On August 2nd, I went to the LBC (Long Beach for those not from around these parts) to the Crawfish Festival. It was a day of eatin’ drinkin’ and dancin’ to be sure. Now, down in the bayou country of Louisiana them “redbugs” or “crawdads” are really popular little eatin’ morsels. They go out along the swamps and other fresh water arteries in the area and collect buckets of them. They steam them, then they peel them and eat them.

The way you do it is to snap the shell where the head becomes body, then you suck out the head and that is one bite. You then crack the tail open and you get like a little mini lobster/shrimp experience. So that is about it. Some people can eat big piles of them and, down South there, they are a staple of any good seafood meal.

Being a Louisiana – centric festival, we were also treated to festive booths with tons of Mardi Gras style treats. Yeah, and not the kind that hangs of the balconies of Bourbon Street at 1am screamin and showing off their personal assets. But, plenty of beads and things that would appeal to folks from that area, as well as the residents of Long Beach as it turned out…

For me, the real treat was the music. There were quite a few rockin’ zydeco bands there that played that swamp music boogie that folks like so much and it made for a day of wonderful live music and dancing and also seemed to fuel the booze consumption like being at a fraternity house on St. Patrick’s Day. But, what was cool about this event is that they truly brought in the PROS!

Geno Delafose and his band played long into the night and really got the crowd rockin! Still no flashing but, still people seemed to really be having a good ol’ time, yeah huh? (That is how they talk).  I can almost Gay Ron Tee I will be back there next year…. and I don’t even like them gross little red bugs!