The Beaucoup writers attended Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, below are their thoughts.
Jenna Kimball
News Writer
On Saturday, I went with a friend to Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in Girard Park.
It was my first time ever going so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a really cool experience.
There was music in every corner and food and drink trucks everywhere.
There were so many people, we got separated trying to find the bathroom and had to call each other to reunite.
My friend and I had gone out to eat right before the festival so we weren’t very hungry, but we got Dippin’ Dots and a soda for dessert from one of the food trucks. There weren’t any empty open seats by the time we were ready to sit down, so we found a spot in the grass and enjoyed our food.
Overall, the festival was amazing and I can’t wait to go again next year.
Morgan Parker
L’Acadien Editor-In-Chief
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles was a great experience of music and art. Although this year I didn’t try the food, my friends and I enjoyed the festivities. My favorite art booth was the UL Lafayette Ceramics booth where the students were able to display their art and do live demonstrations of pottery-making. I was able to talk with Professor John Gargano, head of the ceramics department, who has been teaching at UL Lafayette for 25 years. My favorite band at Festival this year was probably The Doopsie Family, including Rocky Doopsie, who I found out has a ton of credits to his name including performing with Beyoncé.
In addition to music and art, there were also some generally cool people including these two artists playing music around the festival on two washboards shaped like fish. Festival Acadiens, although being a great time, was hot and frequent breaks and steps into the shade absolutely make the festival bearable.
Caitlyn Comeaux
Editor-In-Chief
Every year, I know festival weekend rolls around when I wake up to the sound of Zydeco music from outside my apartment. I should go more often considering how close I live to Girard Park. I went early on Saturday morning, and the heat was not as unbearable as I expected; I still, however, highly recommend wearing some form of SPF.
The music was great and I could hear it from all corners of the park. I walked around the food vendors while listening to the sound of accordions and laughing children. To beat the heat, I got a wedding cake-flavored snowball and stood under the shade of an oak tree while I watched the music performance.
I didn’t stay long before I went to the Dupré library to cool off, but I had so much fun dancing and enjoying the sunshine. I left mildly sunburned, in need of a nap and humming one of the songs from the festival setlist.
Reese Provost
News Writer
The first time I attended Festival Acadiens was completely by chance. I ran into some friends on campus who were already going, and they convinced me to go with them. Since then, I have made it a point to go every year, and every time I find something new to enjoy.
This year, I paid special attention to the music.
I was never the biggest fan of Cajun, Creole or Zydeco music, but watching it live makes it enjoyable for me. Watching each member of a band put so much care and attention into the instrument they’re playing to make a song with their other band members is always an impactful experience.
Watching the crowds dance, and even dancing myself, was just as good as watching the band play. I only watched one band’s set too. There were plenty of other bands waiting to share their music also. Anyone interested should stop by and experience the festival for themselves.