Festival International de Louisiane

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Anyone looking for a reason to feel proud to a Louisianian need only tune into the exciting slate of virtual and immersive events centered in Downtown Lafayette for 2021's Festival International de Louisiane. Building on the success and originality of last year's Virtual Festival, organizers have drawn on the energy of collaboration and innovation to ensure that the Festival spirit lives on, even as we continue to navigate a world not quite rid of the coronavirus. Centered around the theme of "commUNITY," this year's event will take advantage of the chance to celebrate the remarkable spirit of the Acadiana culture immediately around us—with all of its resilience and diversity and vibrancy, while still drawing in the international community through virtual events with Festival friends the world over.

In addition to a busy schedule of music and other creative programming both livestreamed and in person in Downtown Lafayette, organizers have collaborated with restaurateurs around town to present the month-long city-wide culinary event: FEASTival International, an admirable challenge to fill the already-culinarily-endowed city with the best in festival-inspired street food (that crawfish boat is already calling your name. There's also a chance to work the beignet belly off with the Virtual Courir du Festival, which invites runners (or walkers) to "make their own adventure" for this year's 5K. In addition to your usual speedy-gonzales trophies, awards will be given for the largest team, the course run farthest from Lafayette, and the wildest adventure course. The race can be run any time during Festival week from April 19–25. Registration is $35 before March 31 and $40 until April 24. 

 Find the full schedule and more at festivalinternational.org and be sure to tune into Virtual Fest at the Festival Internationale de Louisiane Facebook page. 

Recommended reading: 

Nalini Raghavan's Festival International's Indigenous Peoples from the April 2014 issue. 

Chris Ortte's Will Work for Festival  from the April 2015 issue.