News in Louisiana's Cajun Bayou

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of our local operators have changed their hours of operation. We have created a master list of updates for you to access below and we will continue to monitor and update this list as more information becomes available.

Updated as of: 5/19/2020, 5:00pm

For a current listing of our local restaurants statuses, hours, and services please visit PLACES TO DINE

For a current listing of our local attractions statuses, hours, and services please visit our THINGS TO SEE & DO

For destination updates and resources visit COVID-19 DESTINATION UPDATES

RING IN SPRING: FOOD & FUN BAYOU STYLE

Fresh crawfish, warm sunshine and a light breeze - spring is one of the best seasons to visit Lafourche Parish. And even though Mardi Gras is behind us, we still have plenty of fairs, live music, and authentic food festivals coming up over the next few months.

So, mark your calendar now: here are a few excellent excuses to get the whole family out and enjoy the Louisiana spring.

Celebrate St. Patty’s Day

• St. Patrick’s Day on the Bayou - March 17, 2020

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about St. Patty’s Day. Celebrate small-town Cajun style at St. Patrick’s Day on the Bayou. Don some green and try your hand at a paddle race if you’re feeling lucky. You’ll also find plenty of local food vendors and live music.

Go to a fireman’s fair.

Is there anything more pleasantly nostalgic than a fireman’s fair? This season, you’ve got two opportunities to take in the smell of fresh popcorn, catch a parade, and find the perfect spot to sit down and enjoy some live music.

• Choctaw Fireman’s Fair - March 6 - 8, 2020

This family-friendly event includes music, dancing, a live auction, and of course - enough traditional Cajun fare to keep you satiated from morning to night. If you can make it on Sunday, March 8th, you’ll probably run into the famous parade marking the end of the festivities. Find out more here and start planning your visit.

• Thibodaux Fireman’s Fair - April 30 - May 3, 2020

If you enjoyed the small-town carnival vibe of the Choctaw Fair, you’ll have to come back in April. The Thibodaux Fireman’s Fair is proud to be the largest volunteer fire department fair in the country. That means you get the works, from carnival rides for the kids, to live shows and auctions for mom and dad.

Stock up on crawfish & traditional Cajun food.

Food is front and center here in the bayou: this is one of the few parts of the country where you can fill up on authentic Cajun cooking. If you’ve never tried a bite of boudin or shrimp etouffee, now is your chance!

• Bateaux de Bois Festival - April 13, 2020

Crawfish is the signature dish of the Bateaux De Bois Festival. But before you fill up on mud bugs, build up an appetite by taking a museum tour and browsing the many rows of boat building demonstrations, Cajun crafts, and antiques. If the little ones aren’t as interested in vintage machinery displays, let them burn off some steam at the children's area or keep them occupied with landing craft rides.

• Lockport Food Festival - 4/17 - 4/19 April 17 - 19, 2020

The Lockport Food Festival is an ideal spring destination for any foodie, but it has much more than delicious snacks. This fair keeps everyone in the family dancing, eating, and trying out some good old-fashioned carnival rides. Check out favorites like the traditional carousel!

• Mud Bug Boil-Off - May 9, 2020

Visitors catch on pretty quick: we love a good crawfish boil. And since the season is all too fleeting (we’ll get the last few crawfish in early July if we’re lucky), we take every opportunity to indulge. The first time you crack open a crawfish tail fresh from a pot of Cajun seasonings, you’ll understand why. Try the best Thibodaux has to offer at the Mud Bug Boil-Off. You’ll also take in some live music while you eat.

Hopefully we’ve inspired you to break out from your routine and take some time to enjoy springtime on the bayou. Whether you’re hoping to catch a traditional crawfish boil or give the kids their first true local fair experience, you can find it all in Lafourche Parish.

Here on the bayou, we’ve got plenty of Mardi Gras events in the works - and unlike some of our larger, neighboring cities, you can actually enjoy them without elbowing your way through crowds of tourists. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Lafourche Parish this February, here are a few of the Mardi Gras festivities you can look forward to. 

INDULGE IN SOME KING CAKE.

The rest of the country may decide to ease off decadent desserts starting on January 1st, but we like to put that off until March. 

King cake is traditionally associated with the festival of Epiphany. King cakes typically have a small, plastic baby inside - whoever gets the piece with a baby is blessed with good luck (but may have to host the next party, depending on who you ask). More importantly, it’s housed in delicious brioche and capped off with frosting and the can’t-miss purple, yellow and gold sprinkles.  

It’s a treat you can only fully enjoy when you find yourself in Louisiana for Mardi Gras. You can enjoy a slice of king cake this time of year at just about any of our bakeries - but start off with the most famous king cake in the region at Cajun Pecan House, or stop by Spahr’s Seafood if you want to pair your king cake beignets with a mean bloody mary.

TAKE THE WHOLE FAMILY TO PARADES.

Parades are an essential part of any Mardi Gras celebration. Whether you’re a Louisiana local or visiting for the first time, you can’t get through February without enjoying a few good parades, and reaching your hand up to catch some beads (or any other surprise throws that might be in store this year!).

Enjoy two full weeks of parades, all leading up to the four parades on Mardi Gras day. Whether you’re determined to catch the stilt walkers with the Krewe of Chronos, or you’d rather admire the home-made floats crafted by the Krewe of Gheens, there’s one thing in common with all of our parades: you’ll get a front-row seat to the action. Our parades are family-friendly, and the kids will have plenty of elaborate costumes and lively music to keep their attention. Check out our full parade calendar to start planning. 

STOP FOR A SNACK. 

Cajuns are known for our delicious food - so try the most authentic stuff you can get. Fried shrimp comes in handy when the kids are famished: families and large groups are welcome at Bubba’s II Poboys, Or take a break from the parade scene to get some genuine Cajun food at Cher Amie’s Seafood Restaurant. 

Luckily for you, Mardi Gras also happens at the same time as crawfish season. You can only enjoy this southern delicacy for a few months out of the year - so if you catch the delicious aroma of Louisiana Crawfish Boil and seafood as you spend time around town, dip inside for a pound of fresh crawfish. (If you’re new here, ask anybody how to peel them. We all think we have the best method, and we’ll be more than happy to prove it!). 

If you’re a true foodie looking to sample the best of Lafourche Parish, you’ll just have to make a stop everywhere on the Cajun Bayou Food Trail. Hope you have an appetite. 

KEEP THE KIDS OCCUPIED.

You might be perfectly content to get a delicious lunch and set up camp on the parade trail. But if you’ve got little ones in tow who need a change of scenery, we’ve got your back. 

When they start getting antsy, take a detour to the Bayou Country Children’s Museum. Younger kids and toddlers will be able to burn off some steam in a range of interactive exhibits, like the Bayou Gallery and the Offshore Supply Vessel, where they can play boat captain for a day. 

TAKE A FULL DAY TO CELEBRATE.

For us, Mardi Gras is a full-fledged holiday. It’s a day for us to get colorful, enjoy lots of good food, and take time out from work to spend with family and friends. Join us this year and do the same!

REQUEST OR DOWNLOAD YOUR CAJUN BAYOU VISITORS GUIDE TODAY AND PLAN YOUR VISIT!

You don’t want to miss your chance to experience Mardi Gras season up and down the Bayou! Leading up to Fat Tuesday, our schedule is full of parades and fun. Cajuns celebrate Mardi Gras with many traditions that highlight our vibrant culture while creating an atmosphere that’s all about celebrating life and having a good time. Here are our top 5 reasons why you don’t want to miss Mardi Gras on the Bayou.

King Cake Galore

What’s a Mardi Gras celebration without King Cake? There really is none. But, forget what you’ve heard about traditional King Cakes because we do it a little differently on the Bayou. Whether it’s King Cake Beignets at Spahr’s Seafood Restaurant or Cajun Pecan House’s famous treats, you can enjoy King Cake many different ways while celebrating. You can find our local bakeries here.

Feasting and Fun

Don’t stress about packing a sandwich or a bag of chips! We’ve got you covered when it comes to delicious food. Here, you’ll witness a true Bayou-style parade that include streets lined up with barbecue pits and boiling pots of seafood, all made for the sole purpose of feeding parade goers. The atmosphere is full of the delicious smells and the sound of the best dancing music. Our restaurants along the Cajun Bayou Food Trail also have you covered too. With so many spots along the parade routes you can grab a po-boy or some boiled seafood to-go.

True Family-Friendly Fun

When we celebrate Mardi Gras, it’s a party fit for everyone! Whether it’s a family-friendly environment to enjoy the beautiful floats and throws, or the vibrant life of the Downtown areas, there’s always a place for every parade goer. We make room for everyone to have access to the beautifully decorated Mardi Gras floats. And forget the idea of the massive, overwhelming crowds of larger cities. Being only a few people away from the parade route, you’ll be sure to fill up your bag with plenty of your favorite Mardi Gras throws!

The People

These parades are where the locals go. Forget not knowing anybody, because here everyone knows EVERYBODY! You’ll find moms, dads, kids, grandparents, the whole family, all attending the parades together. Everyone is there to greet you with a big smile and a grand-ole time. Even if you had to travel here, we’ll get to know you and welcome you in. We’re all friends and family, so don’t be surprised if a complete stranger offers you a burger, a beer, or a place to watch the parade.

Our Unique Routes (aka where you watch the Parades)

Whether you find yourself up or down the Bayou, there’s something special about our parades. If you think you’ve missed anyone along the route, don’t panic! Our routes are within blocks of one another, so mark your spot and catch the driver’s side, then cross on over a few blocks to catch the passenger side fun. It’s double the fun and experience.

Come on down for Mardi Gras in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou! Carnival Season 2020 begins February 15 and rolls through Mardi Gras day on February 25. Check here for the full schedule.

Part two of fall festival season in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, Lafourche Parish is about to go down and we can’t wait to share it with you. We hope your dancing shoes are primed and you’ve opted for the stretchy pants!

Acadia Music Fest
November 2

This one-day outdoor fest features an epic line-up including local favorites like Soul Survivor to world-wide super stars Choppa and Flo Rida. Grab your lawn chair, bring the family and settle in for the day. And what’s music without food? The food court is a mecca of the best in south Louisiana food so bring your appetite!  

Louisiana Swamp Stomp
November 2

Put on your white boots (Cajun Reeboks) and come on down to this festival deeply rooted in Cajun traditions. A huge part of what makes our culture special is the music and that’s what this festival is all about. You’ll hear some of the best Cajun musicians surrounded by great dancing. Not sure how to do the two-step or Cajun jitterbug? We’ve got your covered. Our locals love teaching their moves.

Big Boy’s Main Street Cook-Off
November 8

Here’s where the stretchy pants will come in handy! Big Boy’s is a showcase of the best food on the bayou. Dozens of cook-off teams line the blocks of Downtown Thibodaux early in the day cooking up favorites like jambalayas, sauce picantes, and chilis. A $10 entry fee gets you all the tastings you can fit in your belly. While you’re feasting there’s plenty of live music to enjoy, too. It’s like one big Cajun block party!

Thibodeauxville Fall Fest
November 9

Thibodeauxville is a shopper’s dream. For one day, the streets of Downtown Thibodaux are filled with tents full of amazing crafts and gifts. Get your holiday shopping done while you enjoy some great food and music. Make sure you grab a spot along the banks of Bayou Lafourche for the grand finale of the day; the rubber duck race! 

Don’t wait! Plan your trip to the bayou during the final weeks of fall festival season. Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is just 45 minutes south of New Orleans!

It’s almost fall, and beside the fact that the relentless heat turns to cool, crisp days, it’s festival season. There’s one just about every weekend in October so the options of when to make your trip are as plentiful as the Cajun food and fun.

La Fete Des Vieux Temps

It’s French for the Festival of Old Times and it’s packed with ways to experience local culture first-hand. You can get up close during cultural demonstrations and take part in making cane syrup, learn about old fashion medicine, and even participate in a boucherie from start to finish. And you have to taste Cajun food favorites like fried bread, poboys, and jambalaya.

Louisiana Gumbo Festival

When you hear locals talking about fall there’s always one word that is bound to be said in the same sentence…gumbo! And when it comes to gumbo this festival doesn’t play around. All you have to do is grab your ticket when you arrive, get in line, and make your way to the pot. It may be hard to decide if you want chicken and sausage or seafood but don’t worry, there’s more than 600 gallons to go around so going back for seconds won’t be a problem. No matter which day you go, you’ll also hear some of the best live music the region has to offer.

French Food Festival

I don’t know about you but any festival with the word food in the name is right up my alley. This festival has been around for more than 45 years which means they know their way around good food. More than 40 booths of delicious dishes offer everything under the sun, or pavilion in this case, from fried shrimp and catfish to pralines and cakes. Calories don’t count because you can dance them right off with the crowd that’s always ready to tear up the dance floor.

Don’t wait! Plan your trip to the bayou for some unapologetically Cajun fun and where the festivals are unlike anything else.  
Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is just 45 minutes south of New Orleans!

All up and down the Bayou, our bed & breakfasts have a uniqueness and charm you can only find in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou.

Part of the charm is the hospitality you’ll experience and their proximity to attractions and restaurants. It’s really easy to navigate up and down the bayou and their locations make it simple to find your way. Stay downtown within walking distance to shops and bars or just a little further south and you’re near some of Louisiana’s best fishing and swamp tours.

One of the reasons to choose a bed and breakfast is the food. You can enjoy a great homemade breakfast and some of our B&B’s even serve night meals featuring Cajun dishes made just like our families have for generations. It’s easy to feel like an honored guest because that’s just how our culture is built. We treat you like family.

These accommodations are perfect for a getaway with your sweetheart or a much-needed girlfriend getaway.

Grab a cocktail and take in the sunset right on the bayou or sit on a grand porch and view the historic architecture of downtown Thibodaux. Vacations should be relaxing and our B&B’s have that mastered. Browse these places to stay and find the one that fits you. We can’t wait to see you on the bayou!

From swamp tours and fishing to festivals and Cajun culture, we’re planning to take advantage of summer vacation in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and you should too.

In the hotter months, you can explore some really cool things up and down the Bayou. Any adventure you choose is sure to be unforgettable.

1.  Kick Off Summer With Festivals

We’re starting the summer off with a bang… and some serious Cajun traditions. The Cajun Heritage Festival and Gheen’s Bon Mange Festival, both June 7-9th, are a showcase of our great food, live music, and culture.

The Cajun Heritage Festival features a duck carving contest that shows off hundreds of hand-crafted models still made just like past generations. Gheen’s Bon Mange Festival will wow you with Cajun food galore and lots of fun dancing.

2. Breeze Through Swamps 

There’s really no better time to take a swamp tour than in the summer. Warmer weather means you are pretty much guaranteed to spot the most popular critter in the deep south; alligators! But swamp tours here are so much more than gators. You’ll see so much natural beauty and wildlife that has been unspoiled such as moss-draped cypress trees, gorgeous flowers, and birds unique to the area.

3.  Grab a Line and Go Fishing

A trip to the bayou isn’t complete without time spent out on the water – rod and reel in hand. The coast is a true playground for anglers with endless quantities of fish. What you catch is part of the Cajun dishes you love, from redfish and trout to shrimp and crabs. It’s easy to get out and cast your line with our expert guides and charter fishing options.

4. Get Hands-On at Museums

What’s special about museums in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is that you get to interact with local culture in a personal way. Kids can ride a real sugarcane harvester and fish off an oil rig at the Bayou Country Children’s Museum. At the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center and the Bayou Folklife Museum Cajun culture comes to life through music and artifacts.  See boats that are hundreds of years old at the Center for Traditional Boat Building where builders are still making and crafting boats by hand. Part of what makes our museums unique is that you’ll hear stories from our guides who have such a rich story to tell about Cajun heritage.  

When we think about tourist sites often times thoughts turn to big cities like our neighbor, New Orleans. But do you ever wonder about tourism in our own backyard? Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and our local attractions; fishing, swamp tours, museums, restaurants, and authentic Cajun culture are the backbone of Lafourche Parish. These places and experiences define our community, provide our families with jobs and have given us-and thousands of visitors-a lifetime of memories.

Travel matters, and it improves Lafourche Parish in ways that have a wide-reaching impact on our community. It is critical to our economy and jobs. In the last year, travelers spent $71.8 million dollars at our businesses creating $2.75 million in local tax revenue. Tourism supports 1,010 jobs within the parish and it also has an impact that we do not always see: travel can strengthen families, foster hometown pride, and build bridges that connect us with one another.

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the destination marketing organization for Lafourche Parish, spends over $180,000 each year promoting our area to potential visitors all over the world. The goal of these promotion efforts is to showcase our unapologetic Cajun culture, food, and outdoors that appeals to many looking for authentic, unmanufactured experiences. Journalists are noticing and interest is gaining momentum as travel writers and bloggers are coming to explore and in turn writing about why visitors need to come. Last year, published articles earned more than $2 million in media coverage and appeared in USA Today, Travel Channel, and large city newspapers nationwide.

Travel matters to growing and sustaining our community. Visitor spending allows money to be placed back into our parish though the Tourism Investment Program. A variety of local attractions and businesses have received more than $175,000 in grants to be used for supporting, developing, and maintaining the parish as an attractive and viable destination.

These are only a few reasons why it’s so important to keeping welcoming visitors to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and why our industry is elevating the message of “Travel Matters” during National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) May 5-11. We encourage you to join in observing NTTW this year, and celebrate all that travel does for Lafourche Parish.

Here are a few ways you can get involved:

·         Join us at our NTTW event on May 9 at 10:30 am, Bayou Playhouse in Lockport.

·         Contact members of our state legislature and tell them why travel is important to Lafourche Parish.

·         Get social and engage with the #cajunbayou hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share our posts about why travel matters in our community.

In Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou food is a big deal and has been for generations. Local chefs and cooks are known for serving up some of the best Cajun food in Louisiana. But unlike most places, Lafourche Parish, just 45 minutes south of New Orleans, isn’t on the main road. To satisfy your craving for Cajun food, you’ve got to wander of the beaten path, or as we prefer to say, “off the EATIN’ path!”  Take the journey and discover 15 restaurants and six festivals and events that are all about one thing—food!  Here are five great reasons to experience the Cajun Bayou Food Trail.

Did we mention the food?

A tip for enjoying the trail: Come prepared to eat. No matter where you go, you’ll find gumbos, etouffees, jambalayas, softshell crab, shrimp and oyster po-boys (did you know you can actually get those together in a po-boy?) and maybe a few things you haven’t tried. Our advice… let your palate be adventurous!

Food and culture Intertwined

In our kitchens there’s a mix of cooking traditions. Yes, we have trained chefs, but we also have many locals who learned how to cook the old school way – from family. The food of the area is made up of different cultures including Native American, French, Spanish, German, English, African, and Italian. Each have their own culinary traditions and techniques that miraculously blend together to create tastes that are authentic to the area. Traditions have been continued by handing down of recipes and cooking wisdoms from generation to generation. Thankfully for us, many of those traditions have found a way to our menus.

The journey up and down the Bayou

Lafourche Parish is 110 miles long, so that’s a lot of ground to cover as you go up and down the Bayou. Along the way, you’ll learn what makes this area such a worthwhile experience. You’ll see live oak trees that have stood for centuries and historic homes, platoon bridges, sugarcane, and shrimp boats, who provide the very seafood you will be eating on our menu. The farther south you go, the bigger the Bayou is, gradually opening up into the vast space of wetlands and into the Gulf of Mexico.

A reason to come back

Festivals in Lafourche Parish are all about celebrating food and culture. All year long you can experience events and festivals that do nothing but offer fantastic Cajun food and cultural demonstrations. During the spring and fall, there are plenty of reasons to plan a second visit to do some saltwater fishing or explore on a swamp tour through our famous bayous and wetlands.

There’s the South and there’s Lafourche Parish

We own who we are. We aren’t the most polished of places, but the one thing that is unique is our style of unapologetic Cajun hospitality. The lagniappe of the Trail is the people you will meet along the way. Most of those people are homegrown Cajun food enthusiasts who aren’t shy about telling you why their food is the best and what dishes are a must try along the Trail.  

So, what are you waiting for? Get your map and passport and get on the Trail today!