Mardi Gras season signals a time of celebration—especially in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole Country, famous for letting the good times roll, or as Lafayette locals say, laissez les bons temps rouler.
Dubbed the “Happiest City in America” by the Wall Street Journal, Lafayette invites you to let loose and experience all the revelry of Mardi Gras in a family-friendly atmosphere.
Though Carnival season officially kicks off on January 6, the Epiphany holiday, the main Mardi Gras celebrations span the two weekends leading up to Mardi Gras Day (February 13 this year) in Lafayette. Festivities include parades, old-fashioned Mardi Gras runs (or courir de Mardi Gras), and, of course, plenty of king cake.
Courir de Mardi Gras
One of the more unique celebrations in the Lafayette area is the courir de Mardi Gras. The origins of this celebration date to medieval France, where disguised revelers dressed in mocking costumes would visit homes on Mardi Gras Day.
The smaller towns surrounding Lafayette celebrate the courir with costumed men and women on horseback and trucks. They travel the countryside singing their town’s version of “La Chanson de Mardi Gras” while begging residents for ingredients for a gumbo, usually with a musical band and onlookers following behind. Once they arrive in town, a communal gumbo is cooked and enjoyed. For more information on this tradition, head to this link.
King Cake
King cakes date back to medieval Europe when a cake was baked on the eve of January 6, the celebration of the Epiphany, with a small token or fève hidden inside. Whoever received the token in their slice became royalty for the night. The original French cakes, known as the galette des rois, were round, reflecting the route taken by the Magi to confuse King Herod. Several bakeries in town offer the French-style galette des rois for purchase, including Poupart’s.
The brioche-style king cakes, more common locally, differ from the traditional galette des rois. Louisiana’s brioche-style king cakes are oval and decorated in the Carnival colors of purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Some are plain with only decorated sugar on top. In contrast, others are filled with delicious things like cream cheese, fruit preserves, and praline filling. For a list of places offering king cakes in Lafayette, and those that deliver, head here.
Parades
Parades in Lafayette span the two weekends leading up to Fat Tuesday, beginning with Krewe de Canailles on Friday, February 2, followed by Krewe des Chiens and Krewe of Rio on Saturday, February 3. Saturday, February 10, hosts two parades, starting with the Children’s Parade and followed by Krewe of Bonaparte.
Lundi Gras evening, February 12, is Queen Evangeline’s Parade, and on Mardi Gras Day, February 13, there are three parades in Lafayette: the long-standing King Gabriel’s Parade followed by the Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade and ending with the Independent Parade. For a complete list of Mardi Gras events in Lafayette and surrounding areas, head here.
There is no better place to broaden your horizons than by exploring the rich cultural history, incredible culinary creations, and distinctive Cajun and zydeco music scene found in Lafayette. So, head on down to Lafayette and enjoy the fête—and don’t forget to shout, “Throw me something, mister!”
