. Suspects Tribal Gold is a collaboration between these two powerhouses. Merging the intense audio sounds of the Suspects with the heavy tribal drum based, funk infused visual parade that Mardi Gras Indians bring. This presentation is geared towards Arts Centers, Community Events, and Festivals. The elaborate Mardi Gras Indian costumes require a bit of room. Coupling this with crawfish boil or other cultural events allows both the Suspects and Indians to interact before and after the show and answer questions regarding New Orleans Culture, Music and Mardi Gras Indian Heritage. Big Chief Juan Pardo payed for MNOP in 2018 with Jimmy Carpenter, Billy Iuso and Wayne Moreau.