Plan your Louisiana vacation around the many fun events in St. Martin Parish to fully immerse yourself in the Cajun culture this swampy bayou is known for. If you like spending time in nature and on the water, eating flavorful regional cuisine, and dancing to live zydeco music, St. Martin Parish is for you. Satisfy your appetite at the Crawfish Capital of the World, attend the National Day of the Acadians, and challenge yourself at the Tour du Teche river race. Check out these—and many more—events unique to the area.
March
Acadian Memorial Heritage Festival and Wooden Boat Congrès
Immerse yourself in authentic Cajun culture at the Acadian Memorial Heritage Festival in St. Martin Parish. This free, family-friendly event features live music, food, arts and crafts, demonstrations and children’s activities all centered around the Cajun heritage.
Heartstrings & Angel Wings Gumbo Cookoff
Taste all kinds of gumbo—sausage, seafood, chicken—while supporting a great cause at the annual Heartstrings & Angel Wings Gumbo Cookoff in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. There will be live music, fun for the kids, and lots of delicious gumbo.
April
Fête de la Nature - BioBlitz and Crawfish Benefit
Bring the whole family to celebrate southwest Louisiana’s unique natural environment through music, food, science, and art.
Cycle Zydeco
A self-described “festival on wheels,” Cycle Zydeco is a four-day event of Cajun food, live music, and bicycle tours. Get to the next location by riding your bike down one of at least two provided routes, all of which are designed to include points of interest along the way.
Ride for Rox
Ride for Rox is an annual bike ride in celebration of the life of Roxanne Richard. This year, the ride will be held on the smooth roads of St. Landry Parish and St. Martin Parish. Bayou Teche Brewery will act as the starting point and finish line.
Spring Dinner Tours at McGee’s Landing
Soak in the sunset and enjoy a feast, all while taking a swamp tour. An unforgettable night on the water for friends and family alike.
Parks Cracklin Cookoff
Live Music, family fun, raffles, and arts and crafts are just the tip of the iceberg at the Parks Cracklin Cookoff.
May
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
Breaux Bridge was named the Crawfish Capital of the World in 1959, and the next year the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival was born. This is one of the annual events in St. Martin Parish worth planning your Louisiana vacation around. Enjoy three days (always the first full weekend in May) of nonstop fun filled with authentic zydeco, Cajun, and “Swamp Pop” music, a crawfish eating contest, crawfish races, Cajun and zydeco dance contests, arts and crafts, a carnival midway, and a parade with the Crawfish Queen. Come hungry and try crawfish prepared in every way imaginable—boiled, fried, in étouffée, boudin, jambalaya, pie, bisque…even crawdogs.
July
Petit Tour du Teche
The Petit Tour du Teche is a recreational river race for youth ages 5 to 17. The races range from 250 yards to 1 mile starting at the Parc des Ponts de Pont Breaux Boat Launch.
Parc des Ponts de Pont Breaux Boat Launch
August
Learn all about the Cajun culture at the National Day of the Acadians, a free annual event at the Acadian Memorial. A full day of reenactment performances, film presentations, book signings, Cajun traditions, coffee and conversation in French, genealogy, family banner processional, Acadian history and heritage scavenger hunt, and a Feast of the Assumption French mass featuring the Acadian choir.
October
Tour du Teche
Take the Tour du Teche 135 challenge—a three-day 135-mile river race that begins the first Friday each October. Head out in canoes, kayaks, pirogues, or SUPs and compete in the professional or the recreational categories as you make your way from Port Barre to Berwick. If you don’t think you’re quite up for 135 miles, you can always choose from one of the shorter races.
Shake Your Trail Feather
Join locals and visitors alike to celebrate the 130-mile-long Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail at the annual Shake Your Trail Feather event. This event includes a live music lineup, children’s activities, a bike ride, kayaking, and canoeing with a floating Cajun band escort. You’re encouraged to come dressed in feathers and compete for the “Best Bird Prize” at what has become one of the most beloved events in St. Martin Parish.
Breaux Bridge City Wide Garage Sale
Who doesn’t love a good garage sale? You never know what you’ll find, and that’s especially true for the Breaux Bridge City Wide Garage Sale. Buy or sell arts, crafts, antiques, collectibles, and household goods.
Civic Club de Pont Breaux Garage Sale
You don’t need to hit the high seas to find hidden treasures. You can find them right at the Civic Club de Pont Breaux Garage Sale.
Halloween Art and Nature Festival
All children are invited to Atelier de la Nature, a 25-acre nature reserve and outdoor education campus, where they hold an annual Halloween Art & Nature Festival. This one-day free event celebrates Louisiana’s unique ecosystem just as much as Halloween, featuring music, food, art, and science.
November
Bikes Brews and Omelets Two
Indulge in some of Louisiana’s finest cycling routes, then decompress with great food, beer, and live music only Cajun country can provide. Routes ranging from 10 to 100 miles are available. Can you pull off a 200-mile weekend?
Atchafalaya Basin Festival
The Atchafalaya Basin Festival is a major event for Acadian culture, featuring live performances, tons of local merchandise, live and silent auctions, and, of course, locally inspired cuisine. Known for being a welcoming community to travelers, the Atchafalaya Basic Festival should not be missed. Plus, entry is free!
December
Hanging on the Bayou Car Show
Don’t miss the St. Martinville Kiwanis Club’s annual car & truck show. All proceeds go to helping the children of the community. Prizes and awards will be aplenty, as will some great food.
Christmas Artwalk in Paris a la Breaux Bridge
Nothing brings the community together like a communal Christmas event, and there’s no Christmas event quite like the Christmas Artwalk. Inspired by the atmosphere of Paris, the event takes place in historic downtown Breaux Bridge and features work from local artists, delicious treats, live music, and much more.
St. Lucy Festival of Lights
Take out the whole family to see the lighting of the square in Downtown St. Martinville. Take in some good ol’ fashioned Christmas caroling, get a picture with Santa, watch a movie, enjoy live music, and witness a live nativity scene.
Atchafalaya Christmas at McGee’s Landing
If you’re looking to meet Papa Noël (known in some parts as Santa Clause), there’s no better place than McGee’s Landing, which offers swamp tours led by Papa Noël at Christmastime. The tour will be an hour long and tell the legendary fable of “The Cajun Night Before Christmas.” Tours will conclude with photos, swamp-themed ornament decorating, cookies, candy, and, of course, hot chocolate—all of which is included with the price of the tour.
