Cajun Festival in Panama City Beach: Fun for the Family

Panama City Beach, Florida, celebrates its proximity to Louisiana with the Cajun Festival each spring. The event takes place in late April and features three days of Cajun food, live music, fun activities and lots of smiling faces. Visitors enjoy Creole music and Cajun spiced food including crawfish, gumbo and shrimp jambalaya.

Schooners Cajun Festival Info

Hosted by Schooners — known as the last local beach club in Panama City Beach — guests can’t get enough of this open-air hangout spot. Originally opened in the ‘60s, not much has changed. Locals still wander up from their lounge chairs and umbrellas to grab a bite of lunch or cool off with a frozen margarita at the bar. The band cranks up early every afternoon, the dance floor is crowded before sunset, and it stays that way until 2 or 3 in the morning.

The Cajun Festival offers a weekend celebration of Cajun culture starring Bayou Boys and Heat and the Zydeco Gents. They keep the crowds dancing with their original Cajun rock while chefs cook up a huge pot of Cajun gumbo for the crowd to enjoy. Leave room to taste the traditional crawfish boil with corn and potatoes, muffalettas, red beans and rice, and Cajun BBQ shrimp.

In addition, the event is casual with beachwear welcome. Make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, stay hydrated and have a blast on the beach. The Cajun Fest combines beach vibes and family-friendly fun.

Read more about Panama City Beach and get started planning your vacation. Missed Cajun Fest? Check out Schooners Lobster Festival.