Swamp pop, according to its foremost historian, Shane K. Bernard, represents the cultural collisions of "Cajun and Creole, black and white, French and English, rural and urban, folk and mainstream." Sharing affinities with rhythm and blues, rock and roll, country and western, and rockabilly, swamp…
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When most people think of Lafayette, Louisiana, they picture lively festivals, flavorful Cajun and Creole cuisine, and toe-tapping rhythms—but the performing arts scene here is just as rich and vibrant. From professional symphonies and classical ballet to grassroots theater groups and contemporary…
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Are you short on time for your first visit to Cajun & Creole Country? Are you overwhelmed with all of the things to do and experience? There’s no shortage of ways to experience the Happiest City in America and its nearby communities. We’re sharing our favorites for first-time visitors. On any…
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One thing’s for sure, in Lafayette Parish, food is plentiful, history is present and culture runs deep. Lafayette Parish is the cultural center of southwestern Louisiana’s Cajun Country, and it uniquely infuses Cajun culture with Southern hospitality. Broussard is a charming small town in Lafayette…
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An early 20th-century precursor to zydeco, la-la music melds indigenous American, African, European, blues, nascent rhythm and blues, and Louisiana Creole and Cajun traditions to form a popular genre that is both provincial and unmeasurably influential. Primarily associated with Black Creoles of…
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During the last week of April, residents are decked out in hats, dancing shoes, and smiles along the streets of downtown Lafayette. Refrains of "Happy festival" are everywhere. At the apex of spring, Lafayette's downtown turns festival mode for the annual Festival International de Louisiane, the…
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South Louisiana is home to the greatest free party on earth, a colorful celebration known as Mardi Gras. In Lafayette, LA, residents celebrate in many ways, including the traditional courir de Mardi Gras; parades with marching bands, beads, and doubloons; Mardi Gras Indians with elaborate dancing…
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Lafayette is rich in arts and culture. Numerous historical landmarks tell the story of Acadiana's diverse people, art galleries show the unique talents of local artists, and museums and performing arts venues for theater, music, and dance. Vermilionville Lafayette is fortunate to have two living…
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Cajun music is a central component and marker of Cajun identity and culture in southwestern Louisiana. Largely accordion and fiddle-based and primarily sung in vernacular French, Cajun music has foundations in Indigenous American, African, German, Irish, Anglo-American, and Francophone folk…
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You can go ahead and tell the kids that Santa Claus is real. According to the History channel, St. Nicholas was an actual person—a Turkish monk in the year 280 AD, known as the patron saint of children. Over the millennia, various cultures and countries have created their versions of the man in red…
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