CALENDAR OF EVENTS/ ATTRACTIONS
January:
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New Year's Celebrations - Lafayette and surrounding towns
February:
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Bayou Ramble Antique Show & Sale BRASS - Opelousas, last full weekend in February
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Mardi Gras In Cajun Country! (Lafayette & surrounding parishes)
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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.
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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).
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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.
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La Grande Boucherie (BOO shar ee) - St. Martinville, Sunday before Mardi Gras
March:
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Downtown Alive! (street festival - food, live entertainment) - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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Azalea Trail - Lafayette
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Audubon Pilgrimage - St. Francisville
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World Championship Etouffee Cookoff - Eunice
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"Here's the Beef" Cook-Off - Opelousas
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LA Beef, Rice and Gravy Cook-Off - Lafayette
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Cajun Music Festival - Eunice, 2nd Sunday after Easter
April:
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Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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Cajun Music Festival - Eunice, 2nd Sunday after Easter
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Festival International de Louisiane - Lafayette, last full weekend (& W, Th, F evenings before)
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International Cajun Joke-Tellin' Contest - Opelousas
May:
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Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival - Breaux Bridge, 1st full weekend in May
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Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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St. Martin de Tours May Day - St. Martinville
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Celebration of Herbs and Gardens - Sunset
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Bunk Johnson Jazz Festival - New Iberia, mid-May
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Zydeco Extravaganza - Lafayette, Sunday before Memorial Day Cajun Heartland State Fair - Lafayette
June:
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Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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Mamou Cajun Music Festival - Mamou, Friday & Saturday of the first full weekend in June
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Church Point Buggy Festival - Church Point
July:
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Independence-Day Celebrations - Various venues, 4th of July
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Mulate's Accordion Festival - Breaux Bridge, 4th of July
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Summer Cultural Arts Series - Lafayette
August:
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Delcambre Shrimp Festival - Delcambre, 3rd weekend
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"Le Cajun" Cajun French Music Festival - Lafayette, 3rd weekend
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Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival - Plaisance/Opelousas, Saturday before Labor Day
September:
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Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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Mamou Cajun Music Festival - Mamou
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Rayne Frog Festival - Rayne
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Creole Zydeco Festival - St. Martinville, Sunday of the 1st full weekend
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Festivals Acadiens - Lafayette, 3rd full weekend
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Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival & Fair - New Iberia, last full weekend
October:
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Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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Roberts Cove Germanfest - Roberts Cove
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Mamou Zydeco and Blues Festival - Mamou, 1st Friday and Saturday
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Louisiana Cattle Festival & Fair - Abbeville
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Cajun Heritage & Music Festival - Lafayette
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Eunice Prairie Cajun Folklife Festival - Eunice, 3rd weekend
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Louisiana Cotton Festival - Ville Platte
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International Rice Festival - Crowley
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Louisiana Yambilee - Opelousas
November:
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Downtown Alive! - Lafayette, Friday evenings
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Celebration of the Giant Omelette - Abbeville, 1st Sunday
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Acadiana Culinary Classic - Lafayette, first weekend
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The Great Chili Challenge - New Iberia, 2nd Saturday
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Cracklin Festival - Port Barre
December:
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Jesus is the reason for the season!
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A Cajun & Creole Christmas - Lafayette & surrounding parishes, all month
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Noel Acadian au Village - Lafayette, Acadian Village, December 1st until Christmas Eve
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Les Chandelles de Noel - Lafayette, Vermillionville
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Safari of Lights (lights, activities) - Zoo of Acadiana, Broussard
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Festival of Lights - Lafayette, Oil Center, 1st Friday
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Cajun Christmas Bayou Parade Breaux Bridge - 1st full weekend Iberia Parish Christmas Trail
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Iberia Parish Area / New Iberia - month-long
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Les Lumieres du Village d'Abbeville Abbeville - Starts Friday after Thanksgiving
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St. Lucy Festival of Lights - St. Martinville, Sunday before Dec. 13
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Festival of Grand Coteau - Grand Coteau
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Heart of Louisiana Trail of Lights - Lafayette, Abbeville and Natchitoches
Centrally located, Lafayette is the ideal base for exploring all that this fascinating region has to offer: friendly folks, lively music, great food, rich heritage, colorful celebrations and festivals, historic homes, lush gardens, mysterious swamps, and much more.
The heart of Cajun country also offers its own outstanding attractions, including the perfect places for you to acquire the background you need to get the most out of your visit: The Jean Lafitte National Park Acadian Cultural Center, with its fascinating introduction to Cajun culture, and Vermilionville, a living history museum that portrays life in South Louisiana during the last century and before.
Lafayette:
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Mardi Gras (world's 2nd largest celebration)
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Acadian Village
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Alexander Mouton House-Lafayette Museum
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Jean Lafitte Acadian Cultural Center
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Lafayette Visitors Center
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St. John Cathedral, Oak, & Cemetery
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Vermillionville
Abbeville:
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Omelet Festival
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Great Seafood
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Two Historic Town Squares
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Steen's Cane Syrup
Avery Island:
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Jungle Gardens
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Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory
Breaux Bridge:
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Crawfish Festival
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Park des Ponts de Pont Breaux
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Chitimacha Indian Bayou Teche Legend
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Lake Martin Bird Sanctuary
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Swamp tours
Carencro:
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Mardi Gras Parade
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Prejean's Restaurant
Delcambre:
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Shrimp Boats
Eunice:
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Eunice Museum
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Cajun French Music Association Hall of Fame
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Prairie Acadian Cultural Center
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Rendez Vous des Cajuns show (Saturdays, 6 PM to 7:30 PM) at the Liberty Theater.
Grand Coteau:
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Miracle of Grand Coteau
Henderson:
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Atchafalaya Basin Boat Tour
Mamou:
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Les Courirs des Mardi Gras
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Fred's Lounge (Saturday morning)
New Iberia:
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Conrad Rice Mill/KONRICO (nation's oldest rice mill)
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"Shadows-on-the-Teche" plantation mansion
Opelousas:
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Jim Bowie Museum
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Tony Chachere's
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Casino & Horse Racing
Rayne:
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Frog murals
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Frog Festival
St. Martinville:
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Acadian Memorial
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Evangeline Monument
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Evangeline Oak & Cajun musicians
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La Maison Duchamp teddy bears
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Longfellow-Evangeline State Commemorative Area
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Petit Paris Museum
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St. Martin de Tours Church
Sunset:
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Chretian Plantation
Scott:
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Mardi Gras Parade
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Founders Day Festival
Scenic Byways:
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Bayou Teche Scenic Byway
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Jean Lafitte Scenic Byway
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Old Spanish Trail
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Real French Destination Scenic Byway