Over the course of three October days, Houma, LA will host the 15th Annual Voice of the Wetlands Festival. The festival celebrates cajun cuisine, louisiana culture and more while driving awareness about the loss of the wetlands in southern Louisiana.
Launched by Tab Benoit in 2004 as a volunteer-based non-profit, Voice of the Wetlands has since grown exponentially but remains free and open to the public. Two years ago the festival was expanded to a new pastoral location and now includes camping and late night jam sessions. According to Benoit, who was born and raised in Houma, the festival’s focus on preserving natural habitats is vital and particularly important to him. “I live in the heart of it,” he said. “I grew up on 300 acres. We have 40 left. That’s a big deal. You tell anybody who has 300 acres of land in 20 years you’re going to have 40. It’s not that somebody took the land. It’s not land anymore. It’s open water. The places I wrote my first songs are gone. The places I learned to play and camp and hunt and fish are gone. It’s open water now. It used to be cypress swamps and bayous and trees. That hits home when it happens so fast.”
For this year’s Terrebonne Parish event, headlining appearances include Tab Benoit, Keith Stone, Eric McFadden, Doug Wimbish, Chubby Carrier and Louisiana Leroux. The full performance lineup and schedule is as follows:
Friday, October 12
6:30pm – 7:30pm * Clyde Pellegrin & Friends
8:00pm – 9:15pm * Walter Washington & the Road Masters
9:45pm – 11:00pm * Friday Night Guitar Fights
featuring:
Tab Benoit
Brandon “Taz” Niederauer
Eric Johanson
Josh Garrett
Keith Stone
Jonathon Long
Damon Fowler
Saturday, October 13
1:00pm – 2:00pm * Raymond George
2:30pm – 3:30pm * Mia Borders
4:00pm – 5:00pm * Josh Garret w/ Damon Fowler
5:30pm – 6:30pm * Charlie Wooton Project
7:00pm – 8:00pm * Eric McFadden Band feat Doug Wimbish of Living Color, Simon Lott
8:30pm – 10:00pm * Tab Benoit
Sunday, October 14
1:00pm – 2:00pm * Baton Rouge Real School Of Music
2:30pm – 3:30pm * Waylon Thibodeaux
4:00pm – 5:00pm * Jonathon Long w/ Damon Fowler
5:30pm – 6:30pm * Johnny Sansone
7:00pm – 8:30pm * Chubby Carrier
9:00pm – 10:00pm * Louisiana Leroux
Elsewhere, there will be crafts, art, food and beverages on site.
Additionally, there will be performances at the on-site “Red Dog Saloon” throughout the course of the same weekend, some of which take the form of late-night jam sessions. That lineup and schedule is as follows:
Friday, October 12
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm * Jonathon Long
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm * Johnny Sansone Band feat Josh Garett
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm * Jeff McCarty
11:30 pm * The Wetlands Ramble (jam session)
Saturday, October 13
2:00 pm- 3:00 pm * Johnny Stassi and the Wild Hares
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm * Ben Labatt & Happy Devil
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm * Keith Stone and Red Gravy
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm * Little Freddie King Band
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm * Brandon “Taz” Niederauer feat Charlie Wooton
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm * Nonc Nu
11:00pm – Till * The Wetlands Ramble (jam session)
Sunday, October 14
12:30 pm-1:30 pm * Jenna Guidry
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm * Margie Perez
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm * Eric Johanson
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm * Heath Ledet Band
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm * Michael Juan Nunez feat Damon Fowler
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm * Dave Jordan and NIA
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm * Nonc Nu
11:00 pm – Till * The Wetlands Ramble (jam session)
Attendees have the option of camping on festival grounds, which makes it easier to catch a glimpse of the late-night jam sessions for which the festival has become well known. Those interested in camping can find out more information here. The festival grounds are located at 5403 West Park, Houma, Louisiana 70364. For more information, including how to volunteer, click here.
