New Year’s Celebrations in Lafayette

Geno Delafose

    In South Louisiana, we know how to party so you can imagine that the New Year is brought in with a bang. Here are a few celebrations occurring this year in Lafayette and the surrounding areas.
    Zydeco extraordinaire Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie tears up the Vermilionville Performance Center on New Year’s Eve (Monday, Dec. 31, 2012) beginning at 9:30 p.m. and continuing to 12:30 a.m. at Vermilionville in Lafayette. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 and available in Vermilionville’s Gift Shop by calling (337) 233-4077.
    Grammy Award winner David Eagan performs for the New Year’s Eve crowd at Charley G’s restaurant, where a set menu and four different rounds of dinner seating will be offered. Booths in the bar are part of the reserved seating but the bar top is available on a first come, first served basis. For more information, visit http://www.charleygs.com.
    The Performing Arts Society of Acadiana (PASA) is hosting a New Year's Eve event from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31, at 721 E. Kaliste Saloom Road. There will be live music by Krossfyre, food provided by local restaurants, complimentary wine, beer and frozen cosmos and a champagne toast at midnight. Cost is $100 per person. For information, call (337) 237-2787.
    Get your dancing shoes on and head over to McGee’s Landing in Henderson, about 20 minutes outside of Lafayette, for its New Year’s Eve Bash with Cajun music by Ryan Brunet, Christine Balfa and Al Berard. The music — and dancing — starts at 7 p.m. The cover charge is $10 and there will be lots of champagne.
    La Poussiere, a traditional Cajun dancehall in Breaux Bridge, presents its annual New Year's Eve Bash with Jackie Caillier, Ivy Dugas and the Cajun Cousins with special guest musicians. Tickets are $15 in advance (by Saturday, Dec. 29) and will be $20 at the door.
    New Year’s doesn’t have to mean leaving the kids at home. The Children’s Museum of Acadiana offers a New Year’s Noon Countdown & Carnival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 31 at the museum in downtown Lafayette. The cost is $6 per person and includes exhibits, confetti, cannons and prize drops. For more information, call (337) 232-8500 or visit www.cmalaf.org.

David Eagn