The Lakehills Civic Center announced that the now familiar and traditional Medina Lake Cajun Festival is slated, as always, for the 4th Saturday in September, at the Lakehills Community Center Grounds near Medina Lake.
For this year’s event, the Festival will premiere its’ new “Zydeco Party – It’s Cooler After Dark!,” which features free admission through the entry gates after 8 p.m. until the Festival closes at 10 p.m.
“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.
Engel 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 itself have grown into one of most-popular Cajun Festivals in Texas, including authentic 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 200 lbs. of brisket, 250 lbs. of sausage, 250 lbs. of catfish, 250 lbs. of shrimp, 150 lbs. of onions, 75 lbs. each of celery and bell peppers. We mix that with 250 lbs. of sugar, 150 lbs. of flour, and various other ingredients to achieve the sumptuous and authentic Cajun meals available at the Cajun Festival,” Engel said.
Also popular with Fiesta goers is the wine booth, which serves frozen wine and ice-cold drinks, as well as a variety of other cold drinks.
The Festival also includes an immensely popular “Gumbo Cook-Off,” which often has sampling, live Zydeco, rock, and country music on two stages imported directly from Louisiana and many other popular family- friendly events, including a dedicated children’s activity area which is monitored by volunteers.
There are now two ways to get your tickets to the largest Cajun Festival in Texas. You can buy them on the day of the festival, or you can buy them in advance online.
“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, or even have them mailed to your home address. Now 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,” Publicity Co-Chair and Cajun Festival Ticket Online Marketer Ron Clarke said.
The Cajun Festival will be held at the Lakehills Civic Center on Saturday, Sept. 28; the gates will open at 11 a.m.; the Zydeco Party with free admission begins at 8 p.m.
The gates will close on the 2024 Medina Lake Cajun Festival at 10 p.m.
Only handicapped parking will be allowed in specially designated areas near the Community Center.
However, parking and shuttle buses will be available from the Lakehills United Methodist Church and the Lakehills American Legion.
To purchase advance tickets online, as well as obtain information about the Festival music, parking, rules, food and fun, you can visit www.cajunfestival- medinalake.com.
Volunteers are still needed for the Festival which is the primary annual fundraiser for the Lakehills Civic Center which supports multiple programs and activities for the Bandera and Lakehills Community. If you wish to volunteer, please call 830-460-0600.
