Head to NUNU’s Art & Culture Collective in Arnaudville, Louisiana to hear the musical stylings of Tommy Malone. Malone has a history in music that goes back to the 70s with bands like Dustwoofie, the Cartoons and the Continental Drifters; the last of which spawned a stripped-down band known as the Subdudes. Enjoy food from the 5-mile Café while Malone performs live.
Tickets are $25.
Mardi Gras in Lebeau is a lot like other rural celebrations across St. Landry Parish with a few distinguishing qualities. At 1pm, the parade starts marching down Hwy 10 with a procession of cars, trucks, and floats from the Village of Palmetto to the Immaculate Conception Church. You know you’re in Lebeau when horses, 4-wheelers, side by sides, golf carts, and more festive vehicles and equines pass by as well.
What sets Lebeau’s Mardi Gras run apart from other courirs is the inclusion of a greased pig chase with their chicken run. It’s not a real Lebeau celebration without zydeco musicians to dance along to. Check out Rusty Metoyer performing at the Lebeau Immaculate Conception Church from 4pm – 7pm after the parade.
Entry fee for cars, 4-wheelers, side by sides, trucks, and horse riders is $20. Groups are $25. Floats, trucks, and trailers are $30.
For more information, call Geneva Lemon at 337-945-4238 or Mayor Irving at 337-351-3902.
Rockin’ on the Runway is an annual aerobatic performance event in Sunset, Louisiana. Drive-in or fly-in to witness the stunning aerial maneuvers by talented flyers. Following the air show, you can drink and dance to live music.
At this family-friendly event, kids can enjoy airplane rides and fun activities. Take them around to check out the antique and suped-up cars on display at the car show.
Tickets are $20 on pre-sale or $25 on the day of. Children 12 and under get in free.
On April 22, enjoy an evening under the oaks in Opelousas, Louisiana. At the St. Landry Catholic Church behind the Church Rectory, you can see live music, eat boiled crawfish, and participate in a live auction.
Grab yourself a plate of boiled crawfish while you bid on fabulous items. At 8pm, Three Thirty Seven goes live on stage. They are famous for their wide range of styles with Acadiana influences.
You must be 18 years or over to enter. Admission is $50 and includes dinner, sides, and entry into the door prize raffle.
JC’s Rockin’ Roll Classic Car Show in Krotz Springs is more than just a chance to check out classic cars and trucks. There’s a chicken cook-off, vendors to shop from, and live music to enjoy.
The cook-off tasting starts at 11:30. For $5, you can taste the best of the best in local chicken dishes. Then, at noon a mini-parade and slow-speed chase will ride into the park. This year, emceeing the event is Scott Innes. He’s a voice actor, author, songwriter, and radio personality. Innes is famous for his voice-over work as Scooby-Doo, Popeye, Fred Flintstone, Bugs Bunny, and many more beloved characters.
Playing at the event this year are Paul & Pete Band, One Trick Pony, and JC Melancon & Bayou Rock Band. Check out the hourly schedule below for more times.
Gates open to the public at 9am. All attractions and activities for the kids will be available from 9am-6pm. Admission is $10 for those 8 years old and up. Contact 337-592-0789 or 337-290-0573 with any questions.
Check for nearby accommodations here.
Fête de la Nature is a celebration of Acadiana’s natural surroundings through art, music, food, and science. This event takes place at Atelier de la Nature in Arnaudville, Louisiana. Throughout the day, scientists will lead an open-to-the-public BioBlitz. At the BioBlitz, participants search for every species of bird, reptile, insect, plant and fungus living at the reserve.
Register for this event for free here.
This event is made possible in partnership with Cycle Zydeco.
Multilingual accessibility (French/Spanish/English). Please contact Atelier de la Nature for other accessibility requests.
FREE registration is REQUIRED for all attendees. If you’d like to support Atelier de la Nature, a donation would be greaty appreciated. Suggested donation is $10.
Tickets available for:
– General Admission: FREE – Please register to attend
– Crawfish (3lbs crawfish + 2 potatoes) presale: $20
– Camping (per tent): $10
– Crawfish will also be sold at the event, as well as other concessions (card and cash accepted).
Stay tuned for event schedule and live music.
The Academy of the Sacred Heart, site of the only Vatican-recognized miracle in America at the Shrine of St. John Berchmans, is celebrating 200 years this year. As part of this celebration, they are inviting the community to join them for music and dining in their gardens on April 9th.
Listen in as their renowned Acadiana Symphony Orchestra enchants guests. Performing alongside them is the Academy Upper School Choir, Academy Lower School Choir, and Berchmans Academy Boys Choir. Enjoy this springtime celebration on the historic and picturesque grounds of their centuries-old campus.
Lakeview Park & Beach in Eunice throws amazing parties. From their Lundi Gras Boucherie to their Saturday night Old Fashioned Fais Do-Do barn dances, it is a haven for live music lovers. Their rustic barn is the perfect setting for foot-stompin’, two-steppin’ Cajun, zydeco, and country dancing. Acadiana’s best performers are known to frequent the barn stage, including Grammy-nominated band, Bonsoir Catin. Come out and pass a good time with the locals. During the summer months you can enjoy live music on the beach.
There is a $10 admission fee for all guests of Lakeview. Campers receive complimentary tickets with their RV site/Cottage. Happy Hour begins 1 hour before the band starts.
Check out their website to see who’s playing.
2016 Louey Tourism Award Winner for Campground/RV Park of the Year.
Visit Toby’s Lounge in Opelousas on Fridays and Saturdays to get your fill of the best local music around. Grab a drink and sit at the bar as local musicians inspire you to dance. From Cajun fiddles to zydeco accordions and everything in between, it is sure to be a great evening.
For a list of live music events for the upcoming weekend, visit our Facebook page every Thursday.
May 3 – 8:30pm, The Cartoons
May 4 – 8:30pm, Clifton Brown and Rusty Bucket
May 10 – 8:30pm, Shadow Road
May 11 – 8:30pm, Junior Dugas
May 17 – 8:30pm, Shawn P Saucier and LA Scramble Band
May 18 – 8:30pm, Tailgators
May 24 – 8:30pm, Coyotes Moon
May 25 – 8:30pm, Bayou County
May 31 – 8:30pm, JC Melancon
This five-day celebration is not your typical idea of Mardi Gras. There are no beads and doubloons here. Instead, in Eunice, Louisiana, men and women on horseback don hand-crafted wire masks, tall hats called capuchons, and colorful costumes. The main event is the Courir de Mardi Gras & Chicken Run. Here, revelers chase a chicken or guineafowl and participate in Medieval begging practices.
The courir takes place on Mardi Gras day and is only one part of the celebration. Starting the Friday before Mardi Gras Day, you can cut loose all weekend long. Dance in the street at music concerts and jam sessions. There are even activities for children and teenagers at the Lil’ Mardi Gras held on Sunday. Also on Sunday is an old-time boucherie (hog butchering).
The Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras dates back to when the town was first established in the late 19th century. The courir was abandoned for a few years during World War II, but in 1946 a small band of riders revived the tradition. Today, the Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras has more than 2,000 participants on the run. It continues to increase each year.
Learn more about the history of rural Louisiana Mardi Gras traditions here.
