For more than four decades, the Medina Lake Cajun Festival has brought a taste of Louisiana to the Texas Hill Country, and this year promises to keep the tradition alive with music, dancing, food and family fun.
The festival, set for Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lakehills Community Center, began in 1981 as a creative solution to save the building from foreclosure. The Lakehills Civic Center Board of Directors enlisted the help of Louisiana transplant and attorney Bob Caswell, who suggested a gumbo cookoff to raise funds. At the time, Cajun culture was largely unfamiliar in Texas, but the event was a success and eventually grew into the annual festival now celebrating its 44th year.
Each year, roughly 500 volunteers transform the grounds into a slice of Cajun Country, decorating booths, cooking the food and preparing for thousands of visitors. Festival- goers can enjoy music on two stages, featuring Cajun and Zydeco bands from Louisiana, as well as some country and western tunes. Attendees can dance on two floors or tap their toes while listening to the lively sounds.
The festival is known for its food, with volunteer cooks preparing dishes on-site, including crawfish pies, jambalaya, fried catfish and shrimp, red beans and rice, crawfish étouffée, and bread pudding with whiskey sauce. The Great Gumbo Cookoff is a highlight of the day, with awards presented in the late afternoon.
MUSIC SCHEDULE Fais Do Do Pavilion
• 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Ca Va Bien (Tex/Cajun)
• 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.: OST Ramblers – Josh Huval (Cajun/Zydeco)
• 4:45 – 5:15 p.m.: Great Gumbo Cook-off awards
• 5:15 – 9 p.m.: Don Fontenot & Les Amis Louisiane (Cajun) Gazebo Stage
• 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Jesse Lege & Bosco Stomp (Cajun)
• 3 – 5 p.m.: Ca Va Bien (Tex/Cajun)
• 5 – 9 p.m.: Toman Brothers (Country/ Western) Admission is $15, and children 10 and under are free. Free parking and shuttle service are available. Proceeds benefit the Lakehills Community Center, a non-profit charitable organization.
For more information, visit www.CajunFestival- MedinaLake.com or call 830-460-0600 or 210885-6435. Press inquiries can be directed to Barbara Engel at 830-751-2727 or Gary Cox at 210-885-6435.
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