LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

Lafayette, LA is in the heart of the region called Acadiana, consisting of 22 parishes. The Cajun region of Louisiana is known as Acadiana. The term Acadiana encompasses the Cajun & Creole Country, land settled generations ago.

Cajun Jam Session at "Joie de Vivre"

Cajun culture began with the arrival of French Acadians, french speaking people from Canada, who migrated to and settled in Louisiana between 1765-1785 after the English stripped them of their land and exiled them.  Over 3,000 of them made their way to Louisiana. 

Crawfish Capital of the World

Breaux Bridge, LA is located just east of Lafayette, LA.  Because of the crawfish farming and cooking the state legislature designated it as "la capitale Mondiale de I'ecrevisse". Native Americans in this area are credited with first harvesting and eating crawfish before the Cajuns arrived. It took some time to convince Cajuns to eat crawfish but by the 1930s they were seen as a good source of protein, especially for the poor Cajuns. 

Acadiana produces the most crawfish in the state and has the most crawfish acreage. The Atchafalaya Basin with its varied region of rivers, bayous and swamps iis the largest swamp in the country. 

Where do the crawfish come from?  First you need rice. Farmers use rice fields as crayfish ponds by adding crawfish seed to the rice bed. So they actually grow two different crops in the same field.  

Going for Lunch on the Levee

Where's the Beef?

"Laissez les bon temps rouler!" Let the Good Times Roll!