If you're looking to spend some time in the Hub City and want to know what events are happening in September, you're in the right place. We'll give you a monthly rundown of live music and other events taking place each month in the Happiest City in America.
Performance Series
September 13-14 | AcA's Spotlight Theater & Dance Series: Dance Splits | Acadiana Center for the Arts
Dance/Splits is a double bill of exciting original contemporary dance by local choreographers Clare Cook and Leigha Porter. This new performance series combines area talent to build a shared space for professional dance in Acadiana. Both Clare and Leigha have cultivated thriving dance community spaces at Basin Arts and PARC Village in Lafayette. With Dance/Splits, Clare and Leigha merge their unique talents to create a show that combines area talent and dynamic creativity. Their synergy as artists will deliver a performance that will showcase their individual artistic voices and redefine the boundaries of contemporary dance in our region.
Concert Series
September 5 | AcA's AllStars Series: Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band | Acadiana Center for the Arts
In 1997, drummer and composer Brian Blade formed The Fellowship Band with pianist and composer Jon Cowherd. The band members are saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, bassist Christopher Thomas and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. Over the 26 years the band has existed, they have released seven recordings.
September 19 | AcA's AllStars Series: Buffalo Nichols | Acadiana Center for the Arts
On his second album, The Fatalist, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols does things with the blues that might catch you off guard. There are 808 programmings, chopped-up Charley Patton samples, and washes of synth. There’s a consideration of the sonic stage's fullness and the music's atmospherics that can only come with a long engagement with electronic music. But this is no gimmicky hybrid or attempt to turn the blues into 21st-century music by simply dressing it with skittering hi-hats.
September 26 | AcA's AllStars Series: Jake Xerxes Fussell | Acadiana Center for the Arts
Jake Xerxes Fussell is a singer and guitarist based in Durham, NC. Fussell’s Good and Green Again album was released to critical acclaim in January 2022. The album was produced by James Elkington and featured some formidable musicians, including Casey Toll on upright bass, Libby Rodenbough on strings, Joe Westerlund on drums, Joseph Decosimo on fiddle, and others. Bonnie “Prince” Billy contributed additional vocals.
Comedy Series
- Recurring Thursdays | Yeah, Comedy! A Standup Comedy Open-Mic Special Guest | Legend's Pub
- September 5 | Ian Bagg | Club 337
- September 6 | Mia Jackson | Club 337
- September 7 | Stoned vs Drunk vs Sober | Club 337
- September 14 | "You Look Like" - A Standup Comedy Roast Battle | Club 337
- September 21 | Tim Meadows | Club 337
- September 25 | Hair of the Dog Comedy Night at Adopted Dog Brewing | Adopted Dog Brewing
- September 26 | Daniel Van Kirk | Club 337
Free Concert Series
September 4 | Mercredi Show ft. Swampland Revival | Pelican Park
Mercredi means Wednesday in French, and it is our chance to celebrate our heritage in Lafayette, LA. Come out to enjoy some great music and good fun. The concert series is family fun for all ages. The stage area is wheelchair accessible to accommodate our visitors. The Mercredi Show occurs from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Pelican Park in Carencro. Please do not bring ice chests or pets.
September 6 | Downtown Alive! Ragin Cajuns Edition ft. The Good Dudes | Parc Sans Souci
The entire community is invited to enjoy free, live music at Parc San Souci in Downtown Lafayette! The music starts at 6 p.m. and concludes at 8:30 p.m. Please leave ice chests at home to help keep Downtown Alive! free to the public. Grab a drink from the beverage tent and a bite from food vendors and downtown restaurants. Most importantly, remember to support local small businesses while downtown!
September 11 | Mercredi Show ft. Dylan Aucoin & The Judice Ramblers | Pelican Park
September 14 | Sugar Jam ft. Three Thirty Seven | Sugar Mill Pond
Join us at the beautiful Town Center in Sugar Mill Pond for the Sugar Jam 2024 music series, presented by The Apothecary Shoppe! Gather your family and friends to experience live entertainment and explore the sights of Sugar Mill Pond! This family-friendly music series is free to the public. No outside food or beverages are allowed, but food and drinks will be sold on-site during the event. Lawn chairs and blankets are permitted.
September 18 | Mercredi Show - Tommy G & Stormy Weather | Pelican Park
September 19 | Rhythms on the River: Bag of Donuts | River Ranch
Rhythms on the River is a sensational six-week outdoor concert series that has become a beloved tradition in Lafayette. Held in the scenic River Ranch Town Square, this complimentary series offers an exceptional evening of live music for the community. During the spring and fall seasons, Rhythms on the River takes place on Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., providing an inviting and joyful atmosphere for the entire family. Local hospitality vendors offer food and beverage options to add to this unforgettable evening.
September 25 | Mercredi Show ft. Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band | Pelican Park
September 26 | Rhythms on the River: Adam Leger Band + Dustin Sonnier & The Wanted | River Ranch
Annual Festivals
September 21 | NOMAD Music Festival | Warehouse 535
NOMAD Music Festival is here to impact our generation by exposing people to a family-friendly music event. They seek to kindle the fire that is wholesome music and lasting joy. By promoting artists in the local area, they encourage musicians to continue in their craft & give them an outlet for growth.
September 27 | Downtown Rising | Parc International
This year celebrates our very own Marc Broussard as he celebrates 20 years of his debut album, Carencro. This amazing lineup also includes North Mississippi Allstars, Lost Bayou Ramblers, DJ Digital, & DJ RV. Plus, join us for a secret Downtown Rising After-Party featuring The Iceman Special presented by Fete du Void.
September 28 | Bayou Vermilion Festival & Boat Parade | Bayou Vermilion
Gather your friends, your canoe, your cooler, your fiddle, your best costumes, your dog, whatever, and get ready to join them for a day to celebrate the Bayou Vermilion! The parade will set sail at 11:30 AM from the dock at Vermilionville, and wind all along the bayou to Southside Park. Want to paddle but have no boat? The Bayou Vermilion District has got you covered. They’ve got canoes and kayaks available to help you get in the water and experience our own Bayou Vermilion.
Special Events
September 8 | Cajun Man Triathlon | Lafayette
This race is a tradition, a right of passage, for all endurance fiends! It involves 1/2 mile of swimming in Airport Lake, 20 miles of pedaling on the roads of Lafayette Parish, and 3.1 miles on foot through the grounds of the Lafayette Regional Airport. Also available is a duathlon, aqua bike, and 5k run/walk, whether a beginner is doing their first open-water triathlon or an experienced triathlete looking for one of the best races.
September 13 | Jelly Roll W/Special Guests Warren Zeiders & Alexandra Kay | CAJUNDOME
Don't miss Jelly Roll's Beautifully Broken Tour at the CAJUNDOME.
September 13 | Yacht Rock Beer Fest | Sugar Mill Pond
Step aboard for a booze cruising good time at Yacht Rock Beer Fest! Enjoy unlimited beer samples and live music at Sugar Mill Pond from 5 p.m. - 9 p.
Art Exhibitions
Now - September 14 | Fundamento De Palo Monte: Ana Mendieta | Hilliard Art Museum
The iconic silhouette motifs of Ana Mendieta's career represent meaningful relationships between humans and land. Filmed in Iowa, Fundamento de Palo Monte: Silueta Series (Gunpowder Works) reflects the artist's reality as a Cuban exile living in the United States.
Now - September 28 | Bending Lines: Robert Wiggs | Hilliard Art Museum
Robert Wiggs was a sculptor and educator who shaped the aesthetic agenda of Acadiana, which started in 1965 when UL was still known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Wiggs is known for his unique brand of abstraction based on keen observations of the natural world. He retired in 1987, the same year he discovered the ninth all-space-filling polyhedron he named the "Twist Octahedron."
September 6 – October 7 | "Enigmas & Entanglements" an exhibition by Denise Verret | NUNU Art Collective
The "Enigmas & Entanglements" exhibition by Denise Verret will be in the main gallery at the NUNU Collective from September 6 to October 27 for the bimonthly 2nd Friday Art and Stroll. The artists’ reception will occur on Friday, September 13, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The exhibition is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; visits can also be scheduled by appointment. Guided tours are also available.
Ongoing Events
September 5 (Recurring monthly on the 1st Thursday) | Women's French Rosary | Begnaud House in Scott
Rosary will be held at 10 a.m. every first Thursday of the month.
September 7 (Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday) | Indigenous Heritage Table | NuNu Arts & Culture Collective
We are connecting tribes one table at a time. Together, we share and learn about indigenous heritage. Hosted by Clovis "Joe" Billiot, Debra Cooper Billiot, and Biloxi-Chitimacha (Tribal Member).
September 13 (Recurring monthly on the 2nd Friday) | French Table | Valsin Broussard House
Practice your French at the historic home of Valsin Broussard, founder of the City of Broussard. Whether you speak French fluently or hardly know a word, there is a seat for you at our French table.
September 14 (Recurring monthly on the 2nd Saturday) | Second Saturday ArtWalk | Downtown Lafayette
The monthly event features exhibits, live music, theatrical performances, and immersive art experiences in Downtown Lafayette's shops, galleries, museums, and streets.
September 14 (Recurring second Saturday of the month) | La Tab Kreyol | NUNU Arts Collective
Join Herbert Wiltz every second Saturday of the month from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for an immersive Creole practice session. Whether you're a seasoned speaker or just starting out, this is a fantastic opportunity to practice speaking Creole in a supportive environment, learn new vocabulary and expressions from a knowledgeable native speaker, gain insights into Creole culture and traditions, connect with other like-minded individuals, and share your passion for the language.