Just a few miles inland from the tides of the Gulf, beyond the waters of Vermilion Bay on the Vermilion-Iberia Parish line, sits the small fishing town of Delcambre. Here, deep in the heartland of Acadiana, the shrimping industry is intrinsic to the way of life and has been since the first Cajuns arrived on our swampy shores. So much so, in fact, that when the third weekend of August rolls around each year, the coastal community throws an annual festival to celebrate their prized seafood commodity, inviting all to pull on their best white rubber shrimping boots for the festivities, which run five days long.
From August 18-22, the citywide festival offers a slate of events, including a street fair with carnival rides, a boat parade, a fireman water fight, and fais-do-dos every day at the Shrimp Festival Grounds on Main Street as swamp-pop and zydeco bands provide live entertainment. Hungry revelers will also be able to enjoy their seafood in every dish conceivable as the shrimp cook-off commences. The festival closes out on Sunday with a special mass followed by the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet ceremony. Find admission pricing, event details, and more at shrimpfestival.net.
For over seventy-nine years, the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival has celebrated our state’s sweetest crop, with New Iberia playing host to twenty-four sugar-producing parishes as the season comes to a close the last weekend in September. This year's festival returns September 23-26, and attendees can expect a full lineup of sucrose-themed events, including a block party, fais do-do, Blessing of the Crop ceremony, art exhibits, a horticulture show, fireworks, a parade, and, of course, the coronation of Queen Sugar among her royal court. Head to New Iberia's historic district and follow the crowds; for full event details, hisugar.org has you covered.
At one of the state’s most highly anticipated culinary competitions—which also happens to be known as Louisiana's own "Gumbo Superbowl,"—more than one hundred teams flock to Iberia Parish during the second weekend of October each year to prove their mama's recipe is really the best, and arise before dawn to begin preparing their take on the beloved dish. This year marks the thirty-first annual World Championship Gumbo Cookoff, where competitors' kitchens and supporters take over Bouligny Parish in downtown New Iberia to the beat of free live Cajun and Zydeco music.
For more upcoming events and things to do in Iberia Parish, head to iberiatravel.com and request your Visitor Guide, chock-full with everything you need to know (and more, including lodging information and area discounts and specials) for your trip to Cajun Country.
Photos courtesy of the Louisiana Office of Tourism
