That’s right, it’s the Bayou Boogaloo, all weekend long down on the Bayou St. John, which is actually not “down” but in the middle of New Orleans in what used to be a swamp. Old maps show branches reaching all over the city and down to the Mississippi River. Portions were navigable by canoe and used by first Native Americans then French traders and eventualy privateers such as the Lafitte brothers, who used it as a part of an inland waterway extending from Texas to Pensacola. Part of the local Bayou St. John was reputedly the location of voodoo rituals by Marie Laveau, although many beleive that was a rumor strarted by Lafitte to keep people away from the area.
In any event, right now it’s music, food and crafts. Todays highlights are the Rubber Duck Derby,
where Second Harvest drops 10,000 rubber ducks into Bayou St. John for a “race” to the finish line where one “lucky duck” will win a fantastic prize! Five dollars buys you a duck and it’s all for great cause. And after the race, you can listen to Tab Benoit , the man behindthe Voice of The Wetlands All Stars and does his message ring true today.
So come on down, shake a tail feather and enjoy the sun. Get up and dance …it won’t ruin ya.
