Don’t Miss Alexandria Zoo’s Les Fest Featuring “Cajun Bluesman” Tab Benoit

128

LesFestLogo-webIs there a better combination than the blend of blues and nature?  On Thursday, September 22nd, the soulful sound of blues will be flowing among the hoots, howls and roars of the animals at the Alexandria Zoo.

 

Les Fest is the Zoo’s signature adult untamed evening filled with live music, delicious food and fun in an inviting outdoor atmosphere.  The event celebrates the late zoo director Leslie “Les” Whitt, who dedicated his life to serving the citizens of Alexandria and promoting the conservation of the world’s wildlife.  Two of Whitt’s great loves included the Alexandria Zoo and music, both of which take center stage at Les Fest.

 

Tab BenoitFor the first time, musician and wetlands preservation advocate, Tab Benoit, will bring his acclaimed bayou blues sound to Alexandria Zoo.  Benoit, a Houma native, is an American blues guitarist and singer.  Winner of multiple Blues Music Awards, including the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Contemporary Blues Male Artist, Benoit was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010.  In 2003, he co-founded Voice of the Wetlands, a volunteer-based non-profit organization “focused on driving awareness about the loss of the wetlands in southern Louisiana.”

 

In addition to music, the evening will feature a superb lineup of silent auction items and food available for purchase.  Local area restaurants and caterers will be donating their culinary talents to compose an enticing menu of both savory and sweet creations.  Vendors include Atwood’s Bakery, Back Woods Catering, Copeland’s, Julia’s Mexican Restaurant, Mi Tierra, Panaroma Foods, Southern Creations, Spirits, and Tunk’s Cypress Inn.

 

Zoo LogoGates will open at 6:30pm.  Admission is $20.00.  Tickets will be available on the zoo’s website at www.thealexandriazoo.com, and at the Alexandria Zoo office. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate during Les Fest.  Proceeds from Les Fest help advance the zoo’s conservation mission, with a portion being donated to the Whooping Crane Foundation, a species the Zoo hopes to soon provide a home to.   Other funds raised will be used for projects designed to enrich the lives of animals at the zoo.