April Events Spotlight
If you want to spend time in the Hub City and know what events are happening, you're in the right place. We'll give you a rundown of live music and other monthly events in the Happiest City in America…
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Category: Festivals
Festival International Field Guide
Each spring, Downtown Lafayette comes alive with the sights, sounds, and flavors of Festival International de Louisiane, the largest free Francophone festival in the U.S. This five-day event transforms the city into a global stage, where music, art, and culture from around the world take center…
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30 Years of Festival International: A Retrospective by Philip Gould
Since the very first Festival International de Louisiane in 1986 photographer Philip Gould has captured moments that show how the unique festival has grown to become one of the largest non-ticketed Francophone events in the world. We have partnered with him to showcase some his most memorable…
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5 Spring Events that Reveal Cajun & Creole Country’s Magic
It’s hard to find a more authentic destination in the United States than Louisiana’s Cajun & Creole Country, home to energetic roots music, untainted foodways, a rich Francophone heritage, and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Springtime brings out the best in the magical part of the…
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Celebrating 40 Years of Festival International
This April, one of Louisiana’s crown jewels in its 400-plus repertoire of fairs and festivals—Lafayette’s Festival International de Louisiane (FIL)—turns 40. Its longevity is a testament to the power of community and the scores of volunteers and artists who made it happen in 1987 and continue to…
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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 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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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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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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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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