21 Mar 2022

Fête de la Nature

2025-04-15T12:16:02-05:00

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.

A benefit lunch will be run by Chef Colt Patin of the Culinary Institute of Baton Rouge, his students, and Scouts Troop 174. Food will be sold at the event with proceeds will help fund Atelier de la Nature's youth education programs. Crawfish will be $20 for 3lbs.

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.

In the evening, we will screen the film "My Louisiana Love" with opening remarks and Q&A with co-producer and co-writer Monique Verdin. This screening is in commemoration of the 15 years since the Deepwater Horizon accident and the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina.

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).

Event schedule:
6:30-8 AM Birds
8-10 AM Arthropods
10-12 Amphibians, Reptiles & Fishes
12-2 Music and lunch
2-4 Plants and Fungus
4-5 Mammals
6-8 Film screening
5-8 set up tents and dinner break (bring your own)
8-onwards: Nocturnal insects, bats, bonfire and camping

There are six musicians in the raucous pop ensemble Sweet Crude, but their ultimate goal is duality. The lyrics are bilingual, with French and English lyrics sometimes sharing space in one song. As a gang of bodies in motion onstage, their clamor of percussion and shouts whips up the dance floor in contagious physical joy – but the tunes lend themselves as well to deep listening, revealing complex layers of both craft and content. Of course, there's the band name itself: a reference to the petroleum export of Sweet Crude's home state of Louisiana, an unintentionally poetic linking of two concepts operating in seeming opposition. And like the title of Sweet Crude's latest album – Officiel//Artificiel – when everything comes together, the product is more than the sum of the parts.

Special thanks to our major sponsors:
– Al Berard Memorial Music Fund at Community Foundation of Acadiana
– St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission
– Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

Fête de la Nature2025-04-15T12:16:02-05:00
4 Mar 2022

La Table Française at Eunice

2024-02-22T14:42:49-06:00

Wednesday mornings at the Eunice Depot Museum are the perfect chance to practice your French. Whether you're a French speaker who wants to converse in your language or you're interested in learning, La Table Française de Eunice is for you. This French table is an event where anyone is invited to come out and practice Louisiana Cajun French. Coffee and snacks are available as well.

La Table Française at Eunice2024-02-22T14:42:49-06:00
4 Mar 2022

Savoy Music Jam

2024-02-22T14:38:49-06:00

This jam session in Eunice, Louisiana is a special Saturday morning tradition hosted at the Savoy Music Center. This building is home to the master accordion craftsman, Marc Savoy. The three-hour Cajun jam session has gotten the attention of major media outlets throughout the years. It was featured on Good Morning America, National Geographic, and Smithsonian Magazine. Visitors from all over the world make their way to the jam to meet the musicians and enjoy traditional Cajun music.

Marc's jam session etiquette is part of the reason the jam is so famous. It is not a place for younger artists to "show-off". Instead, the musicians are led by the older generation of Cajun music fiddlers and accordionists. It's not a talent show, but a cultural exchange of stories, tunes, tips, and a few laughs.

Don't know how to play? That's just fine. Chairs are set up for the audience to sit and listen or get up and dance!

Savoy Music Jam2024-02-22T14:38:49-06:00
4 Mar 2022

Jammin’ on the Bayou

2024-02-22T14:45:33-06:00

This jam session is hosted by musician Stanley Lee at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center in Opelousas, Louisiana. Musicians at any level of expertise bring an instrument and suggest their favorite songs. Bystanders can sit and listen in or dance along. The jam session is free and open to the public. Anyone can stop by and join in on the fun.

The jam is held every third Saturday of the month starting around 1pm. After the show, stick around the visitor center. One of our experienced Travel Counselors can point you to other points of interest in the parish. If you want to stay longer, they can even provide a tour of our award-winning, sustainable welcome center.

Jammin’ on the Bayou2024-02-22T14:45:33-06:00
4 Mar 2022

Eunice Lil’ Mardi Gras

2025-08-06T09:47:57-05:00

Kids get in on the Mardi Gras fun too in Eunice, Louisiana. In fact, the Eunice Lil' Mardi Gras is a Courir de Mardi Gras and chicken chase just for kids. Children ages 1-14 get to participate, and they are encouraged to be in full costume, mask, and capuchon. The Mardi Gras run begins at 9am. Participants arrive back at the Eunice Recreation Complex at 12pm for lunch, then depart for Harris Field at 1:15pm for the chicken chase. The day ends with a children's parade in downtown Eunice at 3pm.

For this event, participants are broken into different divisions based on age. Registration is open at 7am at the Eunice Recreation Complex. You can also complete registration at EuniceRec.com.

Courir de Mardi Gras is based on Medieval begging rituals. For more information about this traditional celebration, visit our Mardi Gras page.

Eunice Lil’ Mardi Gras2025-08-06T09:47:57-05:00
4 Mar 2022

Cajun Mardi Gras Festival

2025-08-06T10:19:28-05:00

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.

Cajun Mardi Gras Festival2025-08-06T10:19:28-05:00
4 Mar 2022

La Table Francaise at The Village

2024-01-11T15:07:33-06:00

Get to know the locals at La Table Française at the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum located inside of Le Vieux Village in Opelousas. Children and adults can participate at this monthly French Table. Grab a cup of coffee and hear stories in French about growing up in rural Louisiana. All French dialects are welcome here. Sometimes, musicians will come in for a chat and even bring their instruments. If you're lucky, you just might catch an impromptu performance.

At this French Table, free conversation and focused topics are both encouraged. These conversations are held the last Wednesday of every month.

La Table Francaise at The Village2024-01-11T15:07:33-06:00
4 Mar 2022

Courir de Mardi Gras & Chicken Run

2025-08-06T10:13:54-05:00

Looking for something new and exciting this Mardi Gras season? Check out the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras & Chicken Run in Eunice, Louisiana. This Mardi Gras celebration is nothing like parades you see in big cities. Here, revelers dress in colorful handmade costumes and dance through the countryside.

What is a courir?

During a courir, riders go from house to house begging for donations to add in a community-wide gumbo. The highlight of the event is the chicken run, an honored tradition for ambitious, young revelers. During the run, the capitaine will release a chicken or guinea. Participants then compete to catch the fowl. Once captured, it makes for a nice addition to the gumbo.

History of the courir

The Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday Run) dates to when the town was first established in the late 19th century, but the tradition itself goes back even further. These traditions are based on early begging rituals from the Medieval era. The Eunice courir was abandoned for a few years during World War II. 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. The run is always held on Mardi Gras Day, but it is only one part of the five-day Eunice Mardi Gras Celebration. There's a full schedule of last year's Mardi Gras events in Eunice here.

How to participate

Registration for this event is required, and participants must be 18 years or older. Visit the run's Facebook page for additional details you need to know before the event. Registration is open at 6am at the Northwest Community Center. Early risers typically have a better chance of getting a seat on the trailer, but for those who are walking, the capitaine will keep you well-nourished with boudin stops along the way.

Looking for family-friendly Mardi Gras events? Visit our Mardi Gras events page for travel ideas. Need a place to stay? Find nearby accommodations.

Courir de Mardi Gras & Chicken Run2025-08-06T10:13:54-05:00
4 Mar 2022

Lebeau Zydeco Festival

2025-05-07T10:32:41-05:00

It's all zydeco music, all day long at the Lebeau Zydeco Festival. From the place that gave us zydeco hits like, "Don't Mess With My Toot Toot" comes an annual celebration of the genre and its roots in the Creole community. Located on the grounds of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lebeau, Louisiana, this festival was made for the fans. It features the most popular zydeco music bands in South Louisiana. Bring a dancing partner, maybe a lawn chair, and an appetite. The festival is famous for its pork backbone dinners.

For Lebeau's 33rd Annual Zydeco Fest on July 5th, Geno Delafose, Jeremy Fruge, Step Rideau, and Rusty Metoyer will be performing live with sounds by DJ Jammin' J

No BBQ pits, ATVs, glass containers, or ice chests/coolers allowed. This festival is held annually on the first Saturday of July.

Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for kids.

Get your festival shirt by contacting Theresa Rideau at 337-257-9457. Vendors call Geneva at 337-945-4238. For more information call Geneva at 337-945-4238, Mayor Irving at 337-351-3902, or the parish office at 337-623-0303.

Lebeau Zydeco Festival2025-05-07T10:32:41-05:00
4 Mar 2022

Juneteenth Folklife Celebration

2025-08-06T11:52:12-05:00

The Juneteenth Folklife Celebration highlights the folk art, heritage, and traditions of African-American culture in St. Landry Parish. Rebecca Henry, owner of the Creole Heritage Folklife Center, hosts the event. She is a child of sharecroppers, artist, and a wealth of cultural knowledge. This celebration pays tribute to the date when Texas slaves first heard the news of their freedom.

On Saturday under the Farmers Market Pavilion in Opelousas from noon to 4pm, you will be able to listen to live music and traditional dancing. It's going to be a great time. See original folk art and learn about the heritage and traditions of the region. As this is a family-friendly event, no alcohol is sold or allowed on-site.

Juneteenth Folklife Celebration2025-08-06T11:52:12-05:00
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