As the chilly air turns into a warm breeze, there's no better time to get out and about in Lafayette than spring. Like the flowers, celebrations of Cajun culture, food, and music bloom during the springtime and color the calendar with some of the city's finest annual events.

If you can smell the crawfish boiling, start planning your trip today by checking out some of our favorite springtime events in Lafayette.

Azalea Trail

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Every spring, the azaleas of Lafayette bloom in mesmerizing shades of red, pink, and purple. It's as if, suddenly, the entire city gets a brushstroke of color. To get the full effect of the flowers' calming beauty, there's no better option than the Azalea Trail.

Trolley tours take visitors along all 25 miles of the historic trail in March. It's the perfect way to explore the city's rich history and natural beauty all at once, as it takes you through downtown, university districts, and garden neighborhoods. You'll even see the city's official flower, the "General Lafayette" Fuchsia Formosa. Like the city itself, the city flower is named after Marquis de Lafayette, who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and was one of George Washington's closest friends.

Zydeco Marathon

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Zydeco Marathon

Ready, set, geaux! The Zydeco Marathon takes over downtown Lafayette in mid-March with a weekend of racing events. The full marathon is a 26.2-mile run and a qualifying event for national races like the Boston Marathon. For less experienced racers, the weekend includes several shorter races like the half marathon, two-person relay, 5K, and the one-mile run for kids.

As the marathon wraps up on Sunday, you can attend the Zydeco Finish Line Festival, a celebration of everyone's efforts. With live music, great food, and tons of drink options, you can replenish all those lost calories in style!

Festival International de Louisiane

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Come April, downtown Lafayette hosts the largest international music and arts festival in the entire county. We're speaking, of course, of the Festival International de Louisiane, a five-day extravaganza that regularly attracts over 300,000 attendees every year.

Though the festival features performances by global artists from over 20 countries, the emphasis is firmly on Acadian and French cultures. In addition to live music, you can attend art exhibitions, view cooking demonstrations, and even attend a traditional French mass on Sunday. What's more, practicing artists can attend workshops to learn new skills and perspectives they can apply to their work.

Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival

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You know the saying: April showers bring May crawfish. Okay, that's not exactly how it goes, but remembering proverbs is the least of your concerns when your mind's on those tasty mudbugs. What's really important is the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, which has been a Lafayette staple for nearly 60 years.

Do you like your crawfish boiled? They've got it. Fried? Yep, that have that too. Etouffee? Bisque? Boudin? Let's just say the festival has every variety of crawfish you would hope to find, and that's including crawfish that race each other. Yep, there's a crawfish race. And don't go home until you've seen who's crowned as this year's Crawfish King and Queen.

If all the crawfish love wasn't enough, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival has become one of the most popular gatherings of Cajun, Zydeco, and Swamp Pop music. Expect to see over 30 bands grace the stage during the festival's three-day run.

There may be no better time to make that trip to Lafayette than this spring. Whether you're looking for an easy-breezy vacation of flower-gazing, a physical challenge, a celebration of international art, or want to feast on as many varieties of crawfish as possible, Lafayette won't leave you wanting.

Now that you know when some of our favorite springtime events take place, it's a great time to start looking at booking a hotel. Our local lodgings offer no shortage of Cajun hospitality.