Festivals Acadiens et Créoles 2010

Fall is festival time in South Louisiana, cher!

Our favorite festival was held in Girard Park in Lafayette, LA last weekend.  Of course, we were there...wouldn't miss it.  And this year I had the whole weekend off!

I'll start with the food. 
Who doesn't like festival food?  But I have to say that the food at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles seems better than most.  At least I think so.  And there's a good variety.  The food portion is actually considered it's own little festival: The Bayou Food Festival.

Every year I make goo-goo eyes at the crawfish pistolettes from Poupart Bakery (Lafayette, LA) but for some reason choose something else.  This year I promised myself I'd give in.  A pistolette is a small French bread roll.  This one is stuffed with something more or less like crawfish etouffee...crawfish, onions, and bell pepper sautéed together.  Also had a good kick to it.  Made me wish I had gotten one all these years instead of just flirting with the dang things.

If there's a chance to eat alligator, The Boy will take it.  I think he likes the idea of chompin' down on something that could potentially chomp him.  He chose the alligator po'boy from Lagneaux's Restaurant (Lafayette, LA), just like he did last year.  There are good points and bad about this.  The good is that the alligator is tender and there's plenty of it.  The bad is that no true po'boy should be served on what amounts to a hot dog bun.  But we've been through this before, you and I.  I'm a po'boy snob.

The Husband chose the fried stuffed catfish, also from Lagneaux's.  I didn't try it, but he said it was good.  Although he couldn't quite figure out what the fish was stuffed with.  We think it was crab.  No matter what the stuffing was, The Husband was pleased that there was stuffing in every bite and not just the center of the filet.  At first he was disappointed that Lagneaux's didn't have jambalaya this year, but this restaurant is known for their fried seafood and the fish didn't disappoint.

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The food is great and all, but the real reason people come from far and wide is for the Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco music.

We had to miss one of our favorites and all around nice guy, Joe Hall & The Louisiana Cane Cutters.  We also had to miss a talented young musician from our neck of the woods, Kyle Huval & The Dixie Club Ramblers. 

But we had a very good reason...

Cher, little boy!
Photo courtesy of Mr. Ganey Arsement of The Lakeside Gamblers

The Boy...MY Boy was asked to play at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles this year.  Ok.  Ok.  He didn't play on the main stages, but he played at what is probably the most important Cajun & Creole music festival around.

Of course, I'd like to show all the videos I took (he played 4 songs plus one with a youth band).  But I'll spare you the gushy mommy moment...

Except to add that this summer, he also won a New Dawn Award from the Acadiana Charter Chapter of the Cajun French Music Association.  This award is given to promising young musicians ages 7-13 and can only be awarded once in a person's lifetime.  All right.  Enough. 

His performance was part of a round-up of young musicians who attended the Cajun & Creole Summer Camp for Kids organized by Louisiana Folk Roots.  The LFR tent tends to get overlooked, I imagine because of all the big names in Cajun & Creole music playing on the main stages.  But I really think people are missing out. The programs sponsored by LFR are both entertaining and educational.  The LFR tent is an intimate setting where musicians not only play but also discuss their craft and who/what has influenced them, and they take questions from the audience.  For example, LFR scheduled a conversation/interview between the founder of this festival, Dr. Barry Ancelet (left) and Cajun/Zydeco superstar and this year's honoree, Wayne Toups (right).   

LFR also sponsors a jam tent, featuring jams led by established Cajun & Creole musicians.  The Husband & The Boy played in the jam led by Joe Hall.  The only thing I can play is the radio.

So what about all this music I mentioned?
We were able to catch T-Sale, Ryan Brunet and the Malfaicteurs, Horace Trahan and the New Ossun Express, Robert Jardell and Pure Cajun, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Savoy Family Band with Steve Riley, my favorite: Lost Bayou Ramblers , and They Boy's favorite: Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys.

I didn't get photos or video of everything.  It was a hot weekend here and I spent a lot of time sitting in the shade with a beverage.  Or two.  Or three.  But here are a few I did get shots of.

Oh, and HERE are last year's pics and videos in case you missed the rainy, muddy fun.

Steve Riley

BeauSoleil

Dancers

Horace Trahan

A little taste of Zydeco from Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express

Climbing this tree is a Festival tradition

Louis Michot of Lost Bayou Ramblers

The Lost Bayou Ramblers always keep it interesting.  This is one of their signature moves.
And just when you wonder what they'll come up with next...

They start passing their instruments across the crowd...

There it goes...Bye-bye
I love those guys!