3 Days of Bayou Beats and Cajun Treats: Festivals Acadiens et Créoles

During the second full weekend in October, you can enjoy toe-tapping, swing-you-around music and sample delicious Cajun food like Boudin, Cracklins, po-boys, etouffee, and chargrilled oysters at the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles. For over 40 years, this free festival in Girard Park in Lafayette has allowed locals and visitors to experience three days of nonstop music, dancing, food, crafts, and a genuine Cajun and Creole experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Here is everything you need to know to make the most of your visit to the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles History

The Festivals Acadiens et Créoles combined three festivals in 1977: the Louisiana Native Crafts Festival (1972), the Cajun Music Concert (1976), and the Bayou Food Festival in Girard Park. This year, 2024, is the 50th anniversary of the first Cajun concert, showcasing songs from the Balta Brothers, Nathan Abshire, Dennis McGee, Marc Savoy, the Ardoin Family, and Clifton Chenier. When I visited the festival, I watched Corey Ledet Sydeco perform a tribute to Clifton Chenier.

This festival celebrates Cajun and Creole culture through food, music, and art in Girard Park, Lafayette. You can try exciting new dishes, enjoy your favorite ones, listen to Cajun and Zydeco bands on multiple stages, and browse the crafts fair. The festival also has a 5K and 10K run. There is paid parking nearby on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus and several free parking lots around the park on a first-come basis. Expect large crowds during the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.

Cyprus Island

After being picked up at the airport, we were a little early for the festival, so we took a quick detour to the University of Lafayette. This is a lovely campus with beautiful architecture and a spectacular nature area, Cyprus Lake, in the middle of the campus. I was drawn to Cyprus Lake, which is next to the library. The sun shone between the Cyprus trees, showcasing their reflections on the calm water. You can clearly see the fish swimming below. The highlight for me was seeing the alligators sunning themselves on a wooden raft platform in the middle of the lake.

Opening Ceremony – Official Cutting of the Boudin

Walking onto the festival grounds at Girad Park before the official opening was interesting. Everyone was bustling around, finishing last-minute preparations for the crowds. What I found fascinating was that people were saving entire areas with sofas. This was hilarious, as I remember going to the Algonac Pickerel Tournament for the fireworks and trying to find a spot of open grass that blankets or lawn chairs hadn’t taken up. In Lafayette, they go big by leaving their sofa to sit on the entire weekend.

The opening ceremony is hard to see if you are not right at the front of the stage when they bring out the Boudin. I was standing over to the side of the table and had to raise my camera above the head of the person in front to get this photo. All the Lafayette leaders stand behind the table, stretching out the Boudin before it is cut. Then, it is passed out to everyone. I was apprehensive about trying it, but I am glad I did. Boudin’s texture is similar to the Polish Golumpki, sausage mixed with rice, but more flavorful and spicy. If you don’t make it to the front to get a sample, plenty of booths around the festival offer Boudin for you to munch on.

Music & Events

Music down south is as unique as the people and places it emanates from. And in Louisiana, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find groups of people playing music wherever people gather, even at the farmer’s market. Talking to plenty of people in Lafayette, they all mention that they grew up with music. At family gatherings/dinners, they would bring their instruments and start playing to the wee hours of the night. Hearing all these stories from locals, it is no wonder that Zydeco music was born in the southwest of Louisana. Zydeco music blends blues, rhythm, and blues, and music native to the Louisiana Creoles and the people of Louisiana.

When the musicians strap on their instruments, people gather in front of the stage. I love going to concerts and listening to new music, so when they started to play, my toes started to tap, and I might have even started to sway a bit. However, nothing surprised me more than seeing how much crowd participation there is at this festival.

Of course, there were plenty of people hanging out in the back, watching from their lawn chairs, but what was fascinating was all the couples dancing energetically in the front. I have never been to a concert and seen this lively display of couples dancing to the music. It was honestly hard not to watch them swing each other around, and I wish I had someone to twirl me around like that.

Something not to miss is the discussions with the artists. If you love music, make some time to take a closer look behind the scenes at what makes Louisiana music so special. I listened to Women Bandleaders in Cajun & Zydeco Music with Kristi Guillory, Sheryl Cormier, Christine Balfa, and Donna Angelle. Hearing them share stories about how they got into music at eight, picked up instruments at the family meals with spontaneous jam sessions, and started their bands was fascinating. Later that night, we got to see a few of them perform. The ladies of Bonsoir, Catin are very talented.

Bayou Food Festival

The Bayou Food Festival at the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is a must-attend event. As a newbie to Cajun and Creole food, I hesitated to try it because of my sensitivity to spicy food. However, as a frequent traveler, I know that trying new foods is important to expanding one’s tastes. And I shouldn’t have been surprised to find out it isn’t as spicy as I thought. After picking up a glass of the Festival Vodka Punch (Stoli Blueberry Vodka with Lemonade), I sampled many festival offerings, from Grilled Oysters with Garlic and Parmesan to Shrimp and Tasso (smoked pork) Pasta. All I can say is Yum!

Culture Sur La Table

Another great event at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is the food demonstrations. When I visited the festival, Chef Colt Patin, Kevin Foil of the Louisiana Culinary Institute, and other chefs shared their culinary secrets for Cajun and Creole cooking. And as in other great food demonstrations, we could try the food. We even tried the previous fried chicken and boudin demonstration before learning to make Cajun Jambalaya.

Louisiana Crafts Fair

Last but not least is the Louisiana Crafts Fair at the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles. You can see Louisiana culture front and center walking around the tented booths. Besides admiring the excellent craftsmanship of the artists, we learned all about Le Rougarou. This Cajun folklore was present in quite a few craft booths. What is your favorite type of craft that you can’t help to buy when attending festivals?

Summary

Lafayette puts on a fabulous festival, and I’m so glad I got to experience the food, crafts, and music. And yes, I did do a little dancing while I was there. The Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has everything you would want for a fall festival: great drinks, delicious foods, beautiful crafts, and excellent music to dance the night away. What a fabulous way to immerse yourself in learning all about Cajun and Creole culture. Have you been to Lafayette? Have you experienced the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles? Let me know in the comments about your time living it up in Cajun country.

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