Swamp Tours
The perfect way to view all the outdoor bounty Lafayette and the surrounding areas have is to take a swamp tour. Glide through cypress trees while keeping an eye out for various wildlife and alligators while learning about the swamps and bayous of Cajun Country from a local boat captain. There are typically two types of swamp tours. The first is the exciting airboat tour that travels at high speeds through the swamps and bayous. The second is the more leisurely boat tour that can hold more people for larger groups. Whether you're looking for high paces adventure or a casual boat ride through the bayou, one of our members below can create the perfect outdoor experience.
Boiling & Peeling Crawfish
Crawfish, also known as crayfish, crawdads or mudbugs to some visitors, are freshwater crustaceans found in the swamps and marshes of south Louisiana. Crawfish have become as much a staple of Cajun & Creole culinary culture as the accordion or fiddle is to our music. The crawfish season differs from year to year depending on the weather conditions, but the true season typically lasts from January to June with March, April and May being the peak months. With such a short season it's no wonder people wait in anticipation all year long for when their favorite crawfish spot opens up.
Avery Island, Louisiana TABASCO Tour
Ever wonder what it would be like to visit Avery Island, Louisiana the home of TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce? Well, Avery Island, Louisiana is a place where doing things slowly ensures doing them right. From the unique feel of the South Louisiana marshes and bayous to the nature preserve inhabited by indigenous plants and animals, Avery Island is TABASCO® homegrown goodness at its finest. When you are ready for the hot stuff, you can go back in time and visit our history museum and then go through the process: experience the plants growing in our greenhouse; barrels of mash aging in our warehouse, the smell of sauce in our blending vats, view the bottling and learn about distribution. Other fun displays: Learn more about Avery Island and our conservation efforts, feel like your down in the salt mine in our salt mine display, shop in our Country Store, eat in our restaurant "1868" and explore Avery Island's Jungle Gardens. A full day of fun!
Festival International de Louisiane
Lafayette, LA's annual Festival International de Louisiane provides the ideal opportunity to discover what makes Lafayette, LA so unique. Festival International de Louisiane is the largest non-ticketed outdoor Francophone festival in the country celebrating the connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world. Hundreds of performing and visual artists from 15 countries, along with Lafayette, LA's own artists, residents and visitors, converge on seven stages across Downtown Lafayette, LA for five days of world music.
Wayne Toups Musical Performance
Wayne Toups was born in Crowley, Louisiana. He first picked up an accordion when he was 13 and quickly began winning local accordion contests. He has combined Cajun music, zydeco, R&B, and rock into a genre he calls Zydecajun. He sings in both English and French and is one of the most commercially successful American Cajun singers.
Jungle Gardens at Avery Island
Avery Island's 170-acre Jungle Gardens is a botanical treasure containing South Louisiana marshes and bayous that are inhabited by indigenous wildlife. Jungle Gardens was created by Edward McIlhenny, the son of TABASCO® founder Edmund McIlhenny and Mary Eliza Avery. Growing up on his family’s 2,200-acre estate, Edward fell in love with the natural setting of Avery Island. Around 1895 at the age of 23, he founded a private bird sanctuary on the property and hand-raised several nearly extinct snowy egrets. By 1911, Ned estimated that 100,000 birds were nesting there. His conservation efforts earned the attention of former President Teddy Roosevelt, who visited Avery Island in 1915.
Mardi Gras
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 and costumes; various styles of king cakes; as well as extravagant Mardi Gras balls complete with a king and queen. Click the image to the right for the 2019 schedule of events or view the listings below.