{"id":4891,"date":"2013-06-06T23:48:43","date_gmt":"2013-06-06T23:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/?p=4891"},"modified":"2026-02-22T00:52:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T00:52:11","slug":"lafayette-heart-of-cajun-country-so-much-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/lafayette-heart-of-cajun-country-so-much-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Lafayette \u2014 Heart of Cajun Country & so much more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lafayette, the heart of Cajun Country in South Louisiana, has been buzzing for several years now. Known for its vibrant Cajun and zydeco music, the town\u2019s musicians have garnered international nods and raked up a few Grammys. Its culinary scene, once strictly a Cajun food mecca, has expanded and evolved, one of the reasons Lafayette was named \u201cBest for Food\u201d by Rand McNally\u2019s 2011 \u201cBest of the Road\u201d contest and the 2012 \u201cTastiest Town in the South\u201d by Southern Living magazine.<\/p>\n

\"Boiled<\/a>
Boiled crawfish with corn – a favorite Cajun dish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Lafayette Utilities System installed a citywide fiber optics service that\u2019s been making headlines everywhere, attracting national companies and film professionals \u2014\u00a0Harry Potter\u2019s 3-D effects were created here. And this past year Lafayette was named best in job growth and low unemployment and one of 20 finalists in the Mayor\u2019s Challenge by Blumberg Philanthropies, picked from more than 300 cities nationwide.<\/p>\n

Ask people who live in Lafayette, however, and they\u2019ll tell you it\u2019s the people who make it so special. Lafayette is rich in culture, history, food and fun and all of that stems from its residents. Here people work hard but at the end of the day love to eat good food, listen to great music and dance the night away. Or as they say in Cajun Country, \u201cpass a good time\u201d or \u201claissez les bon temps roullez\u201d or \u201clet the good times roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re headed to Lafayette, be sure and bring your dance shoes. On any given night live music can be found in a variety of styles at a host of music venues, from roots rock at the Blue Moon Saloon and Guest House to traditional Cajun and zydeco at restaurants with dance floors, such as Randol\u2019s. There\u2019s even a week of music classes, jam sessions and culinary instruction at the annual spring Dewey\u00a0Balfa\u00a0Cajun\u00a0and\u00a0Creole\u00a0Heritage\u00a0Week, for those who want to learn everything there is to know about Cajun and Creole culture \u2014 and join in the fun.<\/p>\n

\"Blue<\/a>
Blue Moon Saloon – credit Blue Moon Saloon & Guest House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every spring and fall Lafayette is home to world-renown festivals and free concert series are held in \u201cparcs\u201d in downtown Lafayette. Festival International de Louisiane takes over downtown streets with several stages of music, arts and crafts and of course that delectable cuisine on the last weekend of April. It\u2019s one of the world\u2019s largest free outdoor music events, bringing in musicians from all over the Francophone world. In October, Festivals Acadiens et Cr\u00e8oles<\/i> offers both traditional and modern Cajun and zydeco music on several stages in Girard Park, along with Louisiana crafts, food and cultural lectures. Lafayette Mardi Gras celebrations range from the family-friendly parades and balls in town to the unique rural Courir de Mardi Gras<\/i> celebrations, where participants ride horseback begging for ingredients to a gumbo. The annual courirs<\/i> hail back to medieval times.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The accordion is one of the main instruments used in zydeco music<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lafayette\u2019s historic sites explain area history of Cajun and Creole settlers, who created an American heritage like no other. Visitors may stroll back in time at Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park, and the historic Acadian Village. Both sites offer live music and special events year-round.<\/p>\n

Attractions include the Zoo of Acadiana, the Children\u2019s Museum of Acadiana, the Lafayette Science Museum and plenty of outdoors activities, from hunting and fishing to biking along established trails and canoeing and kayaking in nearby bayous and Lake Martin. There are several state parks nearby, including Lake Fausse Point, the Louisiana Arboretum, Chicot State Park and St. Martinville\u2019s Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site. All are fun destinations for those touring or sightseeing.<\/p>\n

\"Louisiana<\/a>
Louisiana Bayou – Lake Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And because the Cajun culture is still vibrant in Lafayette and surrounding areas, it\u2019s possible to hear French being spoken. There are weekly French tables throughout \u201cAcadiana\u201d where people gather for conversation and community and visitors are always welcome. And for those who want to bring their instruments, there are numerous jam sessions held monthly in the area as well, from the monthly Second Saturday ArtWalk to regular sessions at the Scott Welcome Center. Age is never a consideration, not is the ability to sing in French.<\/p>\n

Lafayette lies about two hours west of New Orleans and just south of Interstate 10. Known as \u201ccoastal South,\u201d the weather is often hot and humid in the summer but fall and spring are gorgeous times to visit, with flowers blooming for months. Winters are practically non-existent. Because it\u2019s almost a subtropical zone, rain showers are likely throughout most of the year, sometimes violent. Be prepared for sunshine one minute and thunderclaps the next.<\/p>\n

If you are interested in visiting southern states, check out our Charleston Vacation Packages<\/a> and start planning your next vacation!<\/p>\n

Cher\u00e9 Coen is a Lafayette, La., travel writer and author, but a native of New Orleans. Her latest book is “Exploring Cajun Country: A Tour of Historic Acadiana.” Follow her at WeirdSouth.blogspot.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lafayette, the heart of Cajun Country in South Louisiana, has been buzzing for several years now. Known for its vibrant Cajun and zydeco music, the town\u2019s musicians have garnered international nods and raked up a few Grammys. Its culinary scene, once strictly a Cajun food mecca, has expanded and evolved, one of the reasons Lafayette […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_s2mail":"yes","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,55,9,1],"tags":[104,103,58,59,105],"class_list":["post-4891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-charleston","category-deep-south","category-travel-tips","category-uncategorized","tag-cajun-country","tag-lafayette","tag-louisiana","tag-new-orleans","tag-zydeco"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"California Tours","author_link":"http:\/\/Weirdsouth.blogspot.com"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Lafayette, the heart of Cajun Country in South Louisiana, has been buzzing for several years now. Known for its vibrant Cajun and zydeco music, the town\u2019s musicians have garnered international nods and raked up a few Grammys. Its culinary scene, once strictly a Cajun food mecca, has expanded and evolved, one of the reasons Lafayette…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4891"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5008,"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4891\/revisions\/5008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.california-tour.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}