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Once known as the Attakapas Parish, after the indigenous people who called this place home, St. Martin Parish was founded in 1811, a half-century after Acadian exiles, originally from Nova Scotia, began settling the region. Located on the Bayou Teche, St. Martinville, the parish seat and one of Louisiana’s oldest towns, is generally considered the birthplace of Cajun culture. Founded in 1765 by exiled French-Canadians, St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church dominates the downtown square. Nearby stands the Museum of the Acadian Memorial, home of the Wall of Names of 3,000 Acadian refugees; the African American Museum; and the Evangeline Oak, once one of the most photographed trees in the world. Just up the Bayou Teche, in Breaux Bridge, the “Crawfish Capital of the World,” locals and tourists fill downtown’s antique stores, Cajun restaurants, and dance floors. Situated on the Atchafalaya Basin levee, the town of Henderson offers freshwater fishing (bass and sac-au-lait reign supreme) and plenty of Cajun cooking. Located close to Breaux Bridge, Lake Martin is one of the area’s best nature stops. Walk along the boardwalk or rent a kayak and paddle around this wildlife preserve, waterfowl rookery, and cypress-and alligator-filled swamp.
Lafayette's blog showcasing the food, music, culture and history at the heart of Cajun & Creole Country.
See All PostsA weekly curated playlist by local musician Philippe Billeaudeaux featuring music by Lafayette, LA musicians with a weekly rundown of live music happening in and around the area…
Cajun music is a central component and marker of Cajun identity and culture in southwestern Louisiana. Largely accordion and fiddle-based and primarily sung in vernacular French…
A relatively recent invention, the bellows-driven, vibrating reed squeezebox known as the accordion, was first manufactured in Germany and later in Russia in the 1820s. It is…
If you're looking to spend some time in the heart of Louisiana's Cajun and Creole Country and want to know what events are happening, you're in the right place!…
The city of Lafayette, LA is located in the center of Lafayette Parish at the intersection of I-10 and I-49 between New Orleans and Houston and only 35 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.
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