NEW ORLEANS -- A benefit is planned to help those affected by the sudden storm that blew through and knocked nearly everything down during the start of Bayou Boogaloo.
"Just as we were putting our finishing touches on the festival to open the gates the storm comes through and really and really blew away a lot of our vendors," Jared Zeller, President of Friends of the Bayou St. John, and Bayou Boogaloo producer.
May 18, 2018 will be a day that those along Bayou St. John won't soon forget. That's when a microburst storm popped out of nowhere and knocked over nearly everything at the festival.
"The rod went right through, well the rod broke in half and went through," Joshua Lee said, describing his booth in the chaos of the storm.
Lee is a vendor. He was in his booth the day the storm hit the Boogaloo, a lot of his work was either damaged by the rainwater or the collapsed tent rods.
"And it wouldn't relent and you're holding onto the frame of your broken tent standing in water thinking what a terrible idea that is," Lee said.
He recalled he was terrified but too afraid to let go because of all his stuff. By the end of it, not only had his merchandise been damaged, even some of his bare necessities were gone.
"I lost my tent, my camera, my phone, my glasses," Lee said.
Even Lee's van was damaged by a tent that was tossed by the wind. In all, he estimates he lost close to $10,000 in goods. And he's just one of the 115 food and art vendors there that Friday, but people in New Orleans have been known to help. In this case, with a fundraiser at Tipitina's.
"It's called 'The Lost Set,' referring to the Friday night that we had to cancel," Zeller said.
Friends of Bayou St. John and Tipitina's are planning a benefit at Tipitina's Saturday night at 7 p.m. to help the vendors affected.
"It means a lot," Lee said.
How much money will be raised depends on how many tickets are sold, but already Lee is touched by the effort.
50 percent of the proceeds will go to those affected. The concert will feature the Tony Hall Allstars, a DJ set from AF, The Low End Theory Players (A Tribe Called Quest tribute band) and Debauche.
Tickets start at $20 for general admission and $50.00 VIP.