Defined by its outstanding Cajun music, food, and fun, the 10th annual Cajunfest at Amber Falls Winery & Cellars is scheduled for 12 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Always held on the Saturday before Memorial Day, it is a day that has the toe-tapping tunes unique to South Louisiana echoing off the scenic hills and ridges of Hampshire, Tenn., and draws almost 1,500 people from more than a dozen states. They come for the authentic Cajun music and the outstanding Cajun foods prepared by some of the best chefs and cooks South Louisiana has to offer.
Cajunfest 2018 is presented by Crescendo Sponsor, First Tennessee Bank. The event benefits Boys & Girls Clubs of Maury County, whose before/after-school and summer curriculum serves over 1,200 youth per year with programs such as tutoring by certified teachers, daily homework help, nutrition education and physical fitness, job training and college readiness programs, drug and alcohol prevention, character building, financial literacy, and much more.
In addition to raising funds for a great cause, Cajunfest 2018 will include the second annual gumbo cook-off contest. Teams will prepare their best gumbo recipes from scratch, and event attendees will be invited to taste and judge the gumbo entrants. The winner receives $500 along with bragging rights. This year’s event will also include a prize for first runner up. For more information about entering the gumbo cook-off contest, visit www.amberfallswinery.com.
Cajunfest guests will once again enjoy the music of two outstanding bands, headliner Wayne & Same ‘Ol 2 Step and the Jambalaya Cajun Band. Wayne & Same ‘Ol 2 Step keeps their music firmly grounded in the style of traditional Zydeco. Wayne Singleton, founder of the band, has toured and played throughout the United States and in Europe. The Jambalaya Cajun Band are regulars at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, and a talented mainstay in Cajun music.
In addition to the music, Cajunfest serves up award-winning wines and authentic Cajun foods –boiled crawfish, boudin, jambalaya, and fried alligator.
Amber Falls Winery & Cellars is located at 794 Ridgetop Road in Hampshire, TN, about an hour south of Nashville. Gate admission is $15. Food and gate admission packages may be purchased at a discounted rate in advance of the event, online at www.amberfallswinery.com. Group discounts are also available if purchased in advance of the event. For more information, call (931) 285-0088 or visit www.amberfallswinery.com.
2018 event sponsors include: Crescendo sponsor First Tennessee Bank; Platinum sponsors Reliant Bank, First Farmers Bank, Maury Regional Medical Center, and International Assurance of Tennessee; Silver sponsors Hampton Inn Columbia Commons, Airgas, CB&S Bank, and Ghertner & Company; and Bronze sponsor Cook’s Pest Control.
