A decade after its original conception as a post-Katrina community morale booster, the annual Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo returns to the scenic banks of Bayou St. John May 15 through 17, and it’s going stronger than ever.
Photo by Frank Etheridge
The festival was pioneered by longtime neighborhood resident Jared Zeller as a way to provide relief and relaxation to the scores of residents and visiting volunteers working tirelessly to rebuild a community that had been subsumed under eight feet of floodwaters in certain areas.
Zeller and the MotherShip Foundation launched the festival as a free, one day only grassroots celebration of music, art, and their beloved hometown.
What’s changed since those days? Well, for one thing, the scale.
Over the past 10 years, Bayou Boogaloo has grown into a three day cultural smorgasbord attended by roughly 35,000 people each year.
Festivalgoers can sample delicious artisan food from dozens of renowned local vendors, browse through an art market full of handcrafted creations by 70 of the city’s most talented artists, and revel in premium local music spread across three different stages.
Dumpstaphunk, Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, and Mannie Fresh will headline this year, and tons of other local acts are slated to perform as well.
This year’s vendors include Ralph’s On The Park, Mid City Pizza, Boucherie, Mid City Yacht Club, Crepes a la Carte, Felipe’s, Quintin’s Natural Ice Cream and Sorbets, and dozens more.
All vendors are encouraged to help the festival – one of the city’s most environmentally friendly – meet its goal of being a zero-waste event.
Activities abound for all ages and interests, including flea market, a 5K run, and a bicycle pub crawl (a perfect NOLA compromise to a healthy activity.)
There are a few features that are new in 2015, such as an all-natural local fruit snowball and juice stand sponsored by Beaucoup Juice (with an option to add liquor), expanded Kids Tent Programming, and performance art that includes aerialists and a fire breathing “MechaGator.”
Most exciting, the festival is expanding into the bayou this year. They’ll have floating docks with beer, wine, and root beer float gardens, as well as paddle boat, canoe, and kayaking opportunities.
The once-small festival has ingrained itself as a landmark of the city’s well observed ritual calendar, and during that process has remained true to its grassroots origins and goals of improving the quality of life in the city, generating exposure for local musicians, artists, and restaurants, and creating another wonderful opportunity to celebrate.
