Gator by the Bay's bite to grow even bigger with new Events.com partnership
Published in Entertainment News
SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s Louisiana music and food-themed Gator by the Bay festival is on a roll.
The 22-year-old event will announce its new partnership with La Jolla’s Events.com on Tuesday and the first batch of performers for its 2025 edition, which will be held May 8-11 at Spanish Landing Park.
The lineup will feature such Gator favorites as the Grammy Award-winning Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas, nationally acclaimed San Diego vocal powerhouse Sugaray Rayford and rising young blues sensation D.K. Harrell. As in previous years, about 40 of the 100 or so Cajun, zydeco, Americana, blues, salsa, rockabilly and jazz artists who will perform are San Diego-based.
The new partnership with Events.com is doubly notable.
It is the first time the homegrown Gator festival has had a corporate presenter. And it is the second major annual music festival here in which Events.com will now play a key role, following its 2024 purchase of the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival, whose 2025 edition will take place May 18-20 alongside San Diego Bay.
“Gator by the Bay is one of those events that brings people together in the best way great music, amazing food, and a fun, welcoming atmosphere,” Events.com President and COO Stephen Partridge told the Union-Tribune.
“Every year, it creates a unique experience of community, immersion, and joy. We’re excited to be part of it this year and to help make it easier for people to find and attend with our technology. It’s going to be a long fantastic weekend.”
Some more changes are in store for Gator, which was founded by San Diego’s nonprofit Bon Temps Social Club and receives support from the San Diego Tourism Marketing District, the San Diego Arts & Culture Commission and the state of Louisiana.
This year’s edition will feature an expanded food court and cooking demo stage, an expanded parade route, a relocated VIP patron area adjoining the festival’s bay-front walkway and adjustments to the locations of the event’s seven stages to enhance attendees views of performances.
“With any festival you look at growth,” said Doheny Blues Festival founder Rich Sherman, who last year came on board to oversee Gator. “We want to make sure there’s room to have more people attend Gator, while retaining the intimacy of Spanish Landing Park. So, we’re making some adjustments to improve the experience.”
Last year’s attendance topped 13,000. That marked a 10% increase over 2023.
“That’s a real positive, since ticket sales for concerts and festivals generally declined last year, along with the entire live-music industry,” the Orange County-based Sherman said.
“And with Events.com coming on board, we’re really grateful to have a presenting sponsor, let alone one that has such a great ticketing and marketing platform. So we’re really excited about this year’s Gator by the Bay.”
The 22nd annual Gator by the Bay
Featuring: Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas, Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, Sugaray Rayford, D.K. Harrell, Chris Cain, Wayne Singleton & Same Ol’ 2 Step, Selwyn Birchwood, The Revelers, Ruben Moreno & Zydeco Re-Evolution, and more to be announced in February
When: Thursday, May 8, 4 to 10:30 p.m; Friday, May 9, 4 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 10, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday. May 11, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Spanish Landing Park, 3900 North Harbor Drive, across from San Diego International Airport
Tickets: Children 17 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Early bird tickets will be on sale from Friday to March 5, and are priced as follows: single-day tickets: $57-$78; weekend passes: $200-$254. Regular pricing will be announced after March 5. Discounted tickets are available for active-duty military members with ID.
Phone: 619-234-8612
Online: gatorbythebay.com
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