Crawfish and Catfish Festival, Sacramento

The tastiest parts of New Orleans food and culture come to California for the Crawfish & Catfish Festival. Cooks arrive early to prepare boiled crawfish, fried catfish, alligator, gumbo, and lots of other Cajun cuisine—and it'll take a while for entrants to get through everything they want to eat. That's no problem, since the festival encourages its visitors to bring along lawn chairs and stay for a consistent lineup of entertainment. Bands play Zydeco, New Orleans jazz, R&B, and other styles sure to make any audience member wave a crawfish in the air like a lighter.