For four days in May, the waterfront at Spanish Landing Park traded surfboards and sandals for accordions, crawfish boils, and nonstop dancing as Gator by the Bay returned to San Diego bigger and louder than ever. The 2026 edition of the beloved Louisiana-themed festival once again transformed the bayfront into a full-scale Mardi Gras celebration, blending zydeco, blues, Cajun culture, and Southern cooking into one of the city’s most unique annual traditions. Held over Mother
