Cotati accordion festival promises joyful weirdness, world-class talent

Welcome to Cotati, where the accordion is king, the tuba is queen, and absolutely no one is taking themselves too seriously. Aug. 16 and 17, La Plaza Park will once again erupt in a joyful noise as the 34th annual Cotati Accordion Festival takes over downtown with three stages, a jam tent, a zydeco dance party, a giant polka tent, food, beer, wine, 80 vendors and more genres than your cousin’s Spotify playlist.

If your idea of a music festival involves brooding singer-songwriters and artisanal light shows, you’re in the wrong town. This is Cotati. This is unapologetic, multicultural, accordion-fueled mayhem.

You’ll find Scottish accordion legend Gary Blair squeezing out reels like he’s got a ceilidh to catch, Lithuanian powerhouse Egle Bartkeviciute bringing international fire, and the ethereal Julia Masnicova from Poland floating melodies through the trees. Don’t sleep on Ginny Mac, a Fort Worth treasure who swings, twangs and yodels like a Western movie in fast forward.

Cory Pesaturo — the only person to ever win world championships in acoustic, digital and jazz accordion — is by far the best-known artist at this festival on an international level. His technical mastery, performance history and musical versatility make him a standout even among an eclectic and impressive lineup. He’s played the White House. He’s played TEDx. He’ll probably play something that will melt your socks clean off.

Don’t miss Sourdough Slim & Robert Armstrong, who prove vaudeville never really died — it just moved to the back of a wagon and learned to yodel. Catch the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West, because nothing says freedom like a bass accordion solo.

In the zydeco tent, it’s swampy, funky and full throttle — Mark St. Mary, California Blue Runners and Les Amis Zydeco will make sure your hips don’t lie, even if your knees do.

Bring your dog. Bring your weird uncle. Bring sunscreen and hydration because Cotati in August is like Louisiana with less humidity and more kombucha. Don’t bring pretension — it’ll die on contact.

Tickets, schedule and deeply earnest merch available at cotatifest.com. See you in the polka tent.