Head to Arpeggios Lounge & Reception Center for a classy and jazzy night in downtown Opelousas, Louisiana. During select Sundays, the downtown restaurant turns into a swanky music venue. Catch the live jazz band and enjoy some of the restaurant’s delicious cocktails and hors d’oeuvres or mouth-watering Creole cuisine.
Come out to Opelousas, Louisiana for the Opelousas Creole Easter Blackpot Cook-Off. This event is taking place at the Life Community Complex, formerly the Indian Hills Country Club. With a mini-trail ride, zydeco dance, and Easter egg hunt for the kids, this event is sure to be a ton of fun. Gates open at 8am, but the ride leaves at noon. No 4-wheelers are allowed. At 4pm, you’ll be able to hear RJ & Kreole Smoove live.
Admission is $10, but kids get in free. If you’d like to try your hand and participate in the cook-off, entry is $20.
For vendor information, contact RJ at 337-443-5538.
St. Landry Parish Government is excited to announce the return of the highly anticipated Annual BBQ Festival. The three-day event will be held at the Yambilee Grounds in Opelousas, Louisiana.
The BBQ Festival promises to be a fun-filled weekend for the entire family, featuring a wide variety of delicious barbeque, live music, arts and crafts, and more.
On Friday, Rusty Metoyer, Hotline, Chee Weez perform with DJ Titanik there all day. On Saturday, DJ Troy-D will be in the building all day with DT Zydeco, The Cartoons, Wayne Toups, and Keith Frank performing. Sunday, Foret Tradition, Southern Soul, and Roi “Chip” Anthony perform live.
In addition to the live entertainment, the festival will also feature a BBQ cook-off competition, with teams from across Louisiana and beyond battling for the title of BBQ Champion. Visitors can sample a wide variety of delicious barbeque, like traditional pork and brisket. The BBQ cook-off is on Sunday and features categories like beef, chicken, pork, and everything else!
Admission to the festival is free, with food and beverage vendors on-site.
The St. Landry Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Casino Royale event on Friday, May 13 in Opelousas, Louisiana. At this Bond-themed event, you can play classic casino games like blackjack, poker, and roulette. There will also be a silent auction full of prizes for you to bid on as well as a cocktail reception and gourmet buffet.
The event takes place on the grounds of the beautiful Stone Oaks Ballroom which offers a spacious ballroom and stunning water feature.
Tickets are $75 and include $5,000 in play money for you to gamble to your heart’s content. Your ticket also gets you access to the buffet and open bar. The dress code ranges from cocktail to formal attire.
For more information, visit stlandrychamber.com. Find nearby accommodations here.
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.
Every Saturday in Arnaudville, Louisiana, you can catch live music at Bayou Teche Brewing. Cajun and zydeco musicians gather along LA-31 where the wood-fire pizza is plenty and the craft beer flows freely. Check out their new cocktails while you play at the arcade or just vibe to great musicians.
Bayou Teche Brewing is an eco-friendly microbrewery in Arnaudville, Louisiana. The brewmaster uses locally grown ingredients and crafts ales that complement the cuisine of the region, Cajun and Creole food. Bayou Teche Brewing is open for tours in French and English, seven days a week and also offers samples in the taproom!
Enjoy life like a local in Arnaudville, Louisiana at the Annual Étouffée Festival. Étouffée is a “smothered” dish and a favorite among locals. Love for the dish is strong enough to stir up a friendly rivalry every year at this festival cook-off. Traditionally, étouffée is made with crawfish. However, at this event, you can enjoy a variety of étouffées including crawfish, seafood, vegetable, and even wild game!
The cook-off takes place on Saturday with judging beginning at 11:30am. Taste great cooking, ride carnival rides, dance to live music, play bingo, or shop at St. Therese’s Boutique. The boutique is open from 1pm-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. It features antique and vintage items for sale in the Little Flower Gym. On Sunday, enjoy an auto show from 8am to 12pm with all makes and models on display.
Check their Facebook Page for updates. Find nearby accommodations here.
Rotary Club of Opelousas Sunrise announces its 1st Annual Chili Cook-off scheduled for Saturday, March 19 from 9am – 1pm at the Opelousas Yambilee Ag Arena.
You can choose your favorite to win “People’s Choice”, and a panel of judges will award first, second, and third place winners. Admission is $5 for adults and children over 12 for chili tasting. Buy refreshments, shop craft vendors, or enjoy a game of corn hole.
All funds derived from this event will be used for the betterment of our local community, such as: sending local students to leadership camps, aid to The Refinery Mission (formerly called the Men’s Lighthouse Mission), Shoppe de Noel for residents of nursing homes in St. Landry Parish, support of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), support of the local ICONS food bank and many other worthy projects.
For $50, you can have your chili compete. Pre-register by emailing Opelsunriserotary@gmail.com.
For more information, contact Tom Mhire, RCOS President at 337-349-5456 or Shelton Anthony, Chili Cook-off Chairman at 337-290-0837. Visit our Facebook Page for more details.
Find farm-fresh produce year-round at the Downtown Farmers Market in Eunice, Louisiana. Shoppers can choose from an array of seasonal garden fruits and vegetables, jellies, jams, and other preserves. Other farmers market favorites include raw honey, free-range eggs, and Cajun sweet dough pies. Weather permitting, the market is open every Saturday and Wednesday morning from 8am-12pm.
If you would like to participate as a vendor, contact Sanford Wood at 337-457-0607.
