This festival celebrates the culture of the Isleños who settled in St. Bernard all the way back in the late 18th century. Isleños are people from the Canary Islands. And no, I didn’t know that off the top of my head, so don’t feel bad. I drove 13 miles east along Claiborne /Judge Perez, the farthest into the Parish I’ve ever been. It gets shockingly pastoral out there! Who knew? Eventually, we arrived and found totally adequate off-street parking in a well-policed, grassy lot. Admission was $ 3 a person for those 12 and older and it got you a raffle ticket too. By 5PM, they weren’t charging for admission, so I felt a little ripped off. I don’t think festivals should have entrance fees. You’re bound to spend a small fortune on food and drink anyway, so why skim a little off the top at the door? Oh well. We paid and entered. Food: All consumables are purchased with tickets. The main food area had a section offering Spanish options like paella, croquetas, empanadillos and caldo. My friend said her Spanish sampler plate was forgettable. Around the corner were the typical festival options of burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and fried seafood. Yet another area sold bowls of shrimp & grits, which my friend swore were the best he’d ever had. I opted to buy a pulled pork plate from a BBQ vendor. It was good, but hugely overpriced & didn’t come with sides — $ 8. As a follow-up, we ate a dozen grilled oysters($ 14). St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro was in the back shucking oysters, which was funny & endearing. After a significant wait, the oysters were served up in a plastic soda crate lined with newspaper. I had never eaten grilled oysters before, but they were delicious. Barely cooked, hot, covered in garlic, butter, and Parmesan cheese. I could have eaten several more dozen. Drinks: Soda was just $ 1. Long neck domestic beers were $ 3. A friend got a generously sized cup of sangria which he enjoyed, but even the band on stage remarked that it tasted of kool-aid. Too sweet, tasted highly processed. Not worth it. Music: There was a surprisingly decent cover band on stage for most of the time we were there. Even better than the music though was the moderate volume at which the soundsystem was set at. It was probably the best sound I’ve heard at a festival — clear, well-balanced, and just loud enough. It was never too loud to hold a conversation. We also caught a short off-stage performance from La Parranda de Teror, a group of folk musicians from the Canary Islands. They had a performance on the main stage, but we missed it. It was a fun little performance. Make sure you see them! Vendors: Nothing special. The standard festival vendors with the addition of a surprisingly large selection of things made of wood: rocking chairs, toys, etc. Make sure you bring CASH because there is no ATM on site — a huge oversight in my opinion. Also, the festival is relatively isolated, so don’t expect to be able to walk to a a corner store for your cash fix either.
