Sharing the food, music, culture, and history at the heart of Cajun & Creole Country.

History of Festivals Acadiens et Creoles

In the 1930s, folklorists John and Alan Lomax visited South Louisiana to record Cajun and Creole songs for the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song (now the Archive of Folk Culture). It was the first time someone recorded Cajun and Creole songs on tape for archival purposes. In 1964…

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October Events Spotlight

If you're looking to spend some time in the Hub City and want to know what events are happening in October, you're in the right place. We'll give you a monthly rundown of live music and other events in the Happiest City in America. Concert Series October 3 | AcA's Louisiana Crossroads Series:…

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Lafayette Mardi Gras: Revelry For All Ages

No one knows how to throw a party quite like South Louisiana, especially during Mardi Gras season. Whether in the city of Lafayetteor the rural fields of Evangeline and Acadia parishes, Mardi Gras offers revelry for all ages. Here in Acadiana, there's little exclusivity regarding Mardi Gras event…

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Mardi Gras Frequently Asked Questions

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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A Cake Fit For A King

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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Mardi Gras Treasures

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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Dance For A Chicken: Cajun Country Mardi Gras

Most people recognize Mardi Gras as parades, masked balls, and other urban events, but in Cajun Country, a unique side of Mardi Gras takes place in the countryside and dates back centuries. In Acadiana, a region surrounding Lafayette, many towns celebrate the ancient Carnival tradition of courirs…

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Mardi Gras Royalty

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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Living It Up Before Giving It Up - Cajun & Creole Carnival

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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