Wine Country Cajun Food & Music Festival 2009
Saturday, October 3rd  - 1 to 6 PM              

Napa Downtown proclaims " Laissez les bon temps rouler! -Let the good times roll!” at its Wine Country Cajun Food & Music Festival, Saturday October 3, 1-6PM. This event has established itself as a regional favorite and this FREE admission party on Napa’s First Street has grown with more entertainment, cooking demonstrations, great brews, awesome Cajun cooking to enjoy, wine tasting and fun activities for the kids. Parking is free too!

Napa’s Cajun Festival will have three stages of live entertainment showcasing the lively performances and authentic sounds of New Orleans.

The big New Belgium Brewing Mardi Gras Stage features Gator Beat and will have a huge party finale with Henry Clement – Chief Takawaka & Gumbo Band following their showcase in the second of the day giant New Orleans-style street parade. The Chief’s hand made ensemble is made of thousands of hand-sewn beads and beautiful feathers meticulously applied creating an incredible must-see display. Local favorites, the Napa High School Marching Band returns for an encore parade performance as well making the parades great crowd pleasers and you are encouraged to join in.

The Blue Moon Cajun Zydeco Dance Stage will be party-central all afternoon featuring Mark St. Mary Louisiana Zydeco Band and the Zydeco Flames. The Blue Moon stage in the Cajun Cabaret is where you are invited to join in the fun and take a free dance lesson. The beat is infectious and with a little help to learn the simple moves, you will have the Cajun 2-step down.                                                                  

Between cooking demonstrations, The Heineken Chef’s Stage will feature the fun and very talented Fred Pepper Trio. More music will fill the air as you enjoy street musicians throughout the festival site.

A major attraction at the Wine Country Cajun Festival is that special scrumptious Cajun food. There will be numerous culinary choices from which to choose and three cooking demonstrations by Napa chefs who will let you in on trade secrets and share tips while you sit in the comfortable Chefs’ Pavilion.

Featured festival chefs are also proprietors of renown Napa Downtown restaurants: Greg Cole of Cole’s Chop House + Celadon, Chris Aken, Executive chef at Avia Napa Hotel and Joe Salerno of Piccolino’s Italian Restaurant & Bar.

This being the gateway to the Napa Valley, several of Napa Downtown’s wine tasting rooms will be on hand to offer tastings and glasses of your favorite selections. Cajun food and beer are a natural fit and many fine brews will be available plus crafts, gifts and surprises await you: there’s even a crawfish eating contest!

Wine Country Cajun is way kid-friendly offering a variety of activities. Free crawfish wrangling (a catch + release kick), face painting, mask making and other attractions make this a wonderful family outing. This is “Napa’s hottest event” and you are invited to join in. For more information go to www.WineCountryCajunFestival.com.

The festival is produced by IOM (Integrated Outsource Marketing) in cooperation with the Napa Downtown Association 

It all happens Saturday, October 3, 1-6PM on First Street, Napa Downtown – FREE admission. Laissez les bon temps rouler!