Everyone has heard of the world famous Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but Lafayette has the second biggest celebration in Louisiana, and is second to none, when it comes to throwing this party of all parties!We are quite a bit more family oriented and have very little crime, when over 300,000 visitors descend on Cajun Country! It's a shindig that you'll never forget and is so much fun!!!
It's a magical time of year when we get to go to fancy balls, wear outrageous costumes, listen to and dance to great music, go to fantastic parades and catch lots of beads, and eat lots of fabulous food! Lafayette rolls out the red carpet for visitors from around the world and does so in a style that is uniquely "Lafayette". Good old Cajun hospitality, at it's best.
"Le Festival de Mardi Gras des Lafayette" is held at Cajun Field and has 2 music stages, with many great Cajun and Zydeco bands playing, throughout Mardi Gras, a giant amusement park, and is at the tail end of all big parades. Many floats hold off on throwing huge batches of beads until the end, so this can also be a great spot to catch beads, too. The Bayou Boys were rockin' the crowd, last year, on Mardi Gras Day! A bon ton, cher!
Then, there is the Krewe des Chiens parade in Downtown Lafayette. That's right, a doggie parade that is very popular and so much fun! Last year, my favorite entry was this cute wagon with "Daisy and Angel", dressed in their Mardi Gras finery. And loved this doggie float, too! (click to enlarge)
Then, on Fat Tuesday, there are three parades and the beads are really flying at these. Here's a little clip from The 2009' Independent Parade. Let the good times roll, cher! For a complete Lafayette Mardi Gras schedule, click here. Merci beaucoup for stopping by!
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