Since 2011, Erica Fox has poured her heart into Maison Creole de Freetown, the African American history museum she manages in one of Lafayette’s historic neighborhoods. The museum began as a way to honor the Indigenous people of this region and create space for Black, Indigenous, and…
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For Lafayette-based photographer Ben Pierce, inspiration often starts with an early morning on still water. The executive director of Swamp Base, Pierce has built his reputation photographing Louisiana’s iconic wetlands capturing mist rising off glassy bayous, light filtering through moss-draped…
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Lafayette boasts a growing literary scene. From acclaimed novelists to celebrated poets and culinary historians, these local writers offer a rich landscape of stories, insights, and flavors. Here's a look at some of Lafayette's notable authors and where you can discover their books in the community…
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For Michelle Colon, better known by her stage name Malentina, music has always been more than just performance. It’s been a way of stepping fully into herself. Her earliest memories of music stem from singing along to Disney movies as a child in Puerto Rico, where she would stage living room…
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Living Tradition at Pontiac Point Bells, whistles, dance, and chants drape Simcoe and Surrey St. on Mardi Gras morning. The Mardi Gras Indian walking parade at Pontiac Point is a staple of Black Carnival, inspiring unity within the community. Lafayette Creole Mardi Gras introduced their original…
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In South Louisiana, live oaks are history, heritage, and heirlooms all rolled into one. They offered shade and protection for the first settlers’ homes along Louisiana’s bayous and rivers. On the old land maps, they marked property lines. Duels were fought and honor won or lost under their arched…
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Carnival is the season of merriment leading up to Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent. During Carnival, south Louisiana celebrates with parades and other special events. Krewes are the organizations that sponsor the parades, which are sometimes preceded by krewe…
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Our Mardi Gras season, which stretches from the Twelfth Night of Christmas or Jan. 6 to Mardi Gras day, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the advent of Lent, is filled with extravagant balls and pageantry like no other. Organizations that host Carnival parades, balls, and pageants are known in…
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Most people think of Mardi Gras as our season of merriment before Lent, but many of our traditions, such as the sweet and decorative king cake, begin with Christmas. The season of Carnival begins on Jan. 6, known as the Epiphany or Twelfth Night, the day the three kings visited the Christ Child. In…
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South Louisiana is home to the greatest free party on earth, a colorful celebration known as Mardi Gras. But what most people see on television the weekend before Lent starts much earlier. The entire Mardi Gras season runs several winter weeks in Lafayette and throughout the Acadiana region and…
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