Zydeco Fest
BRATTLEBORO – Kick off the shoes and let the good times roll at Cajun Zydeco Fest 2022 at Kampfires Campground, Inn, & Entertainment, on Saturday, August 27, from 1 to 7 pm.
Mango Jam will headline the fifth annual single-day festival, set on the grounds’ natural, tree-lined, outdoor open-air amphitheater. Burlington-based Mango Jam is a six-piece dance band playing straight-up zydeco as well as New Orleans-inspired funk, reggae, and ska. The band has been performing together since 1991 and currently includes Gus Ziesing on accordions, saxophones, and vocals; Mimi Ryan on alto saxophone and vocals; Lee Beckwith on bass and vocals; Dennis Willmott on guitar and vocals; Ted Looby on guitar; and Michael Bradshaw on drums.
Also set to perform on the outdoor stage are local New England bands Back O’ Town Cajun Band and Gumbo Jumbo Dixieland Band, each bringing their own unique spin on French Creole-inspired music. The French Cajun tunes, which traditionally focus on each writer’s life and culture, soulful blues of zydeco, and joyful Dixieland tunes, provide the backdrop to this end-of-summer celebration.
This New Orleans-style event will also feature gumbo, jambalaya, low country boil, a dancefloor, bar, yard games, and plenty of beads to throw.
Tickets are $12 for general admission in advance and $15 at the door; or $20 for VIP in advance and $25 at the door. Children under 12 are free. Tickets are available on Eventbrite at tinyurl.com/yudm92r3.