All Saints Day is 'La Toussaint' in Lafayette

    Ancient people believed the threshold between the dead and the living grew thin around All Hallow’s Eve, of Halloween, and tried to appease the spirits with treats. Christians later designated Nov. 1 as All Saints Day to honor the departed Saints of the Catholic Church. Today, residents of South Louisiana honor their loved ones who have passed on All Saints Day or La Toussaint by placing wax, silk or fresh flowers on grave sites.
     Because much of South Louisiana has a high water table, the dead are buried in above ground tombs, from the simple to the extreme, accented by statues, cast iron detail and wrought iron gates. Every fall residents clean up these tombs, sometimes whitewashing the exteriors and making sure the cemetery is spruced up and weed-free for its Nov. 1 visitors.
    In Acadiana, La Toussaint is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation.
    “The day after Halloween, All Saints Day (La Toussaint), is more important in south Louisiana than in any other area of the country both as a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation and as a day of family unity,” writes Jane Vidrine in Louisiana’s Living Traditions.

    Some florists sell a specific fake flower arrangement just for the occasion— sometimes called a coronne de toussaints, a wreath — since All Saints flowers should last throughout the year. 
    In many communities a Mass is held, then a candlelight walk to the cemetery.
    The Cathedral of St. John, the oldest church in Lafayette, will be offering silk flower arrangements for both All Saints Day and All Souls Day, which follows on Nov. 2. Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park in Lafayette offers wax flower demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2013, culminating with a reenactment of La Toussaint with Vermilionville artisans on Nov. 1, 2013.

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles 2012 bigger than ever

    Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, which pays tribute to Acadiana’s Cajun and zydeco music, grows every year, with new events both at the festival site and throughout Lafayette.
     This year’s fete honors Louisiana’s bicentennial celebration of its statehood, one of the 200th anniversary’s kick-off events statewide. Among the many stages of live music at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles will be the Louisiana Bicentennial Stage, hosting a wide variety of talent.
    The festival takes place Oct. 12-14, 2012, at Lafayette’s Girard Park and is actually a collection of festivals. The three days of fun includes the Festival de Musique/Music Festival, the Bayou Food Festival, the Louisiana Craft Fair, La Place des Petits for the kids, Culture Sur La Table/Culture on the Table workshops on Cajun and Creole cooking and Louisiana Folk Roots, which features jam sessions and interviews with Cajun and zydeco legends.
    This year’s poster by artist Megan Barra is a good example of the interconnectivity of Acadiana’s culture, a fabric tree with intersecting threads showcasing the influences of many individuals on Cajun and Creole-zydeco music. The trunk of the tree represents the collective festivals with James Domingue, organizer of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, watering its growth. Domingue is this year’s honoree for his work keeping French alive in South Louisiana.
    “It’s been referred to as our family tree,” Organizer Patrick Mould explained of the poster.
    Bands appearing include Balfa Toujours, Jo-El Sonier, Feufollet, the Savoy Family Band, Lil’ Band o’ Gold, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, Wayne Toups, Cedric Watson, Soul Express Brass Band, Pine Leaf Boys and Michael Doucet with Mitch Reed, among many more. In addition there will be jam sessions led by accomplished musicians.
    To view a full schedule of bands, food and craft vendors and more, plus activities happening in town outside the festival grounds, visit http://festivalsacadiensetcreoles.com.

Scary happenings coming to Lafayette!

    It’s that time of year, when spooks walk the earth and we love to be scared. And the Lafayette Science Museum is happy to oblige.
    The annual Museum of Fear returns to downtown Lafayette from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October, held on the spooky third floor of the Lafayette Science Museum at the corner of Congress and Jefferson streets.
    Admission is $8 at the door, where you leave all rational thought behind.
The fun concludes with the inaugural ZombieWalk beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, at corner of Lee and Jefferson streets on the lawn of the old City Hall, next to the statue of Gen. Mouton (who may participate).

   The zombie parade will march down Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette, ending at Parc Sans Souci for an after-party and costume contest. The lucky winners of the costume contest earn the right to haunt visitors from within the Museum of Fear’s cemetery.     Participation in ZombieWalk and walking among the living dead is free.
    Both events are geared for the whole family. As organizers put it, “A family that scares together shares together!”
    For more information, call (337) 291-5544 or visit lafayettesciencemuseum.org.
    Both events are fundraisers for the downtown museum.
    Other horrific October events in Acadiana include:
    The St. Landry Catholic Church is located next to its historic and impressive cemetery in Opelousas. Annual cemetery tours are offered in October and this year’s tour examines "Louisiana 200 Years." Tours will be offered at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 13-14 and 20-21, 2012, at the St. Landry Catholic Church, 1020 N. Main St. in Opelousas. Tickets are $10. For information, call (337) 942-8318.
    Downtown Lafayette’s Movies in the Parc presents the family favorite “Ghostbusters” Saturday, Oct. 20, at Parc International. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $2, free for children ages 5 and under. Parking is available at Parc-Auto du Centreville at Polk and Vermilion streets. Concessions are available on site.
    Lafayette's inaugural Zombie Ride bike ride will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Lafayette, with stops at downtown watering holes. Some downtown sponsors will be offering drinks to those "dressed to kill."
    The Lakeview Park and Beach in Eunice presents its third annual "Hwy 13 Haunted House" at 7:30 p.m.-until every Saturday in October plus Oct. 26 and 31. Every house has been revamped and there will be a zombie apocalypse. Tickets are $7.
    Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park will offer a Halloween celebration at the village with Boo Bayou, a fall carnival, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Activities include games, costume contest, trick-or-treating throughout the village and entertainment by Louisiana Performance Center and Renaissance Cadienne.

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.