As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's life and legacy this week, I would like to honor the racially defying artists that made South Louisiana a mecca for unique American music. Rhythm and blues and rock and roll had a big part in the civil rights movement, and our local artists had their role in

Most people think of Mardi Gras as our season of merriment before Lent. Still, many of our traditions, such as the sweet and decorative king cake, actually begin with Christmas. King cakes date back to 12th century France when a cake was baked on the eve of Jan. 6 with a small token hidden inside.

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

Although most Mardi Gras events have been canceled due to the recent peak in covid-19 cases, folks in Lafayette are still finding ways to celebrate. Whether it’s at home or at regulated outdoor venues, there is plenty of great Louisiana music to catch this week. Lost Bayou Rambler founder and singer

Mardi Gras season is upon us now that we’re in the new year. While we traditionally take down Christmas decorations on 12th night, we also put up our purple, green, and gold. Although this year’s carnival will be different due to COVID restrictions, the spirit in Lafayette is still alive. There’s

There probably will never be a more welcomed new year in our lifetime than 2021. Live music is often a big part of closing out the holiday season, and there are options to enjoy some local sounds in person, or virtually this New Year’s Eve. Rock n’ Bowl de Lafayette has been consistent with

Unlike most years, the amount of music to catch this week in Lafayette is limited. That being said, you'll still have the opportunity to hear some holiday favorites and locally rooted sounds during this Christmas holiday. Lafayette based crooner Marco Savvy will perform a set of spirited standards a

There's quite a bit of music to catch this week in Lafayette. The Blue Monday Mission returns to their new location, The Grouse Room, on Monday night. The live music venue will be hosting concerts in their courtyard while COVID-19 regulations are in place. Lafayette based pop group, The Good Dudes

Lafayette is a foodie town without pretension. Even James Beard recognized chefs serve up incredible dishes at reasonable prices. There are plenty of opportunities to taste your way through the world-famous culinary specialties of Cajun Country without breaking the budget. Dwight's Image courtesy

These days capturing the perfect photo for your Instagram feed is almost a necessity. Whether you're from Lafayette or just visiting, many places in the area serve as the perfect backdrop! We have gathered some "hidden" and not-so-hidden spots that will surely take your Insta-game to the next level!

While we're still navigating how to live in the midst of rising COVID cases, Lafayette has been creative in ways to enjoy live music. The Acadiana Center for the Arts is presenting their Socially Distanced Concert series kickoff with local soul songster Ray Boudreaux along with special guests Julian

It’s starting to feel like Christmas in Acadiana now that Thanksgiving’s over and the cold weather moving in. As per holiday tradition, Downtown Alive will host the lighting of the tree at Parc Sans Souci. Zydeco multi-instrumentalist Curley Taylor will provide the soundtrack to the Friday evening

In the last 15 years, Louisiana has acquired the nickname "Hollywood South" thanks to early 2000s

There's plenty of great local music to catch this week in the Hub City, with some of the biggest names from Our area scheduled to play. Grammy winning fiddler Michael Doucet will be featured for Café Vermilionville’s Courtyard Concert Series Wednesday evening. Doucet will be accompanied by

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. We in Louisiana are natural-born brunchers. We essentially invented its modern form. Lafayette

You can go ahead and tell the kids that Santa Claus is real. According to the History channel, St. Nicholas was an actual person—a Turkish monk in the year 280 AD, known as the patron saint of children. Over the millennia, various cultures and countries have created their versions of the man in red.

The Blue Monday jam session returns this week at the newly opened Grouse Room on Jefferson Street. Veterans of the Acadiana roots scene will gather for the first time in months to riff on standards and invite young players to the stage for the popular fundraising concert series. Accordion driven

Like so many festivals and concert series this year, Blackpot Festival will broadcast a virtual program online. The annual cook-off and music gathering will feature many of their regular artists such as zydeco legend Preston Frank, Tejano ambassadors Los Texmaniacs, and host band The Revelers.

If you’re looking for music to compliment your Halloween experience, there’s plenty to choose from. Accordion queen Sheryl Cormier will provide some classic Cajun sounds at the Hideaway while classic rock cover band La Roxx will take over the new Grouse Room located downtown. The Blue Moon and

There are several options to enjoy live music in person or virtually this week in Lafayette. Local rock n' roll duo Sick Ride team up with funk and neo-soulsters Sailor Mouth for a double bill at the Grouse Room Thursday night. The former River Ranch venue recently opened its doors at their new home

Lafayette is a buzzing city perched on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana's Cajun and Creole cultural hub boasts a lively and vibrant ambiance. In recent years, foodies and culinary travelers will have picked up on the buzz around Lafayette. New Orleans has long been lauded for its food

Due to Hurricane Delta, Festivals Acadiens et Creoles rescheduled their first-ever online event. The virtual edition of the festival will now take place on October 16 through Sunday, October 18. Their lineup and schedule will remain the same as it was originally set. Cafe Vermilionville will host

In the late 1700s, South Louisiana was a melting pot of cultures where families, friends, travelers, and neighbors gathered around the table at mealtime. Cajun culture today still revolves around food, family, and joie de vivre—a joy of life. Many of the area’s most popular restaurants have been

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Throughout the U.S., you'll find a sandwich tied to just about every region of the country. The

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Man, it’s hot. Of course it’s hot. It’s summer in Louisiana. And that means time for iced cold

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. As the sun begins its early rise one Saturday morning, I find myself at Moncus Park under a

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Louisiana has some pretty unique laws pertaining to its food industry. Heck, there's even a

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. The world-famous hot sauce comes with an incredible story. Pay a visit to Avery Island to walk

While Festivals Acadiens et Creoles will be virtual this weekend, the Hideaway on Lee will be providing a space for several legends of our local music scene to perform. The new venue will host bayou blues and swamp pop stars Major Handy and Warren Storm on Thursday. The Cajun accordion prodigy

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Who haunts the houses and buildings of Acadiana, a region rich in culture and history? Those who

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Sometimes a change of scenery is exactly what you need to get your creative juices flowing.

Like so many of our live music events this year, Downtown Alive! will present its fall season on the web. This year’s series of virtual concerts put the spotlight on many of our area’s up and coming performers like zydeco accordionist Rusty Metoyer, dance favorites the Daiquiri Queens, and DG and

It takes more than just talent to survive in today's ever-changing music industry. In a time of declining physical record sales, and now a pandemic, musicians must be creative with their output to stay afloat. Many players have turned to live stream performances as a means to play for their fans.

Since 1977, Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has been simultaneously educating and entertaining local and visiting audiences. The fall gathering started when the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission decided to have Louisiana Native Crafts Festival, the Tribute to Cajun Music, and Bayou Food

We sat down with Lori & Richard Hurst with Riverside Inn to find out where they like to eat when not cooking up delicious seafood and steaks. Watch the video below or check out the abbreviated answers below for a quick read. Favorite place to eat breakfast? Hub City Diner – Stack of pancakes or

So many of our acclaimed roots players in South Louisiana have famously cross-pollinated with each other in different musical styles. R&B hitmaker Cupid has collaborated with modern zydeco star Chris Ardoin, and country icon Sammy Kershaw recently released a collection of duets with some of the

Lafayette Parish is home to 37 sites on the National Register of Historic Places Acadiana has a long and profound history. The area was founded in 1755 from French-Canadian exiles seeking religious and cultural freedom. At the time, South Louisiana was Spanish Territory. The Spanish Trail ran right

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Downtown Lafayette is the heart of the city and walking through its lively streets you’ll feel the

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. We all know the importance of the family vacations and romantic getaways with your partner, but

Many of the most beloved songs in our South Louisiana soundtrack were written and recorded in Lake Charles. The Louisiana/Texas border town and its surrounding areas suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Laura last week and are now in the process of reconstruction. Phil Phillips took his "Sea

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. An alternative to hotel and motels, B&Bs offer accommodations ranging from romantic getaways and

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. There is nothing outside to tell you that you are at a landmark. No sign that says “This is the

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Lafayette is a foodie town, dishing out authentic cuisine with plenty of flavor and without

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Everyone knows about the regular happy hour specials. Things like 2-for-1 margaritas, cheap beers,

As Louisiana moves through its phased reopening of businesses, please check with restaurants, stores, and attractions for information on openings, capacity, and available amenities before making plans. Cajun Country is world-famous when it comes to food. While we’re known for savory specialties like

We sat down with Clair Burton from CENTRAL to find out where she likes to eat when she's not serving up delicious pizza. Watch the video below or check out the abbreviated answers below for a quick read. Favorite place to eat breakfast? Dwyers Café – Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich with

2020 has been full of unpleasant surprises, and the year isn't over just yet. Acadiana is preparing for a first-time scenario: back-to-back tropical storms. The duo will hit the Louisiana coast early this week with Hurricane Marco winning the race Monday evening. There will be music in the wake of

For more than 35 years, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra has shared its passion for music through world-class live performances. They have stood the test of time in this community, through moments of celebration and moments of despair. Earlier this year, they announced our 36th season - ASO36 REVIVAL

Steve Riley has been one of Cajun music's most acclaimed accordionists and bandleaders. He's also been one of the genre's great teachers. He famously produced Feufollet in their early years and was a mentor to the group's pre-teen members. His latest project is the Riley Family Band, featuring his

We sat down with Jeremy Conner with Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant to find out where he likes to eat when he’s not serving up delicious burritos, seafood, and hamburgers at Spoonbill. Watch the video below or check out the abbreviated answers below for a quick read. Favorite place to eat