05/10/08

Also, below, find the "tell all" scoop on past road trips - some have pictures, and even links to the music of bands that were seen!

Local Parties - often planned at the last minute, the Listserv is the best place to keep up with these!

Regional Dances - this schedule of dances around Florida comes to us from Jerry Carrier. Also check out the links page for more in FL, as well as GA, LA and AL.

Road Trips That We Typically Plan - if you plan a road trip, please email me details in the exact format as below and I will post it - check out the festival/camp schedule or links page for more events! For more info, contact Joyce or Karin (at bottom of home page).

February - For those not going to Lafayette, LA for THE Mardi Gras, there is usually a Cajun band playing at The Villages, about 1 1/2 hours south of Gville. We've been going since 2007.

March - St. Pete Crawfish Festival, St. Pete, Florida. Some are going down Friday, some Saturday. Dance for 3 days under a huge tent and watch dolphins romp in the bay. Food, lessons, dancing, zydeco dancers from all over.

May - Truly a festival designed for Zydeco Dancers who just can't get enough!!!! The Gulf Coast Zydeco Music and Crawfish Festival is in May.

June - City Stages is a city-wide festival of all kinds of music held in Birmingham, AL on June 13-15. Dance Depot is where the dance bands play!!! Cost is $37.50 for the weekend (buy now, of course!!) not counting transportation and lodging and food. Buy Weekend Passes in groups of 25 or more and pay just $30 each (wonder if we can get it together!!)

First weekend in October - Dance Vortex, Mentone, AL. [This dance has been cancelled until further notice.] Dance in the hills of NE Alabama, beautiful open air, covered dance floor - zydeco, cajun, waltz and swing, and even some contra! Wonderful friends, great dancing. Includes lodging, dance lessons, food, everything! Too much fun. A fantastic weekend. This years theme has something to do with "13" as this is the 13th Dance Vortex. Put on by our very own Bartman, recently defected to Lafayette, but we still love him.

New Years Eve, 2007-2008 - Our annual trek to the birthplace of zydeco, Lafayette, LA. A trip not to be missed! (Read about past trips below.)

Past Dances and Road Trips

Ocala Cultural Festival October 2008 - A wonderful day trip. The link at left is the newpaper article with our very own Joyce and Will making a front page of the Ocala Star-Banner. We left towards the end and hit the Jazz Up Dunnellon in Dunnellon, 14 jazz bands along a quaint downtown strip. Walked, danced and ate.

Dance Vortex 2007 - The theme was ...."007," but of course! Check out the pictures. Many of them are of Pattie. This is because Brian took so many of them! You will see Bartman, who was incarnated as "Bond, Bart Bond. Licensed to Dance" and many other Gville characters.  

March 9-11, 2007 - St. Pete Crawfish Festival, St. Pete, Florida. We carpooled down, stayed at the Days Inn Tropicana, danced for 3 days under a huge tent and some of us even took breaks to watch dolphins romp in the bay. Food, lessons, dancing, zydeco dancers from all over. Newspaper write-up.

2007 Mardi Gras in Lafayette - Joyce recounts Mardi Gras in Lafayette.

2006 Annual New Years Eve Trek to Lafayette - read Dane's tell-all (almost) account!

Dance Vortex 2006 - Lost in the Whirlwind by Joyce

2005 Annual New Years Eve Trek to Lafayette - Lynn tells all

2004 Annual New Years Eve Trek to Lafayette - 22 of us went! Hear about it from Sandy and Dane. See Dave's high resolution pictures and video (some embedded in the stories). Be sure to watch the last video, it is Tante Sue "playing" the accordion at Fred's.

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Make sure to join the Hogtown Zydeco Listserv to keep up with

• local zydeco dancing

• outrageously fun road trips

• dance camps and festivals across the country

See you at our monthly dances!