Press Releases

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism Wins Bid to Host the 2023 Y’Allstars Southern Skate Showdown

Raceland, Louisiana (November 16, 2022) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the destination management organization for Lafourche Parish, has successfully won the hosting rights to the 2023 Y’Allstars Southern Skate Showdown, a competitive roller derby competition made up of teams from across the United States.

The competition will take place at Warren J. Harang Municipal Auditorium on N. Canal Blvd in Thibodaux the weekend of February 24-26, 2023. It is expected to have a notable economic impact to Lafourche Parish with over 250 hotel room nights anticipated, an estimated 900-1,700 meals consumed at local restaurants, and additional visitor spend on trips to local attractions and shops in Lafourche Parish.

The event is hosted as part of a joint effort by Team Louisiana Roller Derby, the state’s all-star roller derby team, and Red Stick Roller Derby Juniors, the youth roller derby team based in Baton Rouge who put out the initial request for proposal to find a host in late August. Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism immediately worked with Warren J. Harang Auditorium, a venue that has hosted previous roller derby events, to submit a bid.

“We are very excited to welcome the Y’Allstars Southern Skate Showdown to Thibodaux” said Ian Wallis, Sales & Marketing Manager at Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. “They have been an excellent group to work with thus far, and we are very thankful for the team at Harang Auditorium for helping us get this competition to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou.”

In addition to Team LA and Red Stick Roller Derby Juniors, it has already been announced that Team Texas, Team Florida, Chicago Roller Derby, and Team Indigenous Rising, a group of skaters from across the United States with an indigenous background, have signed up to compete. Tickets to attend the competition can be purchased starting Friday, December 9th.

“As our local tourism industry continues to recover from a turbulent two years, we are thrilled to work with Team LA Roller Derby to bring their event to Lafourche Parish” said Cody A. Gray, President & CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. “Events such as this bring in significant economic impact to our destination and directly support local businesses and jobs.  We look forward to welcoming these visiting teams to Thibodaux to experience our authentic Cajun culture.”

For more information about the Y’Allstars Southern Skate Showdown visit their website linked below. For vendor/sponsorship opportunities, contact Kaitlyn Estes, Tournament Organizer at [email protected].

Y'Allstars Southern Skate Showdown Website 

Louisiana's Cajun Bayou Remembers Hurricane Ida - One Year Later

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou has seen its fair share of challenges over the past two years. As all of our hotels, restaurants, attractions and events grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-changing path forward, Lafourche Parish was dealt a devastating Category 4 blow on August 29, 2021.

Hurricane Ida, the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to ever hit the state of Louisiana, made landfall near Port Fourchon on the 29th and quickly made its way up Bayou Lafourche. The destruction left in its wake was nothing short of catastrophic. The aftermath has been felt by every single resident of our beloved parish, with towns down the bayou being some of the hardest hit.

However, the story does not end there. You see, Cajuns are no strangers to adversity. Some of the first settlers along the bayou, the Acadians, faced severe uncertainty and challenging times. That same strength, grit, and determination has been passed down for generations. It shined brightly the morning of August 30th, the day after landfall, as neighbors helped neighbors, communities helped communities, and friends from around the country rushed to our aid.
As our residents emerged to begin picking up the pieces of their lives, what we saw was not shattered windows, splintered trees and destroyed homes. It was people opening their homes to those without one, community organizations distributing critical aid to families that didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, and business owners giving away whatever they could to aid the cause. In the hot, humid days that followed, the words “how can I help” echoed off the banks of the bayou.

As the weeks grew into months, things began to get better. Debris was cleaned up, supplies distributed, roofs tarped and lights turned back on. Hotels – even though many were running on generators with damage of their own – manned their front desks and housed linemen, work crews and those in need of shelter. Our restaurants continued to serve hot meals to workers and first responders… day in and day out. Our own tourism team did not stop working one day, even though Ida destroyed our visitor center and offices. Everyone selflessly did their part to begin putting our destination back together. Along the way, we collectively showed the world what it truly means to be Cajun.
One year later, here we are. Our doors are back open, the tables are set, the beds are made and our lively festivals have returned. We are welcoming visitors back to experience our unapologetically Cajun culture once again. Even though there is a still a long way to go, we have come so very far over the course of one year. We would not be where we are today if it were not for our residents, government officials, community organizations, volunteers, linemen and those who came from far and wide to help us put the pieces back together.

We invite you to come be part of our continued recovery. Come stay awhile at one of our local hotels or B&B’s, taste authentic Cajun cooking at our family-owned restaurants, take a ride into our unspoiled swamps, or party like a local at one of our many festivals and events. We often say that the Bayou Life isn’t for anyone … it’s for everyone. And we mean it. There is truly no other place like Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou in Lafourche Parish. We can’t wait to welcome you to our incredibly resilient family.

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Hosts

Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association Conference

Raceland, Louisiana (August 8, 2022) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism is pleased to announce that Thibodaux welcomed the 2022 Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA) conference August 5-7, 2022. The conference brought an assemblage of lifetime anglers, hunters, environmentalists, tour operators, and radio and television broadcasters who share a common love ... the great outdoors!

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Crosses Country Borders for Historic Partnership

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism Announces Collaboration with Acadian Regions of Nova Scotia

Thibodaux Voted One of the Best Small Town Food Scenes by USA Today 10Best

Raceland, Louisiana (June 17, 2022) – When people think of America’s great food cities, New Orleans often tops the list. But it’s not just big cities that know their way around a menu. Plenty of small towns are noted for their food scenes, too … but only one in Louisiana! For the third year in a row, Thibodaux – a tiny town located about 45 minutes outside of New Orleans, in Lafourche Parish – has once again been ranked one of the country’s best small town food scenes by USA Today 10Best.

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism Honors Tourism Partners

Raceland, Louisiana (May 5, 2022) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the destination management organization for Lafourche Parish, honored five tourism partners with their Bayou Ambassador Awards in recognition of their dedicated service to the tourism industry in Lafourche Parish.

NEW TOURISM CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON LAFOURCHE PARISH CULINARY SCENE BY SAYING: "YOU GOTTA TRY THIS!"

Raceland, Louisiana (April 21, 2022) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, the destination marketing organization for Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, unveiled on Thursday a new tourism campaign focused on promoting the region’s unique, authentic and delicious culinary scene.

LOUISIANA TRAVEL ASSOCIATION HONORS LOUISIANA’S CAJUN BAYOU TOURISM & PRESIDENT & CEO, CODY A. GRAY, AS 2022 LOUEY AWARD WINNERS

Raceland, LA (Feb. 7, 2022) – The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) introduced Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism as the winner of the 2022 Louey Award for Convention & Visitors Bureau of the Year (budget from $500,000 - $999,999) during its Annual Meeting last week in Alexandria, LA.

In addition, President & CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, Cody A. Gray, received the 2022 Louey Award for Rising Star of the Year.

Cody Gray, Tourism Director for Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou,
Assumes Two New Leadership Roles in State Tourism Industry

Raceland, Louisiana (January 6, 2022) – Cody Gray, President and CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, Lafourche Parish’s destination marketing organization, has been appointed to the board of directors for both the Louisiana Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (LACVB) and the Louisiana Travel Association (LTA). These are separate organizations, separate roles and separate appointments, but the fact that Gray’s terms will begin at roughly the same time – this month with the LACVB and in February for the LTA – is testament to the fact that Lafourche Parish’s tourism director is making his mark on the state’s tourism industry … and shining a bright spotlight on Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou in the process.

On January 1, Gray began his one-year term as Secretary of the LACVB, which is comprised of tourism offices from all over the state. He’ll then rotate through the various board positions for the next few years before becoming the group’s chair. Meetings take place throughout the year and all over the state, meaning that Gray will be able to assess the role of tourism in other parishes across Louisiana and learn best practices while educating his peers about the economic impact tourism has on Lafourche Parish.

Thibodaux Named One of the Country’s Coolest Small Towns and One of the Best Small Town Food Scenes.

Raceland, Louisiana (December 2, 2021) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism acknowledges that Thibodaux is a small town, but we’re pleased to share the news that our parish seat received two BIG national honors last month. In early November, USA Today 10Best announced that Thibodaux offers the #2-ranked Best Small Town Food Scene anywhere in the United States, thanks in great part to our flourishing Cajun Bayou Food Trail.

This was a Reader’s Choice Award contest, in which the website’s readers – averaging about 5 million per month – vote for their favorite nominees in each category. After four weeks, the votes were tallied and the results are in: Thibodaux (officially) has an amazing food scene. Of course, we knew that already … but now millions of potential visitors from around the country know it, too! We couldn’t have done it without everyone who voted for Thibodaux and, more importantly, all the chefs and restaurants that contribute to our unique food culture here in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou.