Bayou Boogie West

Close your eyes and imagine this:

A fiddle kicks off the tune - bright and quick. An accordion joins in, bubbling with rhythm. Someone laughs, grabs your hand, and before you even realize it, you’re moving - two steps forward, spin, smile - and suddenly you’re part of something joyful and completely contagious.

For three unforgettable days in Berkeley, we’re transforming Ashkenaz into a little slice of Louisiana - full of music, dancing, and the kind of community warmth you can feel the second you walk in the door.

Because here’s the beautiful secret about Cajun and Zydeco music: it was built for connection. For dancing with strangers. For joy.

• High-energy live Cajun & Zydeco bands playing nonstop throughout the weekend
• Dance lessons that teach you everything you need in 15 minutes flat
• Workshops that go deeper into the music, the culture, and the story behind the sounds
• A multigenerational, all-are-welcome space where community forms instantly on the dance floor

This isn’t a stand-in-the-back kind of festival.

jump-in
This is a jump-in, dance, laugh, and live a little kind of festival.

Bayou Boogie exists to celebrate and honor the rich, living cultural traditions of Louisiana and share them here on the West Coast. Produced by Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center (a nonprofit that’s been uplifting community music and dance since 1973), the festival brings together:

• Zydeco dancers
• Folk & world music fans
• Families
• Cultural enthusiasts
• People who simply love good music and good humans

You don’t need experience. You don’t need a partner. You just need to be open to joy.

Bayou Boogie Festival
Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center — Berkeley, CA
1317 San Pablo Ave.

Multiple rooms. Multiple events. One weekend you’ll never forget.

Choose from:

• Weekend festival passes
• Single-day tickets
• Add-on workshops

Get your ticket now - the dance floor can only hold so many happy humans.

Stay for the people.
Leave with a full heart.

Join us - let’s boogie.

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Host or Publisher Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center