Fall means endless fun at food festivals!

    When fall arrives in South Louisiana, it has the same effect as spring in most parts of the country. Suddenly, everyone appears to be in love, residents flock to fall festivals and thoughts turn — naturally — to the prospects of good eating.
    Louisiana hosts more than 100 festivals a year, many of them revolving around food. Couple that with the harvests of many crops and you have outstanding fall festivals!

    Here’s a taste — pun intended — of some fall festivals featuring food in Acadiana:
    The St. Martinville Kiwanis Club Annual Pepper Festival has expanded to two days and will offer live bands, a pepper eating contest, a street fair, arts and crafts and food vendors Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15, 2012, at the St. Martinville City Fairgrounds. 
  Festival del Taco will be Saturday, Sept 15, 2012, at the Farmer's Market Pavilion in Le Vieux Village of Opelousas, just a short drive from Lafayette.
    Come explore the sweet side of our state at the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival which celebrates one of Louisiana's largest crops. The fun will be Sept. 26-30, 2012, in New Iberia. 
    Latin Music Festival will include food and activities in its musical lineup from noon to midnight Saturday, Oct 6, 2012, in downtown Lafayette.
    Festivals Acadiens et Creole combines music, food and culture in Girard Park of Lafayette Friday through Sunday, Oct. 12-14, 2012.
    The International Rice Festival celebrates one of South Louisiana’s major crops Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 18-21, 2012, in nearby Crowley.

     The Boudin Cookoff celebrates one of Lafayette’s traditional foods on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Parc San Souci of downtown Lafayette. Come help pick the best boudin!
     Folks come from all over the country to attend the South Louisiana Black Pot Festival and Cookoff, to be held Oct. 26 and 27 in Acadian Village. Camp out, join in the cooking and jam sessions or just visit for the food, fun and dancing. 
    The Acadiana Wine and Food Festival, a fundraiser for the Paul & Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum of Lafayette, will take place from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, on the grounds of the museum.
    Food Day Acadiana 2012, honoring local farmers, artisans and restaurants, will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, at the Heymann Memorial Park off South College Road in Lafayette. 
    Nearby Rayne is known as the Frog Capital of the World for its shipping of native bullfrogs to the nation’s finest French restaurants. The Rayne Frog Festival honors this history Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 7-11, 2012. 
    For a complete list of Louisiana festivals, visit Louisiana Travel. For a list of Lafayette-area events, visit Lafayette Convention and Visitor’s Commission.

Labor Day Weekend abounds with South Louisiana fun

    The storms have passed and the sun is shining. We’re gearing up for football, music and fun this Labor Day Weekend, from family carnivals and zydeco festivals to the opening game of University of Louisiana-Lafayette football.

    The Acadian Village, a collection of historic buildings that form a replica of Cajun and Creole life, will host the Last Days of Summer Carnival fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012. The event includes carnival rides, games, magic shows, pony rides, face painting, food, live entertainment and more. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children, and children 4 and under admitted free. For more information, call (337) 981-2364 or visit www.acadianvillage.org.
    This year is the 30th anniversary for the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in Plaissance. Featured artists include Lawrence Ardoin and Traditional Creole, Corey Ledet, Dog Hill Stompers, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Step Rideau, Lil Nate, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., J. Paul Jr. and Leon Chavis. Also performing are Grammy winner Chubby

Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band and country performers Chris Himel, Dustin Sonnier, Jaryd Lane and Charley Rivers. All the fun takes places Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1-2, 2012, at Zydeco Park on Highway 167 in Plaisance, north of Opelousas and Lafayette. Tickets for the Sept. 1 show are $15, $12 in advance and $5 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are $25 for Sept. 2, $20 in advance and $5 for children 12 and younger. For more festival information, call (337) 942-2392 or visit www.zydeco.org.
    Wear your red proudly Saturday as the UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns football team takes on Lamar at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at Cajun Field in Lafayette. For information, visit http://www.ragincajuns.com.

    On Sunday, trek over to St Martinville for the Creole Zydeco Festival at Adam Carlson Memorial Park. There will be Creole food, petting zoo, space jump and music by Zydeco Ray & The Creole Knight Riders, Same Ole' Step & Lil Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers. Tickets are $10 adults, children $3 at the door.
    For more information, visit the Lafayette Convention and Visitor’s Commission Web site.

Cajun Jaming in Lafayette

    If you’re a musician, don’t be shy when visiting Lafayette and for goodness sakes bring your instrument. There are numerous jam sessions held every week throughout the town and visitors are always welcome to join in. And because Lafayette is the hub city for great Cajun and zydeco music, you’ll never know who might show up!

    Here is a weekly roundup of a few Jam Sessions in Lafayette and environs:
    Wednesdays — The Blue Moon Saloon & Guesthouse offers a Cajun jam session at 8 p.m. Wednesdays on the guesthouse’s back porch. The jam is open to all skill levels, entry is free and onlookers are welcomed.
    Fridays — the Begnaud House Welcome Center at 110 Benoit Patin Road in nearby Scott (right off Interstate 10) offers jam sessions starting at 6 p.m. Fridays and the place fills up with locals and visitors alike enjoying traditional Cajun music.
    Saturdays — Vermilionville offers a weekly Cajun Jam from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays in the historic attraction’s performance center. Special guest hosts are scheduled to lead the event; check their web site for the schedule.
    Louisiana Folk Roots offers a Jam des Amis (shown above) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the second Saturday of the month at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in downtown Lafayette. The jam coincides with the monthly ArtWalk celebration and features hosts, such as Jimmy Breaux of BeauSoleil fame or David Greely, formerly with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.

Lafayette’s Farm-to-Table Restaurants

    It’s easy to offer farm-to-table cuisine in Lafayette, for the region is ripe with farms, bakeries and butcher shops and a long tradition of living off the land and environment.
    Not to mention Lafayette is home to some of the country’s finest chefs.
    The kitchen of Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro is helmed by Chef Manny Augello, a leader in the local farm-to-table movement and a board member of the Acadiana Food Circle. Augello recently served up a “Louisiana Summer” menu at the esteemed James Beard House in New York City that consisted of smoked boudin with pork cracklings and summer tomato–white bean cassoulet and crispy quail with roasted figs, balsamic–cane syrup vinaigrette, sugar-and-spice pecans and fried chèvre, among other delectable delights.
    Jolie’s menu features seasonal, local produce and meats that changes constantly. One visit to their web site and you’ll see the specials for the week, including a house-made charcuterie plate.
    Jolie’s is located at 507 W. Pinhook Road in Lafayette and open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday with brunch on Sunday.
    The Saint Street Inn at 407 Brook Ave. near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus was founded with farm-to-table in mind. Owners Mary Tutwiler and Nathan Stubbs frequent the city’s farmer’s markets to take advantage of fresh produce and organic products and their beef and smoked sausage comes from a Eunice slaughterhouse near Lafayette. Specialty meats such as andouille may be purchased from Johnson’s Boucanière in Lafayette and tasso from Best Stop in Scott.
    The Saint Street Inn also changes its menu to accommodate what’s available seasonally, serving up sandwiches, salads, pizza, burgers and entrées. Diners will also find that week’s menu offerings on the restaurant’s web site.

     The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday and for dinner Thursday through Saturday evenings. They occasionally offer special events on the front porch or side patio, the latter of which also contains a small stage for live music, next to the herb garden. 
    For more information, visit www.jolieslouisianabistro.com and http://saintstreetinn.com.

Celebrating Acadian Culture

            A group of French citizens traveled from France to the New World about 400 years ago, landing in what is now northern New England and the Maritimes of Canada. These French pioneers called their new home Acadia or Acadie.

            They built dykes to hold back the massive tides from the Bay of Fundy, and they constructed forts, homes and churches. Because they were isolated in the wilderness, they became good friends with the Micmac Native Americans and developed a distinct identity. They became known as “Acadians.”

            There were constant wars between France and England in the New World, and the rich land that the Acadians farmed passed back and forth between England and France. In 1755, the English seized the farms of the peaceful Acadians, burned their villages, put them on ships and sent them all over the world. This “Grand Dérangement” lasted many years. When word that the Louisiana colony welcomed the exiles, hundreds of Acadians came to Louisiana and started life anew.

            We celebrate Acadian — or Cajun — culture all year round in Lafayette and surrounding areas but particularly during this time of year. Aug. 15 is the National Day of the Acadians, corresponding with the Catholic feast of the Assumption.

             Vermilionville of Lafayette celebrates Acadian Culture Day, a free event of music, food and fun from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, at the historic village. This year’s event focuses on living cultures and activities planned include:

            Cooking demonstrations;

            Boat tours and canoeing;

            Artist demonstrations such as net making, bamboo fishing poles, bousillage bowls, canning, quilting and old-time washing and clothesline hanging;

            Games and crafts for children including tintamarre noise makers, kites and Acadiana flag making;

            A genealogy station by Acadian Memorial;

            Dance lessons with Cal and Lou Courville;

            Sharing circles on Cajun Women Across the Generations and Les Traiteurs;

            Film screenings of “Pie Day” by Drew Landry and “I Always Do My Collars First” by Connie Castille; and

            Music in the Performance Center by The Huval-Fuselier Cajun Band followed by Feufollet.

            For a complete list of activities, visit the calendar of events at vermilionville.org or call (337) 233-4077 for more information.

            The Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville will host a special program from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. Special events include:

            Table Francais for French speakers from 10 a.m. to noon;

            “From Commission to Completion: Celebrating 20 years of the Mural” with muralist Robert Dafford at 12:30 p.m. followed by Theatre Acadien reenactment performances that bring the mural characters to life;

             Film presentation and booksigning by Ron Thibodeaux, author of “Hell or High Water: How Cajun Fortitude Withstood Hurricanes Rita and Ike”;

            Genealogy workshops;

            Children’s scavenger hunt;

            Family Banner Procession; and

            Feast of the Assumption and French Mass at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church.

            For more information, contact info@acadianmemorial.org or call (337) 394-2258.

            Also on the National Day of the Acadians — Aug. 15 — the Begnaud House in Scott will be offering a ceremony honoring Acadian ancestors beginning at 6 p.m.

            To learn more about what is Acadian and Cajun, why we have our own flag and more, visit http://www.lafayettetravel.com/essentials/culture/what-cajun.

Cool off at Gulf Brew!

     The Acadiana Center for the Arts offers up a cool event every summer as its  primary fundraiser.
    Gulf Brew 2012 is an annual tribute to beer that includes dozens of brewmasters, food and ongoing entertainment from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at downtown Lafayette’s Parc International. The fun happens in a large air-conditioned tent so it doesn’t get much cooler than this.
    “It’s a little like Christmas in July,” said ACA Director Gerd Wuestemann. “Cool beers in a cool atmosphere and that’s pretty impressive for Louisiana.”
    Brewmasters hail from around the Southwest region and beyond, offering more than 150 fine craft and specialty brews. There will also be on-site brewing demonstrations, a gaming area, educational brewers tent and more.
    Tickets are $25 for general admission and VIP tickets are $75 and include early admission and access to the VIP tent with special beer selections, food and VIP restrooms. A designated driver (non-taster) ticket is available for $15. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
    For more information, or a list of participating breweries, visit AcadianaCenterfortheArts.org.

Cool things to do in Lafayette

    Summertime and it’s rather warm here in South Louisiana. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to visit. Here are some cool reasons to visit Lafayette in summer:
    The EatLafayette campaign is ongoing through Aug. 15, with 61 participating restaurants offering summer specials. In addition, there will be a chance to win a four-day Caribbean cruise by entering at participating restaurants.
    The Lafayette Absolut Best Martini Contest runs every Tuesday for eight weeks until Aug. 21. Every Tuesday a different restaurant in town will be serving up signature martinis, giving visitors a chance to sample their creative mixtures and vote for their favorites Aug. 25 at the Hilton Lafayette during the Martinis 2012 Gala.
    Once again, the Acadiana Center for the Arts offers Gulf Brew, a celebration of Gulf South breweries, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 21. There will be sample beers, food and live music in Parc International in the heart of downtown Lafayette. Tickets are $25 for general admission and VIP tickets are $75 and include early admission and access to the VIP tent with special beer selections, food and VIP restrooms. A designated driver (non-taster) ticket is available for $15.
    Kart Ranch family entertainment center offers water blasting bumper boats with water targeting devises everywhere! No one will escape dry at this fun park.
    The Parc San Souci fountain at 201 E. Vermilion St. in downtown Lafayette offers a syncopated rise and fall of bursts of water, a favorite among kids and adults alike. Best of all, it's free!

    And for some instant cool gratification, snowball stands — or shall we say sneauxballs — are located all over Lafayette and surrounding areas. To name a few:
    Snowcones at the Hot Pot, 705 Robley Drive;
    Cajun Sno on Rena Drive;
    Crawfish Express, 106 Roselawn Blvd.;
    Murph’s Old Tyme Snowball, behind Old Tyme Grocery, 218 W. St. Mary.
    There’s also several ice cream shops in town. The newly renovated Borden's, where Jefferson Street meets Johnston, is the last Borden's ice cream parlor in existence. The newest addition to the cool scene is Carpe Diem Gelato and Espresso Bar downtown. Everything is made fresh here with summer produce.