Monthly Archives: August 2025

Hay There! Don't Miss These Events Up & Down The Bayou!

If you’ve ever spent a fall here in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, you know that the season is more than just a change in the weather. This is when the bayou truly comes alive! Every weekend, there’s something happening … a festival, cookoff, concert, or some kind of celebration to get you out of your house or hotel room and immersed in the unique culture of our parish.

Whether you’re a visitor planning a trip or a local just looking to fill your weekends with good vibes and great food, here’s how to do it, one perfect weekend at a time.

September 5-6: Treasure Hunting in Thibodaux
TAWASI Presents: Treasures on the Bayou

Start the festival season the right way … by digging through a few treasures. This antiques show brings vendors, collectors and unique finds to downtown. You never know what you’ll leave with!

September 20: Beer and Bites on the Bayou
Thibodaux on Tap

Picture this: a crisp fall afternoon, your favorite brew in hand and live music filling the air. This local beer fest highlights Louisiana breweries and pairs perfectly with Thibodaux’s small-town charm.

September 26-28: Weekend Forecast: Music, Rides and Funnel Cakes
Cut Off Youth Center Hurricane Festival

This classic fair brings carnival rides, live music and family fun. This community celebration is a great way to close out September with a spin (literally).

October 3-5: Cajun Culture, Served Old-School
La Fete Des Vieux Temps

This “Festival of Old Times” delivers big on nostalgia and tradition. Expect music, a boucherie, pirogue races and a celebration of the culture that makes our region famous.

October 10-12: Gumbo Goals
Louisiana Gumbo Festival

It’s not fall without gumbo, and this is the place to find the best. There will be 500 gallons of the good stuff served to hungry attendees, along with live music, rides and a parade.

October 18: A Rocking Good Time
Acadia Music Fest

This music festival brings in national headliners and regional acts for a celebration that blends small-town hospitality with big-stage sound. This year’s festival is headlined by T.I.

October 24-26: A Taste of France
French Food Festival

Expect fresh bowls of etouffee and more at this favorite event in the town of Larose. With live music, dancing and some of the best food you’ll ever taste, you’ll want to be part of the festival’s 50th anniversary celebration this year.

November 1: BBQ and Bourbon
BBQ & Bourbon on the Bayou

This event is as bold as it sounds. Come for the smoked meat, stay for the bourbon tastings. New this year is a BBQ cookoff. It’s fall done right!

November 7: The Cookoffs Continue
Big Boy’s Main Street Cook-Off

In Downtown Thibodaux, teams compete to see who can cook the best Cajun dish. Spoiler: You’re the real winner here, because there are samples for festival-goers! For those participating in the Cajun Bayou Food Trail, this event earns you another stamp on your passport.

November 8: All the Fall Feels
Thibodeauxville Fall Festival

End your festival season with one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Dozens of vendors, live music, plenty of food and a famous rubber duck race makes this event a can’t-miss November tradition.

Whether you’re in it for the music, the food or just to experience fall in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou has a festival weekend waiting for you. Which ones will you choose?

New Visitor Center Opens in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou

Raceland, Louisiana (August 1, 2025) – Today, nearly four years after Hurricane Ida destroyed its predecessor, the brand-new and long-awaited Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Visitor Center officially opened to the public. It’s located in the Lafourche Parish town of Raceland and situated just off  Hwy-90, a highway traveled by thousands of motorists each year as they explore Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. The new center was purpose-built to function as a facility that warmly welcomes those visitors to the region while also educating them about all that makes Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou such a remarkable destination.

The new visitor center sits on the exact footprint of its predecessor, measuring 4,874 square feet and encompassing offices for the tourism staff as well as an interactive visitor experience aimed at ensuring that all who pass through it are captivated by the region’s special appeals. Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou embraces an authentic and unapologetically Cajun approach to life here along Bayou Lafourche, celebrating a unique culture that has endured since the late 1700s.

Among the elements designed with the needs and curiosity of visitors in mind is a three-dimensional map of Lafourche Parish, an element that’s been nicknamed the “Fun Finder” and which features more than 30 interactive buttons that can be pressed to learn more about the places, people, tastes and sounds ready to be discovered up and down the bayou. Visitors learn the inspiring story of the Acadians, who sought exile in Louisiana in the late 1700s and became known as “Cajuns.” A telephone feature on the Fun Finder allows users to listen to the sounds of Cajun French, which is still spoken by many area residents. The visitor center also honors the flora and fauna of the region, with a replica oak tree standing in one corner and a pair of mock alligators situated in another. Visitors can even pose for a photo with a larger-than-life washboard, an old household tool that doubles as an essential instrument in Cajun music.

In addition to all the interactive displays that help travelers navigate their way through this fascinating region that’s located less than an hour southwest of New Orleans, the visitor center is staffed by travel counselors on Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. These specially trained residents can answer questions about the region and provide insider tips about the best places to stay, visit and eat.

An overarching theme of any visit to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and its attractions is the resiliency of its residents, from the displaced Acadians who settled here more than two centuries ago to modern-day residents who continue to find ways to recover from a variety of challenges … including those put forth by Mother Nature.

Such was the case following the events of August 29, 2021, when Hurricane Ida swept through coastal Louisiana. The impact on Lafourche Parish was devastating, and the former tourism office and visitor center was among the buildings that were deemed a complete loss. It took a total of 1,433 days – or 3 years, 11 months and 3 days – for the new center to be rebuilt, coming back better than ever.

Though the tourism office’s staff was uprooted, the team remained nimble and ready to serve the community and traveling public. In the early days after the storm, they worked from their hotels and hotel rooms, and they’ve been operating from a modular office on the building site for the past few years. Lafourche Parish Government worked with FEMA to secure the funds to build this permanent structure, which was designed by Gros Flores Positerry (GFP), built by Onshore Construction, and features exhibits created by Cote Blanche Productions. Ground broke on the new facility on May 17, 2024, and less than 15 months later, the facility’s opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting and open house.

“The best part about our new visitor center is that this building was specifically designed as both a workspace for our staff and a truly welcoming experience for the many visitors who come to our parish,” said Cody A Gray, President and CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. “The design of this building encourages guests to wander through interactive and fun exhibits that give them a beautiful introduction to our way of life and a better understanding of what sets our destination and its people apart. We look forward to welcoming everyone and hope they’ll quickly feel right at home here in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou.”