DAPHNE, Ala. — Those who like Creole cookin’, music and games are in luck; the 4th Annual Gulf Coast Zydeco Music and Crawfish Festival and 2nd Annual Community Day and Flounder Parade will be held next weekend at the Daphne Civic Center Plaza. Night dances are $15 and admission to all other activities is free.

Festivities kick off Friday at 5 p.m. at the Daphne Civic Center with dance instruction and three bands: T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers, Lil’ Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers and Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames.

The Flounder Parade on Saturday will bring folks out early for line-up, music and breakfast, which may be purchased from 8 to 10 a.m. at Daphne City Hall.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. on Sixth Street; the route will veer right onto Dryer Avenue and take a left onto Main Street, and will end at the Daphne Civic Complex Plaza, according to Kathy Ebbitt, parade chairman. About 400 people participated in last year’s procession, she said. This year will feature sea-themed costumes, fire trucks, boats and floats. Santa Claus from Santa America — an organization that sends Santas year-round to visit families in crisis, often including children with terminal illness — will ride in a boat with his elves carrying fishing poles.

“The whole purpose is to be really wacky and to let your hair down,” Ebbitt said of the parade. “It’s just such a good community enrichment type of thing. There’s fellowship and it’s cost-effective — free,” she said.

Community Day, after the parade, begins with Thomas “Big Hat” Fields performing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Curly Taylor and Zydeco Trouble will play from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m., according to organizers. Dance lessons last from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and The Pine Leaf Boys play from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Ballroom dances will follow outside with more Zydeco dance and bands inside the civic center.

On Sunday, Same Ol’ 2 Step performs from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Geon Delarosa and French Rocking Boogie 1:45 to 3:15 p.m., with dance instruction from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Those who go can bring lawn chairs to relax in while listening to the bands and eating gumbo, shrimp, crawfish, corn and potatoes, Sandra Morse, Daphne Civic Center director, said.

Children’s activities will include a Home Depot Kids Work Station and a Barnes and Noble Children’s Book Fair, stories, crafts, face painting and puppet shows, according to Morse.

“This festival is unique because our theme is ‘community’ with a Zydeco music and dance base inviting our neighbors from across the country to join us for a ‘Taste of Louisiana’ with great food, dance and culture to Daphne for a full weekend of dance, bands, food and family fun,” she said. “The festival attendees have such a great time that word has spread about our festival and attendees come from New York, Chicago, California, Alaska, Minnesota, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and all points in between.”

These events attracted more than 10,000 people last year, Morse said.

“I think we have something very special with this festival when in this economy our visitors come from great distances the be with us in Daphne.”

To participate in the Flounder Parade, contact Kathy Ebbitt at 625-1274. For additional information on festival events, contact the Daphne Civic Center at 626-5300.