For the weekend of our national day of gluttony, fill up on great music at the 31^st Annual San Diego Thanksgiving Weekend Dixieland Jazz Festival, a feast of musical talent and a cornucopia of eclectic styles. Start with an appetizer of traditional jazz and some spicy Cajun-style hors d’oeuvres. For the main course, pile on a heaping serving of Dixieland Jazz and, while those saints are marchin’ in, dig into side dishes of Western Swing, Ragtime and Gospel. The dessert sampler includes tributes to Chicago Clarinets and “Killer” pianist and rock ‘n’ roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis, and it’s all washed down with excellent vintage Swing. Calories don’t count when you can dance them off.

From November 24-28, America’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society will play host to more than 32 bands from the U.S. and Canada, and an estimated 4,000 festival attendees at the Town and Country Convention Center in Mission Valley. Although the San Diego Weekend Dixieland Jazz Festival falls under the radar of many locals, it’s widely known as one of the best Dixieland festivals in the country, and draws participants from all over. Begun in 1980 as part of the Holiday Bowl festivities, it moved to Thanksgiving weekend in 1983 and many of the festival goers and musicians have been involved since its inception.

This year’s lineup is a veritable smorgasbord of jazz-related styles that will entice the musical appetites of everyone at the table. Headliners include the High Sierra Jazz Band from Three Rivers, who, according to Sousaphone player Earl McKee, have played this festival more years than he can remember and are always invited back by popular demand. “We play a lot of jazz festivals here and abroad, and this is definitely one of the better ones,” enthuses McKee. “It’s a fantastic venue, the quality of all the musicians is phenomenal, and San Diego is such a beautiful city---who wouldn’t want to spend the weekend there?”

Traditional jazz lovers will also relish performances by Yerba Buena Stompers, Grand Dominion Jazz Band, Uptown Lowdown and Titanic Jazz Band.

Dixieland and Swing fans will get their fill from Cornet Chop Suey, Bobby Gordon Quartet with Kristy Reed, Anita Thomas’ Festival Feetwarmers, Night Blooming Jazzmen, High Society Jazz Band, Mission Bay High School Dixieland Band, the Dave Bennett Quartet, and Tim Laughlin, Connie Jones and the New Orleans All-Stars.

Local favorite Sue Palmer, who performs with her Motel Swing Orchestra, echoes Earl McKee’s enthusiasm for both the venue and the festival. “This is a very special event. For me, it’s all about getting to hear so many other fantastic bands playing such different styles of music, as well as playing for such a diverse audience.”

Other local groups performing include Dixie Express, Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra, and San Diego Banjo Band.

Two new flavors will be tasted at this year’s festival. For Louisiana-style spice, San Francisco Bay area fiddler and master showman Tom Rigney and Flambeau present a gumbo of Cajun- and Zydeco- influenced sound, guaranteeing a filled dance floor. Western two-steppers will want multiple helpings of Texas Western Swing Hall of Famers Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition, from Lytle, Texas.

Because a banquet is best shared, instrumentalists are encouraged to sign up for jam sessions held throughout the weekend.

You can get your first taste of the Festival on Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m. On Thursday afternoon, the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center offers a Thanksgiving Buffet with--whatelse--live jazz music.

Hours: Wed, 7-11 p.m., Thurs, 7-11 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.- 11 p.m., and Sun. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Multi-day badges range from $80-$90 and single day badges range from $15-$40. Discounted Youth (13-22 years) badges are available, 12 & under free when accompanied by an adult. Active Duty Military personnel free with government-issued ID. Thanksgiving Buffet not included in badge prices. See website for all pricing and info.