Courtesy of Louisiana's Cajun Bayou
Any gathering is a recipe for a good time along the Cajun Bayou! Food, fun, families...and did we mention food? In a place where cuisine and culture are both hooks on the same line, it's no surprise the highlights of many festivals are delectable specialty dishes or heated cook-offs. In many cases, the food itself is the whole point of the occasion in the first place.
The Cajun Bayou Food Trail, in addition to featuring fifteen landmark eateries, shines a spotlight on six local festivals and events that take place throughout the year along Bayou Lafourche. Thanks to an abundance of natural bounty and rich culinary tradition, there's always a reason to get together and celebrate in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou.
If your palate has been a little too tame lately, the Wild Game Supper hosted every February in Larose by the Bayou Civic Club is a surefire way to liven it up. Besides the duck, deer, and Louisiana seafood familiar to most Southern sportsmen, the supper also features more exotic dishes, including wild boar, ostrich, kangaroo, and even zebra!
The weather isn't the only thing that heats up in May. Get that water ready for the Mud Bug Boil-Off in downtown Thibodaux, when the local Fraternal Order of Police encourage boil-goers to peel those shells and claws for a worthy cause, raising thousands of dollars for local non-profits.
October is a big month for Lafourche food festivals! The Louisiana Gumbo Festival is sure to take any chill that might be sneaking into the air in Chakbay, the Gumbo Capital of Louisiana. (Where else?) The French Food Festival (that's Cajun French, sha) in Larose is a must for anyone interested in the region's signature cuisine, from the curious to the connoisseur. Looking for something even more steeped in tradition? La Fete Des Vieux Temps in Raceland throws back to the “old times” to preserve Cajun customs that might otherwise be lost, including a competition for best sauce piquante, a full-flavored tomato-based delicacy.
In November, Big Boy's Main Street Cook Off draws over 5,000 people to downtown Thibodaux in a cross between a Cajun culinary showcase and a really good block party. Local bands rock the street while 40 teams dish up fare made with bounty from the bayou.
Get your passport and more information on these and other festivals at lacajunbayou.com.
