CALENDAR OF EVENTS/ ATTRACTIONS

January:

• New Year's Celebrations - Lafayette and surrounding towns

February:

• Bayou Ramble Antique Show & Sale BRASS - Opelousas, last full weekend in February

• Mardi Gras In Cajun Country! (Lafayette & surrounding parishes)

• Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday, usually in February or March. (March 4, 2014)

       Count on many activities throughout the 2 weekends and week preceding the final "Fat Tuesday" parades and festivities.

• Lafayette's Le Festival de Mardi Gras is second only to New Orleans. (Lafayette's celebrations, in contrast to those of New Orleans, are very family-oriented and safe).

• Small towns (Carencro, Church Point, Eunice, Mamou, Ville Platte, Elton, Scott) throughout Acadiana celebrate with Les Courirs des Mardi Gras, a rural Mardi Gras run based on the "beggars' feast" of medieval France.

• La Grande Boucherie (BOO shar ee) - St. Martinville, Sunday before Mardi Gras

March:

• Downtown Alive! (street festival - food, live entertainment) - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• Azalea Trail - Lafayette

• Audubon Pilgrimage - St. Francisville

• World Championship Etouffee Cookoff - Eunice

• "Here's the Beef" Cook-Off - Opelousas

• LA Beef, Rice and Gravy Cook-Off - Lafayette

• Cajun Music Festival - Eunice, 2nd Sunday after Easter

April:

• Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• Cajun Music Festival - Eunice, 2nd Sunday after Easter

• Festival International de Louisiane - Lafayette, last full weekend (& W, Th, F evenings before)

• International Cajun Joke-Tellin' Contest - Opelousas

May:

• Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival - Breaux Bridge, 1st full weekend in May

• Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• St. Martin de Tours May Day - St. Martinville

• Celebration of Herbs and Gardens - Sunset

• Bunk Johnson Jazz Festival - New Iberia, mid-May

• Zydeco Extravaganza - Lafayette, Sunday before Memorial Day Cajun Heartland State Fair - Lafayette

June:

• Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• Mamou Cajun Music Festival - Mamou, Friday & Saturday of the first full weekend in June

• Church Point Buggy Festival - Church Point

July:

• Independence-Day Celebrations - Various venues, 4th of July

• Mulate's Accordion Festival - Breaux Bridge, 4th of July

• Summer Cultural Arts Series - Lafayette

August:

• Delcambre Shrimp Festival - Delcambre, 3rd weekend

• "Le Cajun" Cajun French Music Festival - Lafayette, 3rd weekend

• Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival - Plaisance/Opelousas, Saturday before Labor Day

September:

• Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• Mamou Cajun Music Festival - Mamou

• Rayne Frog Festival - Rayne

• Creole Zydeco Festival - St. Martinville, Sunday of the 1st full weekend

• Festivals Acadiens - Lafayette, 3rd full weekend

• Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival & Fair - New Iberia, last full weekend

October:

• Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• Roberts Cove Germanfest - Roberts Cove

• Mamou Zydeco and Blues Festival - Mamou, 1st Friday and Saturday

• Louisiana Cattle Festival & Fair - Abbeville

• Cajun Heritage & Music Festival - Lafayette

• Eunice Prairie Cajun Folklife Festival - Eunice, 3rd weekend

• Louisiana Cotton Festival - Ville Platte

• International Rice Festival - Crowley

• Louisiana Yambilee - Opelousas

November:

• Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings

• Celebration of the Giant Omelette - Abbeville, 1st Sunday

• Acadiana Culinary Classic - Lafayette, first weekend

• The Great Chili Challenge - New Iberia, 2nd Saturday

• Cracklin Festival - Port Barre

December:

• Jesus is the reason for the season!

• A Cajun & Creole Christmas - Lafayette & surrounding parishes, all month

• Noel Acadian au Village - Lafayette, Acadian Village, December 1st until Christmas Eve

• Les Chandelles de Noel - Lafayette, Vermillionville

• Safari of Lights (lights, activities) - Zoo of Acadiana, Broussard

• Festival of Lights - Lafayette, Oil Center, 1st Friday

• Cajun Christmas Bayou Parade Breaux Bridge - 1st full weekend Iberia Parish Christmas Trail

• Iberia Parish Area / New Iberia - month-long

• Les Lumieres du Village d'Abbeville Abbeville - Starts Friday after Thanksgiving

• St. Lucy Festival of Lights - St. Martinville, Sunday before Dec. 13

• Festival of Grand Coteau - Grand Coteau

• Heart of Louisiana Trail of Lights - Lafayette, Abbeville and Natchitoches