funky METERS, JJ Grey and Mofro, Marcia Ball and more return for Michael Arnone's 25th Annual Crawfish Fest

AUGUSTA, NJ (02/04/2014)(readMedia)-- Mardi Gras - Tuesday, March 4th – is less than one month away, the cold of winter will soon be a distant memory, and festival season is upon us! For lovers of great food, music and fun, good times with family and friends, colorful beads and funky beats, crawfish and jambalaya treats, the fun is about to begin. Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest, May 30 - June 1, 2014, turns 25 this year and he has put together a lineup as historic as the anniversary. The task of putting together a festival of this size and quality is no small feat, to have it last and grow for twenty five years is remarkable.

You don't have to wait long to sample this year's Crawfish Fest lineup, many of the acts are invading the Northeast right now. The Sunday night Crawfish Fest Headliner, JJ Grey and MOFRO are playing the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY on Feb. 14th and Terminal 5 in New York, NY on Feb. 15th. The Saturday night Crawfish Fest headliner is none other than the funky METERS. Meters founding members Art Neville and George Porter Jr. will be on hand to lay down the funk that started a musical revolution, and has inspired thousands of artists since. Blues piano soulster, Marcia Ball returns to Crawfish Fest for sets on the Main Stage, the Jager Pavilion Stage and on the Workshop Stage for a music workshop. Marcia has been nominated for the 16th time this year for Blues Music Awards - Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year, which she has won 5 times. Marcia will swing into BB King's in New York, NY on Feb. 3rd. To make the Northeast feel more like Mardi Gras, Arnone's favorite resources for King Cakes and Mardi Gras Beads include Haydel's Bakery or Gambino's Bakery. When you order Michael's Jambalaya Mix from the Crawfish Fest Online Store you will enjoy the same taste that Arnone creates from scratch at the Crawfish Fest.

Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience has just won his second Grammy Award (the only Zydeco artist to ever do so), and will return to the Crawfish Fest Main Stage and the Dance Hall Stage for a pair of sets this year, as well as an appearance on the Workshop Stage. Rock-n-Roll royalty rejoin the Crawfish Fest faithful in 2014 when Cyril Neville and Devon Allman bring the Royal Southern Brotherhood back for a Main Stage set. Cyril just won a trio of Best of the Beat awards, presented by OffBeat Magazine in New Orleans for Best Blues Artist, Best Blues Album and Best Male Vocalist.

As a special treat for just the Crawfish Fest campers who will be with us for 3 nights in one of our 5 on-site campgrounds and King Crawfish Krewe ticket holders, there will be eight full sets of music at night including the Friday night headliner, Kermit Ruffins. Kermit just won three Best of the Beat awards himself for Best Traditional Jazz Artist, Best Traditional Jazz Album and Best Trumpeter. Kermit rolls into BB King's for the NOLA Funk Mardi Gras Party in New York City on Feb. 28th along with fellow 2014 Crawfish Fest performers, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk and High & Mighty Brass Band. Radiator fans will be happy to see Raw Oyster Cult on our main stage, a super group which has former Radiators Dave Malone, Frank Bua and Camile Badoin along with John Gros from Papa Grows Funk and Dave Pomerleau from Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes

Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest has always been known for a fantastic variety of Louisiana cuisine. All the dishes are priced at $10 or under and bring to the area tasty treats that are hard to find elsewhere in the Northeast. Michael's Krewe will be making their own pork sausage and chicken Jambalaya, Boiled Crawfish, oyster, shrimp and catfish Po-Boys, Crawfish Etouffee and Filet Gumbo, just to name a few. You can also try the Grilled Portabella Mushroom on wheat bun, Char-Grilled Oysters or Grilled Alligator Sausage from one of the other fine vendors. For those with a less adventurous palate, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and french fries are also available, along with fruit smoothies. Breakfast is available for sale to the campers from 6-10 AM on Sat. and Sun. and includes your choice of scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, and grits. Just like at the French Market in New Orleans, we will be serving beignets made from scratch.

Fans of R&B, funk and the Blues have plenty of other options as well this year with Walter "Wolfman" Washington and the Roadmasters, everybody's festival favorites Bonerama, Earphunk, High & Mighty Brass Band and the blues of Jonathon Boogie Long. Fans of a good Zydeco or Cajun two step will be kept busy with Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, Jeffery Broussard and The Creole Cowboys, the Ray Abshire Cajun Band and The Crawdaddies. Free Cajun dance lessons are given Sat. and Sun. from 11:00-12:00 in the 12.000 St ft Dance Hall on our large wooden dance floor. Other night time camper's sets include the powerhouse drummer from Dumpstaphunk and Beyoncé, Nikki Glaspie and keyboardist Nigel Hall, in The Nth Power. Mia Borders will be playing sets for both campers and daytime fest goers, and the final night time act will be Texas blues powerhouse, Carolyn Wonderland. Crawfish Fest favorites, the Tin Men, open the festival on Friday night, and the Sunday morning Gospel set will feature The Lee Boys.

The Crawfish Fest Food and Trade Expo, a showcase of Louisiana products and services returns for its 2nd year.

Michael Arnone's 25th Annual Crawfish Fest is good family fun for music lovers. The festival will once again be held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, in Augusta, NJ on May 30, 31 and June 1st. For more information, to view our schedule and to purchase single Saturday/Sunday, 3 day camping tickets, King Crawfish Krewe VIP and RV hookups, visit www.crawfishfest.com . There are also links to our Crawfish Fest iPhone App and Droid App and the Crawfish Fest Facebook page.

Sponsored by Bud Light, Jagermeister, American Harvest Organic Spirit, WFDU-FM, WNTI-FM, DonQ Rum, Black Beard Spiced Rum, Crystal Hot Sauce. Twisted Tea, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, Holiday Inn and 84RV.com

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Posted Tuesday February 04, 2014 at 05:04 am by Michael Arnone's 25th Annual Crawfish Fest
Last Updated Saturday February 08, 2014 at 03:13 pm