Baton Rouge is getting yet another new festival.
The Capital City Seafood Festival, a two-day celebration of south Louisiana cuisine, music and culture, will take place at Airline Highway Park during the Labor Day weekend in September.
Ten food vendors—including Baton Rouge-based Fast Lane Catering & Decor and New Iberia-based Buster’s Taste of Flavor—will be serving up everything from boiled shrimp to crawfish fettuccine.
Co-organizers LaToya Lewis and Mike Howard are meeting with Mayor Sharon Weston Broome today to send her a formal invitation and receive an official endorsement for the event. They are still in the process of securing sponsorships.
A musical lineup is already in place for Saturday and Sunday, Lewis says. R&B group The Bucket List will open the event on Saturday, followed by nine other acts throughout the weekend, including The Chee-Weez, J.Paul Jr. and the Zydeco NuBreeds, and former “American Idol” contestant Anamé Rose.
Tickets for the festival will be $25 per day, and advanced tickets for the entire weekend will be available for $40, Lewis says.
Howard says he and Lewis have been planning the festival for two years. A Slidell native, Howard helped with the St. Tammany Crab Festival every year and wanted to bring a similar concept to Baton Rouge since moving here in 2003.
“It’s like a culture to me,” Howard says. “I grew up around festivals.”
Unlike the Northshore event, the Capital City Seafood Festival will include carnival rides, giving it a family-friendly feel, Lewis says. There will also be a “kid’s corner” where children can play while their parents sample food and enjoy the live music.
Other new festivals that have been announced already this year include the Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival, The Louisiana Sports Festival and The Wingamania! Festival.
