News in Louisiana's Cajun Bayou

If you want to show dear old Dad just how much he means to you this Father’s Day, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou offers a fun stop for every type of pop.

If the father figure in your life loves to fish, the Leeville Fishing Pier is a great spot to cast a line, enjoy each other’s company … and wait for the fish to bite. (In these parts, you usually don’t have to wait that long.) If you’re more adventurous and want to reel in something a little (or a lot) bigger, several charter fishing options accommodate every skill level, from novice to expert.

Is Dad a not-so-secret foodie? Lafourche Parish is home to the Cajun Bayou Food Trail, with 16 distinctive restaurants serving up Cajun cuisine that focuses on ingredients that come straight from the Bayou and blended with a whole lotta love. With options ranging from “alligator cheesecake” at Cinclare to Spahr’s famous “catfish fingers,” you’re sure to get plenty of authentic Cajun flavor AND a full belly at each stop you make. Visit 5 or more stops on the Food Trail, and you and Dad can work yourselves into free T-shirts!

To make sure your Father’s Day is on par, why not take Dad to one of the Bayou’s golf courses? LaTour Golf Club is just one of 18 courses that make up the Louisiana Audubon Golf Trail. Arranging a tee time at this 18-hole course designed by PGA tour champion David Toms is sure to make YOU a champ in Dad’s eyes!

If you’re looking for new and exciting things to do in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, look no further than the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center!

Throughout the month of June and open to the public Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the Center will be home to the Smithsonian Water/Ways Traveling Exhibit, which demonstrates the necessity of water and how it influences the cultural, environmental, and historical landscape of Louisiana's Cajun Bayou.

The (educational) fun doesn’t just stop with the exhibit, as the Center will host special events all month long in tandem with the temporary display. A photography exhibit will feature images of the coast, a “Water in Flight” bird-watching boat ride will be led by a professional ornithologist, and a family-friendly “Water Discovery Day” with water activities and experiments cap off an exciting array of events.

Here’s the Water/Ways schedule of events:

Saturday, June 12: “Water in Art” Family Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Enjoy fun art activities for the whole family accompanied by a display of coastal photographs taken by Louisiana artist Lane Lefort.

Saturday, June 19: Bird Watching Boat Tour from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Led by a professional ornithologist, discover the variety of birds along Bayou Lafourche. Please note: Spots are limited. Call 985-448-1375 to reserve your place.

Saturday, June 26: Family Water Discover Day from 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Last year was the year of change, and not necessarily for the better. Thanks to COVID, favorite festivals up and down the Bayou were postponed or cancelled altogether. We came into 2021 with a renewed sense of hope, not for things to return to normal, but for things to continue with an increased awareness for safety, health and -- most importantly -- fun. If folks around here know how to do anything, it’s throw a festival!

When you’re ready to travel and experience all that Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou has to offer, we hope you’ll consider attending one of the many events that are back better than ever. Appropriate precautions will be in place to make sure everyone not only has a good time, but enjoys activities safely. Here’s a preview of what’s to come for the next six months…
 

COVID may have put a damper on the usual Mardi Gras celebrations this year by limiting the size of gatherings and forcing the cancellation of every parade the parish usually hosts, but that doesn’t mean that this year’s Carnival season has turned into one big  “Mardi Blah.”
 

DOWNLOAD YOUR "TASTE OF MARDI GRAS" PASSPORT

Support local businesses while keeping the spirit of Mardi Gras alive. Complete 3 stops at any of the Taste of Mardi Gras locations, turn in your passport at the Louisiana's Cajun Bayou Visitor Center or Thibodaux Main Street office and receive a free Mardi Gras themed swag bag (with beads of course!). 

With 14,500 people populating French Quarter-style streets, Thibodaux is sure to charm you with the feel of New Orleans but all the hospitality and personality of a small town. Shops and restaurants throughout downtown mimic the style of the Big Easy, located just 35 miles away, but business owners here instantly make visitors feel like family. And those visitors are especially lucky at this time of year because they’re treated to all sorts of holiday cheer, festive décor and special deals.

HIT THE STREETS
It’s easy to navigate downtown Thibodaux. The streets are numbered, there’s on-street parking near whatever shop or restaurant you’d like to visit, and everything is quite walkable once you decide where to leave your car. If the weather is cooperating, you should take a walking tour of the downtown area so you can explore the rich history and architecture of Thibodaux while supporting local shops and eateries each step of the way.

November 9 is National Louisiana Day, and November 1-14 is when Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou celebrates Lafourche Heritage Days, a time to reflect on the parish’s distinctive culture. That makes November the perfect opportunity to offer some pointers about where you might interact with a few of Louisiana’s famous state symbols, those things that truly set our state and parish apart from all the rest.
 

State Bird: Brown Pelican
You’ll find these big waterbirds – you can’t miss their distinctive bills and seven-foot wingspan as they swoop over the water – pretty much anywhere that anglers are hauling in their catch. Pelicans are expert fishermen themselves, but they’re not above taking the easy way out and hoping for some scraps to be tossed in their direction. A great place to look for them is Port Fourchon, which recently installed viewfinders to assist the many birdwatchers who head here to check species off their birding life list.

Bayou Feast Offers Delectable Deals on Memorable Meals

Throughout October, Lafourche Parish will host its first-ever “restaurant month.” Dubbed Bayou Feast and coordinated by Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the program is aimed at supporting local businesses while encouraging diners to celebrate the area’s one-of-a-kind culinary and cultural heritage.

We’ve all heard that road trips are “in” right now. It’s just you and the open road … and your kids asking, “Are we there yet?” every three minutes. As summer starts to simmer down and the crispness of fall starts to creep in, what better time for a family road trip? Located less than an hour from New Orleans, Lafourche Parish – also known as Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou – is the perfect destination for a trip with a truly personal feel.
 

"UP" AND "DOWN" THE BAYOU

In Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, there’s no north or south; all directions are given as “up” or “down” the Bayou – as in Bayou Lafourche, the body of water that nearly bisects the parish. Highway 1 and Highway 308 traverse this waterway, and this road trip allows you to follow one of those roads for dozens of miles. (Or both – you can criss-cross over bridges along the way.)

It’s summer in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and that means things are heating up! But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of sweet treats and refreshing drinks to help keep you cool on the bayou. Our safe and social distancing friendly options are here to help you make the most of your summer road trip, staycation or day-trip.

SWEET TREAT STOPS
Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is in the heart of sugar country -- Louisiana produces 13.5 million tons of the sweet stuff each year. So of course, there’s plenty of tasty (and cold) treats on just about every bend of the bayou. When you are driving along Highway 1, stop at the Goal Post in Raceland for some of their rich and thick ice cream that’s hand dipped onto the cone and sure to make a satisfying mess.
And you can’t come to Cajun without trying a snowball. Maggie D’s Snowballs in Thibodaux is just the place! They have the perfect combination of shaved ice and plenty of flavors to choose from. For a little “lagniappe” add condensed milk to top it off. Visit Places to Dine to discover more treats in Lafourche Parish.

Just 35 miles south of New Orleans you’ll find Lafourche Parish, better known as Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. If you are a traveler that values memories as part of your travel experience then Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is a must-visit for you!

SWAMP TOURS
With the amount of time you have spent inside lately, we think you could use some fresh air. Jump on board and ride out on one of our swamp tours! Listen to the sound of bald eagles overhead, while alligators are sunning in the distance, all while you are transported through the lush marshland and cypress swamps that make this area so naturally beautiful. What sets our swamp tours apart? Your native Cajun guide. They love what they do and it shows in the stories they tell and the connection they bridge between you and our rustic bayous. Don’t be surprised when your guide stops and explains to you that Spanish moss isn’t just pretty to look at, but back in the old days it was used in Ford cars to stuff their seat cushions. This is just one of the many colorful facts you may learn.