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The first inaugural Summer Zydeco & Soul Festival is a one-day event filled with Creole culture, food and live music.
The celebration will kick off July 27th at the SugArena Acadiana Fairgrounds, going from noon until 10 p.m.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity to make it family-friendly while blending food lovers, live music, social clubs and RV clubs together,” said Marlin Hollins, Summer Zydeco & Soul Festival organizer. “It’s like a huge urban tailgate.”
Hollins said they wanted to hold off on a weekend-long event for the first festival but he made sure they got a covered arena.
“As a nod to our heritage, we’re excited to bring a new cultural experience to the market,” he said. “We encourage everyone to put on their dancing shoes and show up to have a great time.”
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A portion of the proceeds will support Southern University at Baton Rouge and Grambling University soccer program’s. Hollins said the festival organizers want to help to encourage women to play sports, especially following the US women’s soccer team winning the 2019 World Cup.
“Their female soccer teams’ go under the radar,” he said. “So we try to help bolster the teams.”
Five local Acadiana artists are set to perform, including Tucka, Roi “Chip” Anthony, Lil Nate, Lil Runt and JJ Callier.
The list of food vendors is just as good. Big E’s and The Boys, Gram’s Kitchen, RJ’s Funnel Cakes, I GOTCHA, P&W Soul to Soul, The Potato Hut, and The Sweet Shop will provide items like boudin, fried alligator, fried fish and funnel cakes.
RV campers are encouraged to arrive on July 26 for a two-day festival. These campers will enjoy a pre-party with entertainment from DJ Chill and catered food.
Hollins said there’s 29 confirmed RV’s and that the arena will look “like an RV dealership.”
The festival is also presenting two awards: one for the RV Club of the Year, “The Traveling Tigers”; and the other for the Trail Ride Club of the Year, Opelousas based “BarnYard Posse.”
Ticket pricing ranges from $10 to $250 and can be purchased at its Eventbrite page or through zydecosoulfest.com.
Contact Victoria Dodge at vdodge@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @Victoria_Dodge
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