22 Dec 2022

Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week

2025-10-31T15:17:43-05:00

The 24th Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week will take place April 13-17, in Eunice, Louisiana at Lakeview Park & Beach with a Louisiana French Immersion experience at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center that Monday.  Highlights include top-notch Louisiana-style entertainment, education, and hospitality with public and enrollment-based activities.  The schedule, Camp registration, and lodging information are found at LAfolkroots.org.

WHY BALFA WEEK?

Balfa Week classes are immersive, multi-day lessons and workshops that have you studying face-to-face with master musicians, cooks, and craftspeople in a nature-based setting. Spontaneous jams, lakeside campfires, new friends from around the world.

Schedule a one-to-one lesson with Louisiana master musicians to conquer a tune that’s stuck in your head. Discuss the creative process with Louisiana folk craft artisans. Learn some tricks for Louisiana cooking during sessions with regional chefs. Imagine yourself peeling and eating a pile of crawfish. Wander into the nightly barn dances with friends to test out moves you practiced in dance class.

Housing options are available. Bring your RV, rent or share a deluxe cabin, pitch a tent, or stay at a local B&B or hotel. Visit Evangeline Parish Tourism and St. Landry Parish Tourism for more ideas.

Tuition rates range from a Full-Time 5-day rate to a Daily rate.

Friends of Folk Roots membership discounts are offered on Registrations.

Play. Dance Eat. Repeat. That’s Balfa Week! Get details at: balfaweek@gmail.com 

Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week2025-10-31T15:17:43-05:00
1 Nov 2022

Drawn to Grow Exhibit Reception

2022-11-01T10:36:23-05:00

Join us at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center at Exit 23 right off of I-49 to view Kelli Foret Richard’s most recent work, Drawn to Grow. This exhibit of 57 illustrations is a statement on the 57 years left of farming the region has until it reaches desertification. The exhibit is both emphasizes the importance of agriculture to Louisiana and a call to action for better farming practices. Hear from the artist herself at the reception on Saturday, November 5 from 1pm-4pm at the visitor center right outside of Opelousas.

Drawn to Grow Exhibit Reception2022-11-01T10:36:23-05:00
31 Oct 2022

Indigenous Cultural Heritage Table

2022-10-31T16:28:30-05:00

Clovis “Joe” Billiot, Biloxi-Chitimacha Tribal Member, and his wife Debra Cooper Billiot, host an Indigenous Cultural Heritage Table at NUNU Arts and Culture Collective from noon to 2pm on January 28 in Arnaudville.

The Billiot’s intent is to develop this table as a means to share, inform and connect with other indigenous peoples and share that knowledge with all people.

The Indigenous Cultural Heritage Table is part of the DICI initiative.

Indigenous Cultural Heritage Table2022-10-31T16:28:30-05:00
28 Sep 2022

Lighting of the Nativity

2025-10-31T10:26:10-05:00

The holiday season is upon us, and Opelousas Main Street presents a cherished tradition that has been lighting up downtown for over seven decades. On Saturday, the heart of downtown Opelousas, Louisiana will come alive with festive cheer at the Lighting of the Nativity on the Courthouse Square.

The event is scheduled from 5pm to 9pm with the official unveiling of the historic nativity scene to take place at dusk. A variety of activities are planned for the event which is presented by Opelousas Main Street, Inc. Santa will be onsite for holiday photos and there will also be train rides, a vendor market set up along Court Street featuring specialty items, art and food. 

November 29th is also Small Business Saturday, a day to enjoy a delicious lunch and shop for unique gifts, while supporting local small businesses and artists in the area.

This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the historic Nativity Scene. The nativity scene at the St. Landry Parish Courthouse Square began in the 1940s. In 1953, a special building was made for the nativity. On Sun., Dec. 6, 1953, the nativity scene on the St. Landry Parish Courthouse Square was unveiled at a special ceremony where Mabel Cools was recognized for soliciting donations used to purchase the nativity figures. Sidney Sandoz was recognized as chairman of the building committee. Robert Dejean served as Master of Ceremonies. After the unveiling, the downtown Christmas lights were turned on. (Source: Daily World, 1953).

Lighting of the Village, Opelousas
Lighting of the Village, Opelousas
Lighting of the Village, Opelousas
Lighting of the Nativity2025-10-31T10:26:10-05:00
19 Sep 2022

Fête de Saint-Luc

2022-09-19T16:48:53-05:00

Celebrate at Saint-Luc French Immersion School in Arnaudville, Louisiana. This former hospital turned educational and cultural organization that seeks to revive and sustain the French language tradition in Louisiana. They are hosting a celebration and learning experience on October 9th from 1:30pm to 6pm with great food, music, and plenty of art vendors and craftsmen.

There will be a ton to eat and drink including plate lunches from Pepper’s homestyle catering, croissants, cookies, and pastries from Paradiso Cake, fruit and veggie drinks from Jolly Moon, and sandwiches from Bib Belly Sandwiches.

Enjoy informational demos and vendors including spinning arts, cotton products, art displays, basketweaving, chair caning, writing, and more. There will even be live music by La Patente, a traditional band out of New Brunswick, Canada, and the Potluck Band.

Fête de Saint-Luc2022-09-19T16:48:53-05:00
14 Sep 2022

Sauce Picante Cook-Off

2023-09-19T16:29:50-05:00

The Sauce Picante Cook-Off taking place at Lakeview Park & Beach in Eunice is an annual cooking event that you won’t want to miss. Sauce Picante is a traditional Creole and Cajun dish that includes a spicy sauce typically with a tomato base all over rice. At this event, area chefs will compete with their best renditions of this iconic dish. Samples will be available for guests to taste and vote on. Cameron Fontenot & the Rhythm Aces will play from 2pm-4pm and Dustin Sonnier & the Wanted is performing in the evening at 8pm.

It’s $15 to enter a dish and $10 for guests to get a wristband and sample all the tasty food.

Sauce Picante Cook-Off2023-09-19T16:29:50-05:00
26 Aug 2022

Live Quarter Horse Racing

2025-09-17T11:52:45-05:00

It’s quarter horse racing season at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino. If you’re looking for something exciting to do in Opelousas, Louisiana, you’ve got to see a live race. The American Quarter Horse is a small breed known for its agility and ability to sprint short distances. You can bet on your favorite horse or just sit back and enjoy this fast-paced competition every Wednesday through Saturday during the season, except on Thanksgiving Eve and Day.

Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino is the first entertainment complex in America designed to combine horse racing and casino gaming. The state-of-the-art facility has over 1,300 slot machines, 117 hotel rooms, and dining options offering Cajun and Creole cuisine. The casino is located off of Interstate 49 in Opelousas, only 20 minutes north of Lafayette, LA.

Live Quarter Horse Racing2025-09-17T11:52:45-05:00
16 Aug 2022

Le Grand Hoorah

2025-10-31T09:18:48-05:00

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.

Le Grand Hoorah2025-10-31T09:18:48-05:00
29 Jul 2022

Visiting the Past

2025-09-15T11:07:37-05:00

Visit the past in the historic steamboat town of Washington, Louisiana at Cedar Hill Cemetery with a candle-lighting and choir performance by the Chimneyville Baptist Choir and an assortment of additional musicians and singers.

After the Yellow Fever epidemic of the 1850’s, additional space was needed for the people of Washington to bury their dead. This was how Cedar Hill Cemetery came to be. Both this cemetery and the town’s older one were for people who lived in the area without regard for creed or race.

Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana
Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana
Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana
Visiting the Past2025-09-15T11:07:37-05:00
28 Jun 2022

Sunset Mural & Artworks by Ted 5 Year Celebration

2022-06-28T11:52:25-05:00

The St. Landry Chamber of Commerce will cut the ribbon for the newest mural in Sunset at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 1 at Artworks by Ted Bertrand on 855 Napoleon Avenue. The celebration also falls on the gallery’s monthly open house where the artist and gallery owner, Ted Bertrand, will be celebrating its 5-year anniversary at 5:30pm that evening. The featured artist will be Anne Matt and you can enjoy refreshments while you appreciate the art.

The mural was painted by muralist and Breaux Bridge native, Darryl “Demo” Demourelle. Demourelle is known for his colorful, larger-than-life works. His energetic and loud style fits in perfectly with the artsy community of Sunset and especially along the walls of the Artworks by Ted Bertrand gallery. Bertrand’s works are well-known for their bright impressionist renditions of rural St. Landry Parish scenes.

Painted along the historic early 1900s bank-turned-gallery, the mural displays a man playing a rubboard alongside a swath of sweet potatoes and three large cotton bulbs. The worn rubboard, an iconic zydeco instrument, has taken root in Sunset. The instrument was popularized by zydeco legend Clifton Chenier and his brother Cleveland. In 1946 Chenier approached metalworker Willie Landry to create the frottoir, a wearable rubboard.  Landry’s son, Tee Don Landry, continues his father’s legacy with his Key of Z Rubboard Shop, located just a few minutes away from the gallery. Cotton and sweet potatoes, also highlighted in the mural, were both major exports of the town.

The ribbon-cutting will be attended by Mayor Charles James of the town of Sunset and St. Landry Chamber President & CEO Laina Brickley.

For more information, call the St. Landry Chamber of Commerce at 337-942-2683.

Sunset Mural & Artworks by Ted 5 Year Celebration2022-06-28T11:52:25-05:00

St. Landry Parish Visitor Center
Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm

337.948.8004
978 Kennerson Road (I-49 exit 23)
P.O. Box 1415 • Opelousas, LA 70570

Visitor Guide (En)
Visitor Guide (Fr)

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