Upcoming Events
Published 3:00 am Thursday, March 2, 2023
- Jimmie Walker, Thursday, March 30 at ACA.
4 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO
1. Books Along the Teche Literary Festival. With a focus on Great Southern Writers, the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival highlights Iberia Parish authors and others who write about the unique culture of Louisiana. Events include cooking demonstrations, workshops on writing, book fair, academic symposiums, receptions, poetry, music, live oak walk, movie screenings, children’s activities, readers theater and more. Participants can learn Cajun dancing or how to play bouree and tour the areas described in the Dave Robicheaux novels. Friday, March 31 – Sunday, April 2. Various Locations, Downtown New Iberia. BooksAlongTheTecheLiteraryFestival.com.
2. Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week. Building on a 20-year foundation, the Louisiana Folk Roots team is relaunching the unique and important Balfa Week following the three-year, health-safety sabbatical. Classes, band labs, workshops, meals and evening dances are scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, through Friday, March 24. A kick-off orientation, Jam sessions, light meal and campfire welcome will be held on Monday, March 20. On-site kayaking and local cultural excursions will be available throughout the week. Monday, March 20 – Sunday, March 26. Lakeview Park & Beach, 1717 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Eunice. LAFolkRoots.org.
3. 36th Annual World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook Off. Taste with your eyes, ears and dancing feet the flavors of your favorite headline bands, your favorite etouffee, beautiful arts and crafts and more. Teams compete to see who can cook the best crawfish etouffee (smothered crawfish). Celebrity and professional judges proclaim winners in three categories: Amateur, Professional and Club/Organization. Teams also vie for People’s Choice and the Best Decorated Booth. The Cook-Off Kick-Off Dance will be held on Saturday, March 25 from 8 p.m. – midnight in The Barn at Lakeview Park & Beach, 1717 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Eunice. The cookoff features free admission and free parking. Sunday, March 26 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Northwest Pavilion, 438 Samuel Drive, Eunice. EtouffeeCookoff.org.
4. Jimmie Walker. Rising from the streets of New York’s ghettos to television superstardom, Jimmie Walker personifies the great American success story. His catch phrase “Dyn-o-mite!” is part of the modern vernacular, and he became such a major celebrity in the 1970’s that Time Magazine named him “Comedian of the Decade.” Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion St., Lafayette. AcadianaCenterForTheArts.org.
March 2 – 5
Nunsense
What: Enjoy a zany, wholesome, hilarious musical revue presented by the Little Sisters of Hoboken. Nunsense is a heavenly delight. Under the direction of Logan Frederick.
Where: Grand Opera House, 505 N. Parkerson Ave., Crowley
When: Thursday – Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Details: TheGrandOperaHouse.org
March 2 – 30
Bayou Teche French Table
What: Celebrate the Cajun Culture and improve your French speaking skills regardless of your level of French. Additionally, enjoy conversations with francophones and francophiles who visit New Iberia from all over the world as well as students in the French Immersion setting at North Lewis Elementary. Vive le francais!
Where: Cane River Pecan Company – Pie Bar, 254 W. Main St., New Iberia
McDonald’s, 1501 Center St., New Iberia
When: Thursdays from 8 – 10 a.m.
Details: 337-519-7942
March 3
Downtown Alive! ft. Wayne Toups + Joe Hall & The Cane Cutters
What: The downtown Friday night tradition that everyone knows & loves is back to celebrate Downtown Alive!’s 40th Anniversary with a top-notch lineup & more energy than ever. In addition to celebrating 40 years of DTA!, the season will also commemorate 200 years of Lafayette Parish with presenting partner, Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Where: Parc International, 200 Garfield St., Downtown Lafayette
When: Friday from 6 – 9 p.m.
Details: DowntownLafayette.org
March 3 – 31
Food Truck Fridays
What: Every Friday, Moncus Park hosts local entrepreneurs as they serve up delicious food in a gorgeous atmosphere.
Where: Moncus Park, 2901 Johnston St, Lafayette
When: Fridays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Details: MoncusPark.org/Food-Truck-Fridays
March 4 – 25
Cajun Jam
What: Vermilionville’s weekly Cajun Jam is led by some of the area’s finest musicians. The free jam is held in the Performance Center of Vermilionville Living Museum & Folklife Park and is open to all skill levels-beginner to professional. Admission is free but does not include entry to the park.
Where: Vermilionville, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette
When: Saturdays from 1 – 3 p.m.
Details: Vermilionville.org or 337-233-4077
March 4 – 28
Teche Area Farmers Market
What: Experience our harvest of delicious, locally grown produce and homemade products by
area farmers, artists and crafters. Also included are handcrafted cypress yard objects, bread and fresh baked goods, ceramics, honey, jellies, jams, herbs, candies, wooden bowls and utensils, birdhouses, garden benches and much more.
Where: Bouligny Plaza, 102 W. Main St., New Iberia
When: Every Tuesday 2:30 – 6 p.m. and Saturday 7 – 11 a.m.
Details: 337-369-2330 or Facebook.com/TecheAreaFestivalandFarmersMarket
Admission: Free
March 4 – 25
Lafayette Farmers & Artisans Market
What: Come out to the horse farm every Saturday rain or shine for some of the best homegrown goods in Lafayette.
Where: Moncus Park, 2913 Johnston St., Lafayette
When: Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Details: MarketAtMoncusPark.com
March 5 – 26
Bal du Dimanche
What: Bayou Vermilion District & Vermilionville host the Bal du Dimanche (Sunday Dance) every week. This live music series is held in Vermilionville’s Performance Center and rustic dancehall. Admission includes a self-guided tour of the Vermilionville Living History museum.
Where: Vermilionville’s Performance Center, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette.
When: Sundays, 1 – 4 p.m.
Details: Vermilionville.org or 337-233-4077
Admission: $10
March 5 – 26
Bourré at The Brewery
What: Each week, the brewery hosts a front porch jam session, a French table, and a friendly game of Bourré. Bourré is a popular card game in South Louisiana. It’s a trick-taking game, similar to Spades. If you don’t know how to play, the locals will be happy to show you.
Where: Bayou Teche Brewing, 1002 Noth Lane, Arnaudville
When: Sundays from 2 – 5 p.m.
Details: BayouTecheBrewing.com or 337-754-5122
March 10
Downtown Alive! ft. Jeffrey Broussard & The Creole Cowboys + The Magnolia Sisters
What: The downtown Friday night tradition that everyone knows & loves is back to celebrate Downtown Alive!’s 40th Anniversary with a top-notch lineup & more energy than ever. In addition to celebrating 40 years of DTA!, the season will also commemorate 200 years of Lafayette Parish with presenting partner, Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Where: Parc Sans Souci, 201 E Vermilion St., Downtown Lafayette
When: Friday from 6 – 9 p.m.
Details: DowntownLafayette.org
March 11
Free Community BBQ
What: Join the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce for lunch as they give back to their community with burgers and sausage poboys. Drinks will be provided by Chick-Fil-A Langiappe Village. The event is hosted by Nouphay Kongphongmany State Farm Agency.
Where: 1500 S. Iberia St., New Iberia
When: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Details: IberiaChamber.org
March 11
Second Saturday ArtWalk
What: The monthly event occurs monthly, every second Saturday, and features exhibits, live music, theatrical performances, and immersive artistic experiences in the shops, galleries, museums, and streets of Downtown Lafayette.
Where: Downtown Lafayette
When: Saturday from 6 – 8 p.m.
Details: DowntownLafayette.org
March 13
Annual Downtown Breakfast with the Mayor-President
What: For the third year in a row, downtown stakeholders are invited to attend breakfast with Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory. He will provide an update on his vision and commitment to downtown, including plans to invest millions of public dollars in capital improvements in key infrastructure areas of drainage, lighting, parking, and more, in order to encourage private investment in the city’s core.
Where: Rock ‘n’ Bowl de Lafayette, 905 Jefferson St., Lafayette
When: Monday from 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Admission: $35
Details: DowntownLafayette.org
March 15
Les Cadiens Du Teche
Cajun Dance
What: Les Cadiens du Teche (Cajun French Music Association) dance to Cajun music with a meal, door prizes, cake walk, 50/50 and camaraderie, at their monthly public meeting.
Where: La Louisiane Banquet Hall, 5509 Hwy. 14, New Iberia
When: Every third Wednesday of the month from 7 – 9:30 p.m.
Details: Facebook.com/LesCadiensDuTeche or 337-258-1876
March 16
United Way of Acadiana’s
2023 Teacher Awards
What: Love Our Schools is proud to support the annual Teacher Awards, an event produced by United Way of Acadiana to celebrate excellent Lafayette Parish teachers.
Where: Heymann Center, 1373 S. College Road Lafayette
When: Thursday at 7 p.m.
Details: UnitedWayofAcadiana.org/TeacherAwards
March 17
Downtown Alive! ft. Boogie Kings with Special Guests
What: The downtown Friday night tradition that everyone knows & loves is back to celebrate Downtown Alive!’s 40th Anniversary with a top-notch lineup & more energy than ever. In addition to celebrating 40 years of DTA!, the season will also commemorate 200 years of Lafayette Parish with presenting partner, Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Where: Parc Sans Souci, 201 E Vermilion St., Downtown Lafayette
When: Friday from 6 – 9 p.m.
Details: DowntownLafayette.org
March 17 – 18
Celtic Bayou Festival
What: Celtic Bayou Festival focuses on preserving and celebrating all aspects of Irish, Irish-American and other Celtic cultures while instilling an appreciation of this heritage in current and future generations. An annual, family friendly event, Celtic Bayou Festival is held in the heart of Cajun country and features a pub crawl, Irish whiskey tasting, Guinness cook-off, Bailey’s bake-off, live music, children’s area and more.
Where: Hideaway on Lee, 407 Lee Ave., Lafayette
When: Friday at 6 p.m. & Saturday at noon
Admission: Friday – $10, Saturday – $15
Details: CelticBayouFestival.com
March 19
Sunny Side Jazz Brunch
What: The Sunny Side Jazz Brunch calls to the experiences of legendary Creole jazz brunches at Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s and features a performance of classic New Orleans tunes by accomplished bass-baritone André Courville. This New Orleans-style Jazz Brunch benefits the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
Where: Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion St., Lafayette.
When: Sunday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Details: AcadianaCenterfortheArts.org
March 24
Downtown Alive! ft. Nathan Williams & Zydeco Cha Chas + Lil’ Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers
What: The downtown Friday night tradition that everyone knows & loves is back to celebrate Downtown Alive!’s 40th Anniversary with a top-notch lineup & more energy than ever. In addition to celebrating 40 years of DTA!, the season will also commemorate 200 years of Lafayette Parish with presenting partner, Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Where: Parc International, 200 Garfield St., Downtown Lafayette
When: Friday from 6 – 9 p.m.
Details: DowntownLafayette.org
March 25
Hit The Road with Hospice of Acadiana 5K Memorial Run & 1 Mile Walk
What: Join Hospice of Acadiana for their 5th Annual 5K Memorial Run/1 Mile Walk. Registration includes a t-shirt and memorial sign with your loved one’s name to be displayed publicly in front of the Hospice of Acadiana office on Johnston Street. The day will be about remembering a loved one you’ve lost, so feel free to make signs or shirts in honor of that person.
Where: 2600 Johnston St., Lafayette
When: Saturday at 8 a.m.
Details: HospiceAcadiana.com
March 26
Holi Festival
What: Lafayette Holi Festival started in 2011, brings Holi to Acadiana, the heart of the Cajun country. Holi is a religious festival celebrated by Hindus in early Spring. This “Festival of Colors” shares many similarities with Easter…but instead of dying eggs, participants are the ones getting a dash of color.
Where: Girard Park, 500 Girard Park Drive, Lafayette
When: Sunday at 11 a.m.
Details: LafayetteHoli.org
March 27
Les Vues Film Series
What: The next Les Vues screening will be “Good for What Ails You,” a film by Glen Pitre featuring ten folk healers from various Louisiana culture groups who explain and demonstrate healing secrets, apprenticeships, herb gathering and more. “Good for What Ails You” will be shown March 27 at 6:30 PM. Guest curator Colby Hébert will speak after the film. Les Vues free film series will continue the last Monday evening of each month at 6:30 PM.
Where: Vermilionville, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette.
When: Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Details: BayouVermilionDistrict.org
March 28
Iberia Mental Health Initiative Family Support Group
What: A facility administrator-led support group to assist family members and caregivers of those living with mental illness. A sharing of experiences to gain insight and coping skills in a confident setting. Fourth Tuesday of each month.
Where: Iberia Medical Center, North Campus, Meeting Room 2 (Andre St.), New Iberia
When: Tuesday from 6 – 7 p.m.
Details: 337-944-4171 or IberiaMentalHealthInitiative.org
March 28
Marine Corps League Monthly Meeting
What: The General W.S. McIlhenny Detachment of the Marine Corps League invites all active Marines and Marine veterans to attend the group’s monthly meeting.
Where: Veterans Memorial Building in New Iberia’s City Park
When: Fourth Tuesday of each month starting at 7 p.m.
Details: 337–967–3650
March 31
Downtown Alive! ft. Four Horses Band + Donny Broussard & The Louisiana Stars
What: The downtown Friday night tradition that everyone knows & loves is back to celebrate Downtown Alive!’s 40th Anniversary with a top-notch lineup & more energy than ever. In addition to celebrating 40 years of DTA!, the season will also commemorate 200 years of Lafayette Parish with presenting partner, Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Where: Parc Sans Souci, 201 E Vermilion St., Downtown Lafayette
When: Friday from 6 – 9 p.m.
Details: DowntownLafayette.org ■
