Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival
The 40th Annual Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival
September 3, 2022
Yambilee Festival Grounds
1939 W Landry Street
Opelousas, LA 70570
About the Original Southwest Zydeco Festival:
The Treasures of Opelousas, a group of concerned citizens, feared that Zydeco and Creole music were dying; in response, they organized the first festival. With the guidance and sponsorship from the Southern Development Foundation, the first Zydeco Festival in 1982 was started in a bean field in Plaisance, Louisiana on the outskirts of Opelousas.
Lena Charles notes that it is important to support the festival’s mission in preserving creole culture and zydeco music in St. Landry Parish.
For Immediate Release
August 29, 2022
Contact: Lena Charles
337- 290-6048
lenafcharles@bellsouth.net
The 40th Annual Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival
(Opelousas, LA) – The 40th Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival is live! Organizers are preparing, trying to satisfy the demand for Creole Culture and Zydeco Music. Festival executive director Lena Charles says that locally and nationwide, music fans are eager to return to Southwest Louisiana to experience firsthand the original “keepers of the culture, the tellers of the stories.” The festival takes place on September 3rd, Yambilee Festival Grounds with multiple activities leading up to that date. This year the festival pays tribute to the original King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier and to Wilbert Levier, an original member of the Treasures of Opelousas.
The lineup includes hit-makers such as Lil Nate & the Zydeco Big Timers (Friday Night Kick Off Dance), Grammy winner Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Grammy nominees Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie and Corey Ledet; along with Mike Broussard & Nu Edition Zydeco, Jeremy Frugé & The Zydeco Hot Boyz and Rusty Metoyer & Zydeco Krush.
The Treasures of Opelousas, a group of concerned citizens, feared that the Creole Culture and their music were dying out; in response, they organized the first zydeco festival in 1982. Forty years later, we are still celebrating and promoting the best of creole culture, traditional food and zydeco music. The 2022 Annual Zydeco Season opens on August 4 and ends with the comeback Zydeco Celebration on September 3, 2022. Find more information about the 40th Annual Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival at www.zydeco.org or on Facebook at SWLA Zydeco Music Festival, www.lafayettetravel.com.
Donate to Support the Original Festival’s Mission as,
“Keepers of the Culture and Tellers of Stories”
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