Making Memories in Cajun Country: 9 Top Family Activities in Lafayette LA

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Laissez les bons temps rouler! In other words, “Let the good times roll.” This is the motto of Lafayette, Louisiana, billed as the “unofficial capital of Cajun Country,” a city where the populace almost unanimously embraces the spirit embodied in the French expression “joie de vivre” (joy of living). Lafayette is an engaging, unique, and exciting place to keep making memories in Cajun country with your family.

And this “work hard, play hard attitude” is reflected in the area’s music, good food and local cuisine, local culture, and a seemingly endless string of fun activities, celebrations, unique things, and special events for making memories in Cajun country the whole family. Autumn is no exception, for when cooler weather arrives, at least relatively speaking for the subtropical climate, the downtown area of the city is alive with the most fun things to do.

Facts about Lafayette, Louisiana

Situated 35 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, Lafayette has a population of 120,623 (US Census Bureau), and according to the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, is considered the “Heart of Acadiana,” with its “rich French heritage blended with Spanish, American, Indian and African influences.”

Lafayette is known for its Creole and Cajun culture. Restaurants in the south-central Louisiana city serve spicy foods, and clubs play upbeat Cajun music. Lafayette is also a city that accommodates sports lovers. Lafayette, the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, has a wide range of activities on land and in the water to continue making memories in Cajun country with your friends and family.

Golf Is One Of The Top Things To Enjoy

Golfers can choose from two public, par-72 courses in the city. The Wetlands Golf Course is a 7,293-yard course, and the Hebert Municipal Golf Course is 6,426 yards. The par-72, 6,870-yard Les Vieux Chenes Golf Course is 15 minutes away in Youngsville city in Lafayette Parish. The venues have pro shops and clubhouses that serve sandwiches.

Water Sports For Kids Of All Ages

Nearby water provides options for sportsmen. You can canoe and kayak through marked trails at the Fausse Point State Park and Canoe Trail off the Atchafalaya Basin Spillway. The area has a boat launch and campsites, and you can rent canoes at the site.

Lake Martin is another water hot spot and a nature preserve, and one of the best places to spot water birds like great blue herons and snowy egrets from your canoe. You also can hike to see the birds, but the closest trail closes for alligator nesting from May to October.

Swimming Is A Great Way To Spend The Day

The city has four swimming pools. The best way to enjoy them is to take lessons at the indoor Earl J. Chris Pool at the Robicheaux Recreation Center. Lafayette’s three outdoor pools–Girard Park Pool, M. L. King Pool, and the O. J. Mouton Pool– are open during the summer and offer water aerobics classes.

Recreation Centers Are The Perfect Place To Have Some Fun

The city’s parks and recreation department operates 10 recreation centers with a variety of activities, including shuffleboard, a weight room, a gift shop, and instruction in aerobics, judo, gymnastics, karate, and taekwondo. When taking a break from working out, you can sign up for ceramics classes and guitar lessons.

Festival Acadiens & Downtown Alive! For A Good Time

Held in October, this celebration of regional music, food, Acadian history, and crafts is actually a combination of six different festivals. Normally commencing during midweek with the Culinary Classics (a two-day culinary extravaganza), it concludes on the weekend in Girard Park with food, crafts, and a free concert that provides a total of 16 hours of entertainment and highlights the talent of dozens of Cajun and Zydeco musicians.

What’s more, you can watch exhibitions of fascinating skills like alligator skinning, decoy carving, net and trap making, basket weaving, and other regional crafts, and attend instructional seminars, musical demonstrations, and performances by local humorists and storytellers. Finally, if you like to hit the dance floor, you can cut a rug at the free Friday night street dance called Downtown Alive!

Accommodations include some of the following amenities.

    * Free parking at the Cajundome
    * Shuttle service for a nominal fee
    * Golf-cart transportation for the physically impaired to the Native Crafts Festival Food
    * Food booths by local restaurants
    * Porto-lets

Boudin Cook-Off at Parc San Souci

The annual Boudin Cook-Off is held each October in downtown Lafayette at Parc Sans Souci (corner of E. Vermilion St. and Polk St.), with proceeds benefiting the Historic Preservation Alliance of Lafayette. This event, however, isn’t just about cooking and eating but good times and family fun.

There are three categories of boudin in the cook-off (traditional, specialty, and unlinked), and the “chefs” consist of 25 of the region’s top boudin-making masters, although the number of “masters” seem to increase each year.

There’s also a “boudin toss,” along with a boudin-eating contest. And for those of you unfamiliar with this Louisiana delicacy, trust me when I say that consuming a dozen or more boudin made with fresh ingredients is far more difficult than eating a comparable number of hotdogs.

The event offers numerous freebies, including the following.

    * Admission and parking
    * Fun jumps in a jump zone for the older kids
    * Ice cream sandwiches for younger kids
    * Samples of Cajun cuisine from local restaurants and vendors
    * Live entertainment by area bands like The Speckles and The Howdies

By the way, if you’re unfamiliar with boudin, a staple in south Louisiana, it’s a sausage traditionally made with pork and stuffed with rice and various vegetables. However, there isn’t one specific recipe, so different people tend to use different meats and seasonings, thereby explaining the necessity for a “Boudin Cook-Off.”

Acadiana Wine & Food Festival Is A Great Place To Be

A fairly new event in Lafayette, the Acadiana Wine & Food Festival is held in late October on the grounds of the Hilliard University Art Museum, with proceeds benefiting the programs and operations of the museum. According to the museum’s website, the festival is “a celebration of fine Wine, Food, and of course, Music!”

Moreover, as per the website, visitors “enjoy a unique wine tasting experience, showcasing cuisine from area celebrity chefs, interesting programs, elegant wine, and culinary products, live entertainment, and tour the museum galleries.”

Acadiana Film Festival

Held in November, the Acadiana Film Festival, according to its website, “provides a platform for independent filmmakers and musicians to present their original work,” with a goal of creating “a forum that joins together artist and industry professionals while educating the public and promoting the entertainment industry in Louisiana.”

Located chiefly in downtown Lafayette, with some off-site venues, the Acadian village festival runs for three days, and most events are open to the public and free of charge.

Events include:

    * Screenings
    * Panels
    * Workshops
    * Seminars
    * Live music
    * Social and professional networking
    * Parties

A Cajun & Creole Christmas Is One Of The Best Things

According to the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, beginning in mid-November with the Festival of Trees and lasting to Christmas, this event is really a series of holiday events throughout Acadiana, including several different festivals, complete with parades, in Lafayette and surrounding towns.

There are also holiday lightings, tours of spectacularly decorated historic homes, and opportunities to enjoy mouthwatering cuisine, as well as concerts and dance performances, all geared toward filling participants with the Christmas spirit.

Final Thoughts on Making Memories in Cajun Country: 9 Top Family Activities in Lafayette LA

There simply isn’t enough room in one article to mention all the great things to do in Lafayette, Louisiana when the leaves begin to turn and the days grow shorter, so why not plan a trip to the Heart of Acadiana and discover them for yourself? Laissez les bons temps rouler!”