Festivals

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles 2025 lineup revealed, Cajun star Zachary Richard to open

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Updated Aug 4, 2025

Lafayette, it's time to start getting ready for fall festival season. Festivals Acadiens et Créoles released its 2025 lineup today, with musicians ranging from legends like Zachary Richard and…

Celebrate 2025 Pride Month in Lafayette with a parade, film festival and more

BY JA'KORI MADISON | Staff writer
Jun 2, 2025

Lafayette is celebrating Pride Month with festivities throughout the month, including it's annual downtown parade and a block party.

Festival International de Louisiane wraps up another extraordinary year

BY KRIS WARTELLE | Contributing writer
May 7, 2025

This year’s Festival International was a hard one to top. The crowds were great. The music was excellent. And the weather cooperated, at least for the weekend of the festival, bringing lots of…

More than crawfish: Cajun culture on display at Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
May 5, 2025

If you're in love with all things Cajun, Breaux Bridge was the place to be this weekend. From crawfish eating contests to zydeco dance-offs, many of Acadiana's most beloved pastimes were on di…

'This feels like home': Moroccan band electrifies second night of Festival International

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Apr 25, 2025

In Yallah Yallah's Festival International debut, the Moroccan and Middle Eastern '80s pop throwback band had the crowd jumping, dancing and singing.

Photos: Lao New Year festival 2025 celebrated in Broussard

By Lee Ball
Apr 21, 2025

Aspiring writers, story lovers get ready for Books Along the Teche in New Iberia

BY JA'KORI MADISON | Staff writer
Apr 1, 2025

Take a deep dive into the world literature and fictional character, Dave Robicheauz's hometown during the annual Books Along the Teche Literary Festival.

Lafayette's Holi Festival moved because of threat of storms. See when, where it will take place.

Staff report
Mar 27, 2025

Lafayette's Festival of Colors will have to wait one more day — the Holi Festival has been moved to 11 a.m. Sunday but the events will still take place at Girard Park in Lafayette.

Festival International schedule out as Lafayette prepares to welcome global bands, visitors

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Updated Mar 10, 2025

About five weeks from now, thousands of people will gather in Lafayette for one of Louisiana's most anticipated festival weekends.

Lineup for Festival International 2025 features experimental Ukrainian band, more top acts

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Feb 17, 2025

In 65 days, Lafayette will host performers from around the world in a global celebration of international Francophone and Louisiana culture.

Festival International art showcases a unique Lafayette experience, from a new perspective

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Feb 17, 2025

As Russell Cormier and Home Grown Reggae jammed on stage at Warehouse 535, hundreds of fans of Lafayette's Festival International gathered with eager anticipation to see the reveal of the offi…

Cajun-Celtic connection? Weekend events in Lafayette celebrate area ties to northern France

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Oct 17, 2024

Halloween is coming up, and this weekend Acadiana residents will have the opportunity to celebrate one of the most-anticipated fall holidays in a way that honors the region's French roots — sp…

Sons, daughters of Acadiana music legends play Festivals Acadiens et Créoles kick-off concert

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Oct 12, 2024

As spectators gathered Friday night for the start of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in Lafayette, a sense of anticipation filled the air.

'It's Lafayette's backyard party': Remembering 50 years of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Oct 8, 2024

Fifty years ago, residents of southwest Louisiana had a slightly different relationship with the region's traditional Cajun and Creole music.

Plan your festival food: Here's what to expect, eat at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Oct 7, 2024

Festival food is already pretty hard to beat, and it's even better in the heart of Cajun and Creole country, surrounded by thousands of people who love music, dancing, and of course, excellent food.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month in Acadiana with the 2024 Latin Music Festival

BY JA'KORI MADISON | Staff writer
Sep 18, 2024

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with food, arts, and music at the 2024 Latin Music Festival in Downtown Lafayette.

2024 Festivals Acadiens et Créoles poster highlights musicians past and present

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Sep 15, 2024

When artist Megan Barra first started attending what is now Acadiana's largest Cajun and Creole music festival, she was just a kid from Lafayette who was a fan of Cajun music.

50th anniversary Festivals Acadiens et Créoles poster reveal at Lafayette art walk Saturday

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Sep 12, 2024

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is just around the corner, and this Saturday the official 2024 festival pin and poster will be revealed at the Acadiana Center for the Arts Second Saturday Art Wa…

Mark your calendars: With cooler temps on the way, Acadiana's fall festival season is here

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Sep 3, 2024

Louisiana is known for its busy festival schedule, with communities across the state celebrating everything from bourbon to bigfoot (in Baton Rouge and Natchitoches, respectively).

This Louisiana Zydeco festival started with three bands in a soybean field

BY HERMAN FUSELIER | Columnist
Aug 21, 2024

Before 1982, the words “zydeco” and “festival” were never used in the same sentence. The Creole accordion dance music had already migrated from the rural house dances of southwest Louisiana to…

'We're celebrating a way of life': In this South Louisiana town, it's all about the shrimp

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Aug 19, 2024

Inside the event hall at the Delcambre Shrimp Festival, banners honoring former festival queens hang from the ceiling.

A teacher said he wouldn't make it in music. The Zydeco artist now plays with Rolling Stones, Beyonce.

BY HERMAN FUSELIER | Columnist
May 8, 2024

Dwayne Dopsie grew uneasy when a call arrived from Quint Davis, producer of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Dopsie feared something went wrong with his May 5 Jazz Fest date.

This Lafayette-born musician is lending 'zydeco feel' to Rolling Stones set at Jazz Fest

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON | Staff writer
May 2, 2024

Zydeco accordionist and Lafayette native Dwayne Dopsie posted a picture on social media Wednesday of himself with singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Ronnie Wood backstage at the main stage at th…

Rain Angels help spread good vibes and sunshine for Festival International de Louisiane

BY KRIS WARTELLE | Contributing writer
May 2, 2024

Festival International de Louisiane 2024 is one for the books now that it has wrapped up another mega successful year.

'Food rescue team' transports Festival International meals to community fridges

BY MEGAN WYATT | Staff writer
Apr 27, 2024

If nothing else, you can expect to leave Festival International de Louisiane with a belly full of the region's finest cuisine.

New Iberia festival brings founding families together to celebrate area's Spanish roots

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Apr 24, 2024

Last weekend the streets of downtown New Iberia filled with paella, flamenco dresses and sangria, with members of the community’s founding Spanish families parading down Main Street. In shinin…

Festival International a homecoming for this 'psychedelic swamp soul' artist

BY HERMAN FUSELIER | Columnist
Apr 24, 2024

Few children have memories of hanging backstage with rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Fats Domino, or David Hidalgo of Los Lobos visiting in the family’s living room. But such is life when your father is…

Here's what you need to know to celebrate Lao New Year in Acadiana

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Mar 27, 2024

Did you know that Acadiana is home to an authentic Laotian New Year festival?