METAIRIE, LA — Deanie’s Seafood Restaurants will present the 6th Pinch A Palooza Festival & Crawfish Eating Contest, a seasonal celebration of Louisiana crawfish, music and culture, at Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant & Seafood Market in Bucktown, 1713 Lake Ave., Metairie, on Sunday, April 19, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Admission is free.
This year the Zagat-rated Deanie’s Seafood Restaurants deliver a Pinch A Palooza Festival (#Pinchapalooza) lineup that includes six local bands and takes fest-goers back to traditional Southern and New Orleans roots, featuring New Orleans originals, bluegrass, Cajun zydeco plus the unique songs/ chants of a traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian krewe, a ceremonial century-old tradition of New Orleans’ African-American communities.
Pinch A Palooza features Cajun fiddler and hometown sweetheart Amanda Shaw & The Cute Guys, Vince Vance & The Valiants, New Orleans Karma, Jackson, MS-based bluegrass duo Bill & Temperance, Southwest Louisiana Cajun Folk band Chansons et Soûlards, and Breakwater Drive, performing Southern rock and 70s and 80s music on the Pinch A Palooza stage for the sixth year.
Big Chief Romeo & the Ninth Ward Hunters and New Orleans favorite all-male dance troupe, The 610 Stompers, will round out the entertainment.
Louisiana Music Hall of Famer Vince Vance returns to emcee the day’s events for the third year and to perform with his band.
In addition to Deanie’s Louisiana crawfish boiled in its signature Creole seasonings and the restaurant’s other crawfish specialties, The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) Institute's Boxcar food truck (@BoxcarNOLA) will offer fare inspired by seasonal produce from the Institute’s Press Street Gardens. All proceeds from Boxcar food truck Pinch A Palooza sales will support the Institute and NOCCA programs.
The day’s activities include championship crawfish eating challenges, crawfish races, face painting for the kids, an art market and photos and hugs from Deanie’s mascot Pincher the Crawfish. Children can practice their fishing and casting skills with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries and enjoy activities that teach about protecting our coast.
Deanie’s crawfish specialties such as Crawfish Nachos, Fried Crawfish Tails and Crawfish Balls will be available for purchase as well as a selection of beer, soft drinks and cocktails.
“We are excited to celebrate our second year of serving certified ‘Authentic Louisiana Wild’ seafood at the sixth-annual Pinch A Palooza with the community, and feature entertainment that highlights traditional Louisiana sounds and Southern Roots,” Barbara Chifici, proprietor of Deanie’s Seafood Restaurants and Seafood Market, said. “We are looking forward to bringing in several new bands to this year’s festival and giving fest-goers the option to enjoy items prepared by the NOCCA Boxcar food truck, which supports an innovative culinary arts program in one of the nation’s food capitals.”
Pinch A Palooza will take place rain or shine.
Entertainment and fun are provided free to the public.
Food and beverages are available for purchase (no outside food or beverages).
Sponsors of this year’s Pinch A Palooza Festival include EJGH Lakeview and EJGH EMS, Lakeside Toyota, Reinhart Food Service, Louisiana Seafood Exchange, New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union and Performance Food Group.
Contestants can register to compete in the Pinch A Palooza Crawfish Eating Contest for a chance to win a crawfish boil for 20 people and other great prizes here.
