What to Know
- July 26-28, 2019
- Rainbow Lagoon
- $15 one-day admission at gate
Driving from Los Angeles to New Orleans?
You'll cover just over 1,800 miles, though maybe a bit longer, if you stop in New Mexico for that bowl of green chile stew you heard about, off that one off-ramp, or in Texas for some classic BBQ.
The days between now and Fat Tuesday 2020?
You'll need to wait for 215 sun-ups and sundowns to make it to the next Mardi Gras celebration, as of this typing.
But to get to the always fun Fat Friday at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach? Well, that's happening ASAP, on the evening of July 26, as the city's famous Crawfish Festival begins.
It's a three-day affair, one filled with zydeco tunes, "themed bayou bars," and so. Much. Crawfish tastiness, of the zingiest sort.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
Adding to this traditional main component? The classic sides you're looking for, including "Cajun potatoes, corn on the cob, and tangy remoulade dipping sauce."
And be prepared for a gentle shower of powdered sugar on your happy face, for beignets will once again be the dessertful focus of the festivity.
A festivity that has plenty of beads to summon that NOLA vibe, vibrant sounds to stomp-stomp along to, and other Fat Tuesday touchstones that work equally in the LBC on a Fat Friday. (And, yes, on a celebratory Saturday and Sunday, too.)
There are admission-only tickets, and crawfish meal packages, too, so you'll need to decide how you want to let your own personal good times roll during the July 26-28 celebration.
Are you going to dance? To eat? To do a whole lot of both?
It's almost like it is winter in New Orleans, but it is summer in Long Beach, as one of the most colossal crawfish hoedowns around gets snapping, just as July bids us adieu.
