As if the Big Bite Bacon Fest weren’t enough of a reason to get out and grub, the 21st Annual Long Beach Crawfish Festival, the largest crawfish festival outside of Louisiana (according to KTLA5), will also be held August 2-3 at Long Beach’s Rainbow Lagoon. If you like music, dancing, food, coffee and cocktails, then show up hungry and join the thousands of festival-goers who will be stuffing themselves silly with authentic, Louisiana-style crawfish.
Presale Feast and Craw Bucket Admission tickets buy guests 2-3 lbs of remoulade coated, butter dripping, garlic-heavy steamed crawfish, red baby potatoes, corn on the cob and dipping sauce. After your crawfish meal, get a taste of a New Orleans French Quarter tradition by sipping a highly-caffeinated cup of chicory coffee and biting into a pastry deep fried in choux paste.
If crawfish cramp your style (or cause your throat to close), fear not the spindly crustacean, as plenty of other types of food will be available to devour including Jamaican, Chinese, Thai and other international flavors, as well as ribs and chicken. And you can still dance, drink margaritas, and go home happy with a full stomach.
Setting the mood will be Step Rideau & The Zydeco Outlaws, who, according to the band’s bio, feature traditional sounds from the bandleader’s native Louisiana home in combination with the urban sounds of contemporary Houston. Old Creole folk songs and classic rhythm and blues, even rap, make this headliner a must-see on Saturday.
Felix y los Gatos, a party band from New Mexico, will be headlining Sunday. Lisa Haley and the Zydecats, The High Steppers New Orleans Boogie Band and the Euphoria Brass Band are just a few of the musical artists that will force you to dance off your crawfish-induced food coma.
Arts and crafts booths, a TV Wall (for those not wanting to miss the game) and free souvenir E-Pictures will make this event super family-friendly. The festival also honors its military personnel by offering them free General Admission.