Voice of the Wetlands Festival will return to Houma, LA this weekend for its 13th incarnation.
2016 Voice of the Wetlands Festival poster. Designed by Steve Johannsen.
Tab Benoit, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Dave Jordan & The NIA, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles, Darcy Malone & The Tangle and many more will perform at the festival, which will showcase music across two stages from Friday through Sunday.
There will be plenty of other activities as well, including educational and environmental presentations, dance, visual arts and a wide range of delicious local food and drinks.
Founded in 2004 by Cajun blues guitar master Tab Benoit, the Voice of the Wetlands Festival seeks to draw attention to Louisiana’s disappearing wetlands and the culture that depends on them (we published a feature on Benoit’s important work in 2015). Benoit wille headline the festival on Saturday, and will participate in the annual Friday Night Guitar Fights session with Mason Ruffner, Josh Garrett Tyrone Vaughan, Bart Walker and Jonathon Boogie Long.
Voice of the Wetlands Festival will take place at its relatively new location at 5403 West Park Ave in Houma. The event will once again be free and open to the public.
Here’s a look at the music schedule:
Main Stage
Friday, October 7
630-7:45 Josh Garrett Band
8:15-9:30 Leroux
10:00-12:00 Friday Night Guitar Fights
Tab Benoit, Mason Ruffner, Josh Garrett
Tyrone Vaughan, Bart Walker, Jonathon Boogie Long
Saturday, October 8
1:00-2:15 Heath Ledet
2:45-4:00 Waylon Thibodeaux
4:30-5:45 Mason Ruffner
6:15-7:40 Dave Jordan and the NIA
8:10-9:30 The Batture Boys Tommy Malone (The Subdudes) and Ray Ganucheau (The Continental Drifters)
10:00 – 11:30 Tab Benoit
Sunday, October 9
1:00-2:00 The Young Nation Band
2:30-3:30 BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
4:00-5:00 Randy Jackson of Zebra
5:30-6:30 Mike Zito
7:00-8:00 Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
8:30-9:45 Royal Southern Brotherhood
Red Dog Saloon
Friday, October 7
7:00-8:00 Coffee House Acoustic Set
8:30-9:15 Jonathon Boogie Long
9:45-10:45 Heath Ledet & Friends
11:15-12:15 Nonc Nu & Da Wild Matous
12:15 The Wetlands Ramble Jam Session
Saturday, October 8
2:00-3:00 T-Bois Gras Cajun Band
3:30-5:00 Jonathon Boogie Long
5:20-6:30 Mitch Woods
7:00-8:15 The Claude Bryant Reggae Allstars
8:45-10:00 Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles
10:30-11:45 Nonc Nu & Da Wild Matous
12:00 The Wetlands Ramble Jam Session
Sunday, October 9
2:00-3:00 Johnny Stassi & Wild Hares
3:30-4:50 Sally and George feat Joel from Sol Driven Train
5:20-6:30 Margie Perez Band
7:00-8:15 Marc Stone Band
8:45-9:30 Darcy Malone and the Tangle
10:00-11:15 The Wetlands Ramble Jam Session
