16 May 2025

Broussard Family Fest

2025-05-16T12:58:37-05:00

Celebrate and honor the deep roots of Creole and zydeco music with one of the largest musical families, the Broussards, at the Broussard Family Fest taking place on July 12 at the Yambilee Building in Opelousas, Louisiana. Show starts at 6pm. You can enjoy local food vendors, a family-friendly atmosphere and plenty of dancing and live zydeco music.

Delton Broussard whose band the Lawtell Playboys played at the Smithsonian Institute’s Festival of American Folklife in Washington D.C. and was a driving force of zydeco in the 80s. Delton had 11 children, all of whom became musicians, dancers, and singers.

At this festival put together by Koray Broussard- a dynamic accordionist known for infusing a modern twist into Creole and zydeco music- you can expect performances by Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Mike Broussard Nu’Edition Zydeko, Guyland Leday, Koray Zunit Broussard, John Broussard, Lil Pookie, T Broussard, The Broussard Sisters Juré, and a special performance by Mary Broussard.

Tickets are $15 Pre-Sale and $20 at the door.

Broussard Family Fest2025-05-16T12:58:37-05:00
13 Sep 2024

Creole Culture Day

2024-09-13T16:25:38-05:00

The 3rd Annual Creole Culture Day will take place on October 5th, 2024, at Town Hall Park in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. This event is a celebration of Louisiana’s Creole heritage, with a special focus on the French language that remains integral to the Creole identity. Best of all, this community event is completely free, offering everyone a chance to participate and enjoy the festivities.

Start the day with a traditional hog butchering and cooking event, featuring French demonstrations on preparing staple Creole foods like cracklins and boudin. The food from the Boucherie will be served for free to attendees. Although the Boucherie starts at 6 AM, the main Creole Culture Day activities kick off at 10 AM.

Throughout the day enjoy Creole French Bingo, a genealogy section helping attendees to trace their heritage, food trucks and food vendors, as well as performances by DJ Dr. Boogie Live, Zydeco Roux, and David Sylvester.

Creole Culture Day is vital for preserving and promoting the heritage of Creoles of Color, particularly through the French language. The event fosters community, education, and the continuation of traditions that are essential to maintaining Creole identity.

Creole Culture Day2024-09-13T16:25:38-05:00
5 Sep 2024

Holy Family Church Bazaar

2024-09-05T11:30:24-05:00

Enjoy food, fun, and games at the Holy Family Church Bazaar in Lawtell. Games include an obstacle course, dunking booth, miniature train rides, duck pond game, and a baseball toss game.

Food booths include BBQ pork and chicken, pies, ice cream, funnel fries, boudin, pecan candy, and more!

Live Music performances start at 2pm and last till 9pm. See Mike Broussard & Nu Edition Zydeco, Cory Broussard, Jeffery Broussard & the Zydeco Cowboys, Dickie Du & DA Zydeco Crew, Lil Pookie & the Zydeco Sensations, Lil Jeff, and Lil Wayne & the Same Ol’ Two Step play live.

Holy Family Church Bazaar2024-09-05T11:30:24-05:00
18 Aug 2023

Louisiana Boil Meat Festival

2023-09-25T14:45:40-05:00

Get ready for the Louisiana Boil Meat Festival taking place on Saturday, October 21st this fall at the Yambilee AG Arena in Opelousas. It’s your chance to taste delicious boiled meat dishes enhanced with Louisiana Cajun and Creole spices. There’s more to do at this festival than just eat. Shop vendors and dance to zydeco music in the place where the iconic genre was born. If your dance moves make the cut, you could even win a trophy for best zydeco solo dancer or couple.

Live music performers include Marcellus the Singer, Cam’Ron Ballou & Darker Shades of Zydeco, Koray Broussard & Z-Unit Zydeco, Leon Chavis & the Zydeco Flames, and Lil’ Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers. You’ll also hear beats from DJ Byron and DJ Sypho.

Talented chefs and vendors will be serving up a variety of mouthwatering dishes, including crawfish, shrimp, crab, and more. For those who want to compete, the entry fee is $250. The food will be judged on cleanliness, presentation, time, unique flavors, most liked, 10/10 rating review, and professionalism. 1st prize is $1000, 2nd prize is $500, and 3rd prize is $250. For vendor and contest information call 985-662-1053.

Not only will the top 3 cook-off winners get a trophy, but the best-dressed cowboy and cowgirl and the furthest traveled.

Gates open at 11am, but it’s recommended that you get there early. Tickets are $30 at the gate, but kids 12 & under get in free. You can get your tickets early here.

Stay for the weekend at the Holiday Inn Express in Opelousas for a special rate. See other accommodations here.

Louisiana Boil Meat Festival2023-09-25T14:45:40-05:00
20 Jan 2023

La Rivière Mardi Gras Chicken Run and Parade

2024-12-16T16:15:11-06:00

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.

La Rivière Mardi Gras Chicken Run and Parade2024-12-16T16:15:11-06:00
20 Apr 2022

Blackpot Camp

2024-11-20T13:43:21-06:00

Even as an adult you can still have a good time at camp in Eunice, Louisiana. At Blackpot Camp, work with professional, award-winning musicians from across the U.S. Activities for campers include Cajun fiddle, accordion, guitar, songwriting, and so much more. Participants will also try their hand at Cajun cooking, taught by locals in a hands-on working environment.

It’s not all workshops at Blackpot Camp. Every night, campers take a break from lessons for a music concert in the barn-turned dancehall. Overall, the camp has a loose, festive atmosphere that encourages extracurricular jamming and sharing of experiences among campers from all places and backgrounds. If you’ve never tried to Cajun waltz or square dance, now is the time to take your cue from experienced instructors. All of the activities are in the spirit of fun! Create unforgettable memories with interactive experiences among other lovers of Cajun and roots music.

Blackpot Camp takes place the last week of October on the beautiful, secluded grounds of Lakeview Park & Beach. There’s plenty of space for an RV in addition to cabins and room for tent camping. Admission for this event varies. You can learn more at BlackpotCamp.com. Be sure to also look into their volunteer program.

P.S. – You don’t need to be a camper to attend dances in the barn. There’s general admission so anyone can join the fun! Dances take place in the evening. Contact Lakeview Park & Beach for evening event details.

Blackpot Camp Facebook Page

Blackpot Camp2024-11-20T13:43:21-06:00
6 Apr 2022

St. Landry BBQ Fest

2025-05-09T13:04:11-05:00

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. Stay tuned for the lineup.

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.

St. Landry BBQ Fest2025-05-09T13:04:11-05:00
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
7 Mar 2022

Arnaudville Étouffée Festival

2024-07-19T15:04:49-05:00

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.

Arnaudville Étouffée Festival2024-07-19T15:04:49-05:00
4 Mar 2022

Cajun Mardi Gras Festival

2025-01-09T11:37:06-06:00

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 Festival2025-01-09T11:37:06-06:00
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