Almost Time for Festival International!

Five days of music, food and fun, coming right up! On April 22-26, downtown Lafayette will be filled with the best bands from Acadiana, the United States, Canada, and 17 countries from all over the world. With over 100 performances scheduled, this year's festival is expected to bring in a record number of festival goers. If you have never been to this festival, you need to mark your calendar as one that you don't want to miss. For those of you who have, need I say more?

In addition to all of the fabulous music, there will be lots of delicious Cajun and Creole cusine at the LUS Pavillon De Cuisine, featuring my favorite food booths, Bon Creole Seafood, ( best crawfish poboys) and Broussard's Cajun Cooking. New this year is the Cirque de la Rue, with street performers from around the world on April 23-26. From Dwyer's Cafe on Jefferson Street towards the Natural History Museum, on Vine St., this new venue will highlight groups such as New Orleans Zulu Connection and Brazil's "Ile Aiye". Also new this year is the new location for Scene Heritage which will be located next to The Filling Station Pub and Grille on Jefferson Street. A favorite part of the Festival International for me is the Marche Du Monde and the Marche Des Arts, which has an excellent display of southern and international arts and crafts.

And there is no admission charge, for this wonderful festival, but you may want to purchase a festival pin, to keep the festival free. This year's musical line up, alone, will assure you of one of the best times that you've ever had. Marc Broussard, Zachary Richard, (Louisiana) Bertrand Laurence, (France), Les Chevres a Pull, (Belgium), and Locos Por Juana, (Argentina) just to name a few of my favorites. For a complete schedule and festival map for the 23rd annual Festival International, click here. Come on out and enjoy the beautiful weather and everything that one of the finest festivals in Louisiana has to offer. Festival International de Louisiane! Let the Good Times Roll, Cher!