St. Landry Parish Government hosts “Live & Local in St. Landry” a monthly music concert series taking place at the Yambilee Ag Arena in Opelousas. On Saturday, May 19 at 9 pm with local zydeco bands Leon Chavis & Zydeco Flames and Mike Broussard & Nu’Edition Zydeco.
This series is a way to promote the musicians and culture that make St. Landry Parish special. Tickets are $10.
The Cajun Prairie Society is hosting their very own boucherie on Saturday, March 18th starting at 9am with the festivities continuing into the next day.
Patrons that join in for both days will have the opportunity to be involved in the entire process from harvesting to cooking. Living through these authentic traditional activities lends you a better appreciation of the sacrifice that farmers and their livestock give every day.
For those coming only on Sunday, you will see the processing and complex array of dishes prepared with the meat from the freshly harvested pig. Live music, food, and drink will be provided for the celebration. The activities will start in the morning and cooking will continue all day with dishes prepared for lunch and throughout the afternoon and evening.
A boucherie is a community coming together to harvest an animal. Due to the intensive labor involved in whole animal butchering, a farmer would call upon friends, family, and neighbors to assist in the task. This day of work turns into a celebration, with plenty of food, music, and spirits to go around. No one went home hungry or empty-handed. With the lack of refrigeration, this was the only time that fresh meat could be consumed. Most of the meat butchered at a boucherie was processed with the intent of preservation, with the understanding that not a single aspect of the sacrificed beast would be wasted. These are the core fundamentals of Cajun cuisine. Boudin and boudin noir, gratons, fraisseurs, saucisse de voile, backbone fricasse, head cheese, tasso, chaudin, panse and saucisse de graisse are all products of this philosophy.
Tent camping spots are available.
General Admission tickets for both days are $100 or $75 for Cajun Prairie Society Members. Sunday-only tickets are $30. To purchase discounted tickets for ‘Cajun Prairie Society members’ please visit www.CajunPrairie.org and sign up for a membership before purchasing a member ticket.
Funds raised from this event will go to a Cajun Prairie documentary that is currently under production. Participation in this event will directly help the goals of the Cajun Prairie Society in their efforts to preserve, manage and teach about the native prairie of the region.
The Imperial St. Landry Mardi Gras Association presents Lundi Gras Live at Toby’s Downtown located in the Beau’s Garage building in Downtown Opelousas. Kylie Frey, a local musician with national acclaim who records out of Nashville, will perform at the restaurant and bar on the Monday before Mardi Gras. This Lundi Gras celebration kicks off the season’s festivities for the City of Opelousas.
This event is open to people of all ages. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
Head to Krotz Springs, Louisiana for the second La Rivière Mardi Gras Chicken Run and Parade taking place right along the Atchafalaya River at Riverview RV Park & Resort.
The parade itself departs at 9am from Riverview RV Park & Resort and heads North on Hwy 105 until it enters the town of Krotz Springs and travels through the town until heading back to Riverview. There will be an intermission at Nall Park with boudin and a bowl of gumbo available at the end. Women and children can participate in the parade but will have a separate chicken chase once the Mardi Gras Run returns to Riverview.
This event is cash only. General Admission is $10 and includes live music once the parade returns. If you’d like to participate in the trail ride it’s $20 and $20 for the chicken run.
Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws return to Lebeau, Louisiana for a New Year’s Eve Zydeco Dance. You can catch him and DJ Lil Jack at the Immaculate Conception Hall where the Lebeau Zydeco Festival takes place in the summer.
Be there on December 31 starting at 8pm and party until the new year. Tickets are $15, but you can reserve a table by calling Donald at 337-625-0505
Join the Washington Garden Club for an evening of traditional Christmas music featuring the Opelousas Queen of Angels Choir under the direction of William Plummer.
The concert will be held December 6, 2025 at 6pm at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church located at 308 Church St. in the town of Washington.
The Washington Garden Club sponsors this annual admission-free event as part of their commitment to community and civic support.
Teddy’s Uptown is now Club Suga! On October 22, Mr. Black is hosting the Creole Swing Out Party featuring the Swing Kings. See a mixture of hip hop, southern soul, and rap artists including RussG Da Ryder, Rich Wright (soul), Dolce (hip hop), YV Da Prince (hiphop/southern soul rap) as they perform live in Opelousas.
Entrance is $15 before 10pm.
On Sunday, September 4 at the Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in Opelousas, swing and sway into Labor Day with the music of Willie Tee, Bert Miller, Lynn August, T.K. Hulin, Charlene Howard, Jivin’ Gene, and the Cypress Band. Doors open at 5pm but the music starts at 6pm.
Tickets are $15 and will be available at the door on the day of the show.
Le Grand Hoorah returns to Lakeview Park in Eunice, Louisiana on November 1. The lineup of bands features some of the hottest acts from around the region. Enjoy Cajun cuisine, plus French language experiences, dancing, special events, outdoor fun, and optional camping.
“Our festival is about creating and fostering relationships focused on preserving the music, food, language and folk arts of the people of Acadiana,” explained Gilbert “Winky” Aucoin, President of the event’s nonprofit.
The music schedule includes a kickoff party Halloween night at 8pm with One Trick Pony. Then on Saturday, Opening Ceremonies start 12:30pm. Live music kicks off at 1pm and continues till 8:45 pm with performances by Holiday Playgirls, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, Savoy Family Band, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, and Le Grand Hoorah Swamp Pop Showcase.
Attendees can also return Sunday morning for a Catholic French Mass at 9:30 am.
Le Grand Hoorah is known for preserving and supporting its region’s roots. As part of the nonprofit’s mission to support musical and cultural organizations, proceeds each year are in part donated to various organizations including ACA’s (Acadiana Center for the Arts) Courtney Granger Memorial Award, the Christopher Stafford Memorial Foundation Fund, and Love of People this year.
Learn more at LeGrandHoorah.com. Tickets will be available August 28th on the website, or at the door. Campsite spaces can be reserved now via Lakeview Park at LVPark.com.
Calling all Creole Cowboys, it’s time for the Lebeau Posse Trail Ride! Head to Lebeau, Louisiana, home of the Lebeau Zydeco Festival, for a weekend of zydeco music and good times. On Friday, October 11th at 4pm, kick off the trail ride weekend with a delicious blackpot dinner at the Immaculate Conception Church.
Then, on Saturday, gates open at 9am. The ride will leave the church grounds at 1pm and travel down Petite Prairie Bayou Road. This is a family-friendly event with a hay wagon for the kids. DJ Lil Jack will take the reigns on the church grounds and C.J. Vedell will perform at 3pm with Koray Broussard performing at 6pm.
Admission is $20 and free for children 12 and under. Proceeds go to Immaculate Conception Church. Party wagons and horses only. No 4-wheelers or side-by-sides are allowed. Ice chests are also prohibited.
For more information call Luke Thomas at 225-445-5091 or Geneva Lemon at 337-945-4238.
