To say that I had no idea what to expect when I was invited to experience Cajun Mardi Gras in Lafayette, Louisiana on a press trip in February is something of an understatement. Mardi Gras isn’t widely celebrated here in the UK but I’d seen the crazy New Orleans parades on Youtube. Would it be similar?
I’ve yet to experience the N’awlins version, but my trip to Lafayette during Mardi Gras was a whole lot of good, clean fun.
I visited during ‘Deep Gras’, the booze-and-gumbo-fuelled period that kicks off when Acadiana’s residents get out of work on the Friday, and ends on ‘Fat Tuesday’. By Ash Wednesday, only a smattering of coloured beads swaying from the trees around town prove Mardi Gras ever happened.
The idea behind the Mardi Gras carnival period, traditionally, is to go all-out and feast before fasting for lent – live it up before you give it up, so to speak. And Lafayette certainly knows how to throw one final hurrah.
Although local bars and restaurants cater to those looking to let loose with Mardi Gras themed cocktails in commemorative cups, the Mardi Gras festival in Lafayette is a decidedly family-friendly celebration that offers a good, wholesome alternative to the wilder New Orleans parades.
Not that there aren’t a whole lot of fun, free things to do in New Orleans with kids – but I know which Mardi Gras celebration I’d feel better at with my family!
What makes Cajun Country’s Mardi Gras different?
Watch my full Cajun Mardi Gras video on Youtube
With curious potential Mardi Gras revellers in mind, I wanted to share some insight into the traditions that make Mardi Gras in Cajun Country unique.
Lafayette’s Mardi Gras parades
The Lafayette Mardi Gras parades we attended were tamer than the ones I’ve seen in videos from other areas – but competition is still hot when it comes to collecting beads.
Seasoned carnival goers claim their spots early, with deck chairs and picnics to keep them company. Steaming bowls of gumbo and slices of sickly-sweet King Cake are passed around. According to tradition, the person who gets the pastry slice with the hidden plastic baby inside has to pay for next year’s cake.
Organizations that host Carnival parades, balls and pageants are known in Louisiana as krewes, a title that dates back to the 1800s.
There’s a Krewe de Canailles Walking Parade on Friday night to get the party started, followed by Krewe de Canailles Walking Parade on the Saturday, which follows a longer route. We also attended the Krewe of Bonaparte Mardi Gras Parade and Queen Evangeline’s Parade, where we got to ride on a float!
The green, purple and gold beads thrown into crowds from the floats are universal across all Mardi Gras celebrations, but there were also cuddly toys thrown from floats for the lucky (or more persistent) ones. Kids clung to the barricades ready to grab whatever came their way while their parents chat to neighbours, safe in the knowledge that their kids will be looked over by other locals in the crowd.
The Mardi Gras colours are purple, green and gold so people dress in these shades. Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power.
There are also pageants and balls throughout Mardi Gras where, I’m told, being crowned King or Queen comes with a hefty bill.
All of the local high schools got involved in the parades and some of the dance routines and band performances were super impressive. The carnival atmosphere is joyous and I loved how involved everyone gets!
A Cajun Run: Courir de Mardi Gras
In the rural areas of Lafayette, LA, there’s a unique Mardi Gras tradition called ‘Courir de Mardi Gras’, which is Cajun French for ‘Fat Tuesday Run’. Residents dress in costume and form a parade around the countryside, begging at neighbours doors for ingredients to make a communal gumbo.
Traditionally, the run was a chance to show off your horseback skills and the event was defined by a complete reversal of social order; with men dressed as women and uneducated youths dressed in mortarboards and gowns.
The costumes serve to hide participants’ identities, so things can get a little wild. The anonymity is further enhanced by a traditional altering of consciousness, meaning that drinking and taking mind-altering substances are encouraged in some runs.
Courir de Mardi Gras is typically a men-only event but, fortunately for me, I was able to attend a female-led celebration in Leonville, the ‘Land of the Women’.
The capitan at this run was a woman riding a quad bike, beer in hand and gal pals hitching a ride on either side. It’s her job to obtain permission from local residents for the party to set foot on their land.
People don’t play with each other’s land in Louisiana, I’m told.
As the procession moved through Louisiana’s wide fields, mischief was managed by mudslinging, gentle whipping and dancing along to the travelling band; who just so happened to be the Grammy award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers.
I couldn’t believe such a popular band were performing on a makeshift stage out there in the middle of rural Louisiana! As I danced in the mud with all of these anonymous strangers dressed in colourful rags and masks, I couldn’t help but smile at how wonderfully peculiar life can be.
We were allowed to spectate at this event and everyone was very welcoming, but the courier de Mardi Gras is a community-focused celebration and not all runs are open to outsiders.
If you’re visiting Cajun country during Mardi Gras and want to experience a traditional run, there are larger runs that are more open to tourists. Be careful though – they’re usually less contained, so there’s more chance of casualties.
Today, there are numerous Courirs de Mardi Gras throughout Acadiana, many with the traditional all-men krewes only open to members but also several that cater to women and children.
My Lundi Gras Boucherie experience
Another one-of-a-kind Cajun Mardi Gras culinary tradition is the Lundi Gras Boucherie, held the Monday before Mardi Gras in Lake View Park in Eunice. Vegetarians, look away now. (I’m kidding. I wouldn’t post anything too graphic!)
A hog is slaughtered and butchered, then divided among local chefs who all cook different dishes to feed the attendees in a radical farm-to-table, nose-to-tail experience. There’s no doubt about where your meat comes from in Cajun Country!
Historically in Louisiana, a boucherie was an essential event used to feed the local community when the area was geographically detached from the rest of the world by the swampy landscape.
While the slaughter is less about utility and more about preserving Acadian culture these days, the community is still at the core of this Cajun tradition. I even spotted some of the local teens from the previous day’s run there! (The following day, one of the boys served me at a coffee shop in town. Lafayette definitely isn’t a town where you can remain a faceless stranger for long.)
I looked on from a safe distance as the butcher lifted his teeny son on top of the hog and guided him in slicing it. When the little guy when had finished, the crowd applauded.
Inside the adjacent barn, where a chicken-shaped disco ball hung over the dance floor, a live band got the crowd’s hips swaying. People of all ages two-stepped with their partners. Finally, the food was passed around: pork crackling first, followed by mouthwatering dishes championing each part of the hog.
My day at the boucherie showed me a way of life very different to my own, and I felt very privileged to experience the event with all the locals as they celebrated their heritage and culture.
My huge thanks to the people of Lafayette and surrounding areas for opening your community to us and letting us experience the truly unique event that is Cajun Mardi Gras firsthand!
Most of these Cajun Mardi Gras celebrations are free to attend. You simply pay for your food and drink.
I loved my time in Lafayette and can highly recommend Lafayette’s Cajun Mardi Gras if you’re looking for a family-friendly, traditional Mardi Gras experience where you can really immerse yourself in the local way of life.
Would you like to see it for yourself? Let me know in a comment!
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was hosted by Lafayette Travel for this press trip before any travel restrictions were in place. Views are my own.
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