To the dismay of many, this weekend’s Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo organizers announced last month the festival would be charging an admission fee for the first time in its history. At the time, founder Jared Zeller said, “The economics of a totally free festival are challenging and depend on the changing realities of weather and sponsors.” It seems the changing reality worked in festivalgoers’ favor, as now the Bayou Boogaloo has announced it will, after all, remain free.

According to a press release, “The festival announced Free Until 3 as a way to offset the costs of the bands, infrastructure, security and other necessary items. Even though the festival will now be free, Festival goers will have the option to support Bayou Boogaloo by making a donation at the gate to Friends of Bayou St. John, if they desire.”

Zeller’s statement said “We planned this year’s event with ticketed admission, free-until-3 model with an agreement in hand with City Hall. We found out today we need more time to implement that plan. So now we are focused on putting on another great Bayou Boogaloo,”

The 2018 Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo runs today, May 18, through Sunday, May 20. For more information on the lineup and what else to expect, click here.