Download & Print
September 27, 2024
43rd annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival this Saturday
The Medina Lake Cajun Festival is this Saturday, Sept. 28, on the Lakehills Community Center grounds. The gates open at 11 a.m.; the “Zydeco Party - It’s Cooler After Dark” with free admission runs from 8-10 p.m. Only handicapped parking will be allowed in specially designated areas near the Community Center; parking and shuttle buses will be available from the Lakehills United Methodist Church and the Lakehills American Legion.
“Late September can still be a bit warm, and this is one way that we can continue the festival party into the evening when it will begin to cool down even as the Cajun live music is still going hot! It’s a fantastic way to wind down after a day out, dinner out, then you can just come and walk in the gate and enjoy all that is Cajun at our 43rd annual Festival,” Cajun Festival Director Barbara Engel said.
The Festival is rain or shine, with covered venues for the bands to protects attendees from the hot sun or rainy weather.
Long-time Medina Lake residents Engel and Robert Caswell helped establish the Cajun Festival, when it first began as a simple Gumbo Cookoff, in 1981, to save a foundering Community Center in Lakehills. Since then, the food and the Festival have grown into one of most-popular Cajun Festivals in Texas, including authentic Cajun cuisine such as crowd favorites of shrimp etouffee, fried catfish, and more than 20 other popular menu items all of which are prepared authentically and by hand with Cajun recipes by Cajun Festival Volunteers.
“Typically each year, our one hundred food preparation volunteers begin preparations early when we are feeding about 7,000 guests. They don’t all eat, but a lot of people hunger for Cajun recipes, and they bring their appetites. Typically, we will prepare 200lbs of brisket, 250lbs of sausage, 250lbs of catfish, 250lbs of shrimp, 150lbs of onions, 75lbs each of celery and bell peppers. We mix that with 250lbs of sugar, 150lbs of flour, and various other ingredients to achieve the sumptuous and authentic Cajun meals available at the Cajun Festival,” Engel said.
Also popular with Cajun Festival guests are the wine and beer booths, which serve frozen wine and ice-cold drinks, as well as a variety of other cold drinks. The Festival includes an immensely popular Gumbo Cook-Off, which often has sampling, including by “Ma Harper” of San Antonio fame who has been attending the Festival since its inception in 1981. This year, the Gumbo Cook-Off will feature all the favorite Gumbo Chefs, as well as many local school High School culinary arts programs.
Zydeco, rock and country music, imported directly from Louisiana and bayou country, will be live on two stages all day and night. Many other popular family-friendly events, including a dedicated children’s activity area monitored by volunteers, silent auction items, a large number of vendors, art, and so much more.
There are now two ways to buy tickets: on the day of the festival, or in advance online at www.cajunfestival-medinalake.com, keeping in mind that the online ticket sales will end today at 5 p.m.
“This is our third year for selling online tickets in advance, and each year it grows in popularity as you can avoid the lines at the entry gate and have the tickets waiting for you at our will call window, if you can get that order in before Friday, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. With online ticketing, there is no need to stand in the hot sun waiting to pay for that ticket, unless that’s a part of your Medina Lake Cajun Festival tradition,” Ron Clarke, publicity co-chair and Cajun Festival online marketer said.
Volunteers are still needed for the Festival, the primary annual fundraiser for the Lakehills Civic Center that supports multiple programs and activities for the Bandera and Lakehills Community.
For more information, or to sign up to volunteer, please call 830-460-0600.
“Late September can still be a bit warm, and this is one way that we can continue the festival party into the evening when it will begin to cool down even as the Cajun live music is still going hot! It’s a fantastic way to wind down after a day out, dinner out, then you can just come and walk in the gate and enjoy all that is Cajun at our 43rd annual Festival,” Cajun Festival Director Barbara Engel said.
The Festival is rain or shine, with covered venues for the bands to protects attendees from the hot sun or rainy weather.
Long-time Medina Lake residents Engel and Robert Caswell helped establish the Cajun Festival, when it first began as a simple Gumbo Cookoff, in 1981, to save a foundering Community Center in Lakehills. Since then, the food and the Festival have grown into one of most-popular Cajun Festivals in Texas, including authentic Cajun cuisine such as crowd favorites of shrimp etouffee, fried catfish, and more than 20 other popular menu items all of which are prepared authentically and by hand with Cajun recipes by Cajun Festival Volunteers.
“Typically each year, our one hundred food preparation volunteers begin preparations early when we are feeding about 7,000 guests. They don’t all eat, but a lot of people hunger for Cajun recipes, and they bring their appetites. Typically, we will prepare 200lbs of brisket, 250lbs of sausage, 250lbs of catfish, 250lbs of shrimp, 150lbs of onions, 75lbs each of celery and bell peppers. We mix that with 250lbs of sugar, 150lbs of flour, and various other ingredients to achieve the sumptuous and authentic Cajun meals available at the Cajun Festival,” Engel said.
Also popular with Cajun Festival guests are the wine and beer booths, which serve frozen wine and ice-cold drinks, as well as a variety of other cold drinks. The Festival includes an immensely popular Gumbo Cook-Off, which often has sampling, including by “Ma Harper” of San Antonio fame who has been attending the Festival since its inception in 1981. This year, the Gumbo Cook-Off will feature all the favorite Gumbo Chefs, as well as many local school High School culinary arts programs.
Zydeco, rock and country music, imported directly from Louisiana and bayou country, will be live on two stages all day and night. Many other popular family-friendly events, including a dedicated children’s activity area monitored by volunteers, silent auction items, a large number of vendors, art, and so much more.
There are now two ways to buy tickets: on the day of the festival, or in advance online at www.cajunfestival-medinalake.com, keeping in mind that the online ticket sales will end today at 5 p.m.
“This is our third year for selling online tickets in advance, and each year it grows in popularity as you can avoid the lines at the entry gate and have the tickets waiting for you at our will call window, if you can get that order in before Friday, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. With online ticketing, there is no need to stand in the hot sun waiting to pay for that ticket, unless that’s a part of your Medina Lake Cajun Festival tradition,” Ron Clarke, publicity co-chair and Cajun Festival online marketer said.
Volunteers are still needed for the Festival, the primary annual fundraiser for the Lakehills Civic Center that supports multiple programs and activities for the Bandera and Lakehills Community.
For more information, or to sign up to volunteer, please call 830-460-0600.