15 Fun Things To Do In & Around Lafayette, Louisiana

For my first ever trip to the southern United States, I visited Lafayette in Louisiana on a press trip to experience Cajun country’s Mardi Gras with Lafayette Travel. Between parades, we discovered some of the most fun things to do in Lafayette.

Lafayette is the hub city of Louisiana’s Cajun & Creole Country on the American southern Gulf Coast. A cocktail of European, Caribbean and African influences bestow a unique charm on the destination.

Lafayette is like nowhere I’ve ever been before and it made me want to see more of the south  – when travel is back to whatever shade of normal we can salvage, that is.

Upon touching down in Louisiana, I quickly learned that life in Lafayette revolves around the three holy pillars: food, community and live music.

Almost more Caribbean in its culture and aesthetic than it is southern, Lafayette is surrounded by swamps and bayous.

It’s known as the happiest city in America, and my first taste of its famous southern hospitality from grinning locals had this British gal sold on that idea.

Fun things to do in Lafayette and surrounding areas

Here’s the lowdown on what to do in Lafayette: the hub city and beyond.

Watch my Youtube video about Cajun Mardi Gras in Lafayette

1. Start the day with a Zydeco breakfast at Buck and Johnny’s

Zydeco is a style of African American music that originated in the south of Louisiana. Its ability to get your toes tapping is remarkable! I developed a taste for it when I spent my first morning in the States joining locals two-stepping to a live band at this packed bar near Lafayette.

The Zydeco Brunch happens every Saturday during the breakfast service. The food is typically southern.

Order Beignets and Troubled Water to start, followed by a Buck and Jonny’s specialty such as Cajun Swamp Rice or the Don’t Mess with My Tasso.

They have 15 dollar Cajun Bloody Marys, if you’re looking to kick brunch up a notch before you hit the dance floor.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere at B&J’s. It was just so different to anything I’d seen back home! A breakfast party there has got to be one of the best things to do in Breaux Bridge, which is a city near Lafayette.

If you want to keep going after the music stops, move on to Tante Marie down the street for a jam session then wind up back at B&J’s in the afternoon.

2. Learn about Lafayette’s past at Vermillionville

Vermillionville is a Cajun and Creole living history museum named after the area’s original title. It’s spread over 23 acres so you can easily spend a whole day there, and there’s an on-site restaurant with reasonable prices.

You can take a self-guided tour around the original period buildings and the costumed historians working there will tell you stories about life in 19th-century Acadania.

They have a lot of fascinating information to share, and this is a great way to immerse yourself in the history of Lafayette.

If you go to Vermillionville on a Sunday you can catch live Zydeco music in one of the buildings.

Check tour prices on Viator

3. See the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

Originally named l’Église St-Jean du Vermilion, this beautiful cathedral is one of Lafayette’s top attractions.

The red and white brick building stands proudly above the cityscape, so you can’t miss it while you’re walking around downtown Lafayette.

The cathedral is beautifully maintained. Some of the features of note are the stained glass from Munich which depicts the life of the patron, oil paintings of Christ and the Apostles, and a grand Casavant Frères organ.

4. Dance the night away at Rock’n’Bowl

If you’re looking for an off-the-wall date night in Lafayette, head down to Rock’n’Bowl. I felt like I was in a movie!

Rock’n’Bowl is a ten-pin bowling alley with a difference: there’s a huge dance floor and a stage with live music in the centre of the lanes!

While the younger clientele aims for a strike, the rest of the crowd takes over the dance floor in pairs.

As a British girl, I can’t even imagine my male relatives anywhere near a dance floor so I felt quite emotional watching this wholesome fun play out! The fact that everyone dances in Lafayette made me fall a little bit in love with the place.

5. Join locals at a Boucherie

Attending a boucherie is one of the more unique experiences to have in South Louisiana. It’s a Cajun tradition that dates back to a time when butchering a hog was a necessary part of feeding the community, so everyone in the area mucked in.

We attended a boucherie at Lakeview Beach Park in Eunice and (thankfully) arrived after the slaughter. I’m glad I didn’t witness that bit, but I did enjoy the overall experience for its community focus.

While the pig was divided among the local chefs housed under a gazebo outside, the rest of the community got the party going in the big barn.

Everyone, awkward teenaged couples and creaky-hipped grandparents included, made for the dance floor. Drinks flowed and soon, heaped plates of pork were passed around. Every part of that pig was devoured!

It’s worth checking if your visit to South Louisiana coincides with a boucherie. The Lundi Gras Boucherie is a Cajun Mardi Gras tradition but there are events throughout the year.

6. Find live music – any night of the week

Lafayette is the self-proclaimed Free Music Capital of the World and there’s live Cajun, Creole and Zydeco music playing at bars all over the city from Wednesday to Sunday.

You can of course find live performances on a Monday or Tuesday night too, but you might have to venture outside of town. I personally loved the singers at Agave, a Mexican place on Vermillion Street.

Almost every bar we went to had a live band playing, and I learned a lot about South Louisiana’s musical past during our trip.

7. Follow the Boudin Trail

I had never even heard of Boudin before my trip to Lafayette but I think I ate it every day while I was there – and every single ‘link’ was different to the last.

Boudin is a type of sausage that’s a little like black pudding. The Cajun version typically contains pork and rice, and the spicy flavour really packs a punch.

One of the more unique tourist attractions in Lafayette is the Boudin Trail. Can you work your way around some of the best boudin in the city? It’s quite a challenge!

8. Wander around the Hilliard Art Museum

If the weather isn’t on your side, this is one of the best things to do in Lafayette when it rains. The Hilliard Art Museum‘s permanent collection consists of 18th through 21st century European, Asian and American art works. 

There were some inspiring exhibitions when I visited, including Vitus Shell’s ‘Bout It, ‘Bout It, The Political Power Of Just Being’.

If you’re lost for things to do in Lafayette with kids, the museum has ‘Toddler Time’ that should keep them entertained.

The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays, so plan your visit accordingly. Adult entry is $5.

9. Visit a microbrewery

I developed a taste for the New Orleans raspberry beer Purple Haze during my time in Louisiana, but there are craft breweries local to Lafayette that you can support.

Parish Brewing in Broussard produce special brews like Ghost in the Machine and Opus Vert. You can take a tour of their taproom on Saturdays and they have Trivia Night on Thursdays.

Bayou Teche Brewing in St. Martin Parish is around 25 minutes in a car from Lafayette. It’s a family-run brewery and they host events throughout the year.

Try their signature brews like Biere Pale Ale, Ragin’ Cajun Ale & Lager, and Swamp Thing IPA. Cheers!

10. Shop in Downtown Lafayette

I spent my last morning in Lafayette trawling the shops in the Downtown area, stopping for a caffeine hit at Rêve Coffee Roasters, which has a surprisingly hipster edge that seems incongruent with the city itself.

I was pleased to find some hidden gems on the high street (are they called high streets in America?), including Genterie, which feels like a homegrown Urban Outfitters, and indie music store Lagniappe Records. Take home some ‘Swamp Pop’ on new or used vinyl as a souvenir of your trip.

If you’re shopping for gifts, Parish Ink is a good choice. They print t-shirts focused on their South Louisiana roots that express the cultural nuances of the area.

I keep wishing I’d bought the ‘Mais Bruh’ shirt – or how about one stating, ‘I wanna be loved bayou’?

You can also catch Lafayette Farmers Market at Moncus Park on Saturdays.

11. Slurp a drive-thru daiquri

Yes, you read that right. Lafayette is home to more than one daiquiri bar offering a drive-thru service. It blew my mind!

The menus are extensive, offering everything from White Russian flavour to strawberry daiquiris. Like you need any more reasons to visit?

Not gonna lie, this was one of my most memorable activities in Lafayette.

Just don’t put the straw in the slot until you’ve finished driving (because that’s how they keep things legal). Only in Louisiana!

12. Attend one of Lafayette’s festivals

It’s worth timing your trip to Lafayette to coincide with one of the various festivals taking place there throughout the year.

The Festival International de Louisiane is the largest with entertainment on seven stages, but there are also festivals dedicated entirely to shrimp, boudin and Zydeco across the cultural calendar.

Of course, Mardi Gras is celebrated at the beginning of the year and the Cajun version is a little different to anywhere else’s.

You can read my blog post about what makes Cajun Mardi Gras different to find out more.

13. Visit the Tabasco factory

Located around 20 miles south of Lafayette, the Tabasco factory on Avery Island is a must-visit while you’re in Lafayette.

There’s a museum where you can learn all about the history of the McIlhenny family, who invented the hot sauce in 1868 and still run the company today.

I know what you’re thinking – does hot sauce have that much of a story to tell? But the museum is surprisingly engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

You can see the iconic sauce being made and get samples in the tasting room. They have a wacky souvenir shop and restaurant on the surprisingly attractive premises. Try the Tabasco ice cream!

After your Tabasco factory visit, you can also explore Jungle Gardens, a 170-acre bird sanctuary and botanical garden founded by Edward McIlhenny. He did a lot for conservation of the local ecosystem.

14. Spot alligators on a swamp tour

One of the more adventurous things to do near Lafayette is a trip out into the swampy landscape. We got to enjoy a tour of Atchafalaya Basin Landing on an airboat.

Wrapped up in the blankets they hand out before you board, I found myself wondering why I would need layers on such a warm day. I quickly learned why.

The air chilled as we glided noisily over the murky water barely making a ripple, and I was glad of the extra insulation.

We were lucky enough to see a couple of alligators as well as some turtles and birds during our tour.

Our guide had been conducting tours of the basin for 30 years and seemed to know the swamp like the back of his hand, which blew my mind.

15. Browse Breaux Bridge’s antique stores

There are a number of quirky shops in Downtown Breaux Bridge, so if you don’t fancy carrying on in the bars after breakfast at Buck and Johnny’s, you can still kill some time in town perusing their wares.

Check out the 17,000 square-foot marketplace that is Lagniappe Antiques, Au Vieux Paris Antiques and the Breaux Bridge Antique Mall on Bridge Street. I could have spent hours searching for treasures there.

Find more things to do in Louisiana here

Where to stay in Lafayette

We stayed at the DoubleTree Hilton which is always a safe bet. Got to love those freshly baked cookies they hand out at check-in!

One of the most unique places to stay in Lafayette is Crawfish Haven/Mrs. Rose’s Bed and Breakfast. You can stay on a crawfish farm and harvest your own crawfish, see how it is cooked, then eat them.

Search for more accommodation in Lafayette using the booking.com map below.

Booking.com

How to get to Lafayette

I flew from London to Dallas, and from there it’s a short flight to the tiny Lafayette International Airport.

If you hire a car in New Orleans, the drive to Lafayette takes between two and three hours depending on traffic.

Best time of year to visit Lafayette

My visit was in February for Mardi Gras. The weather was a little unpredictable but we mostly got lucky, with only one afternoon of heavy rain.

The best time to visit Lafayette is in Spring or Fall, so you avoid the stifling heat of summer. I quickly learned that it gets much colder when it rains in Lafayette!

How many days to spend in Lafayette

I’d say three to four days should be enough to get around the main attractions in Lafayette. Of course, if you’re charmed by the local nightlife and love to dance, you might want to stay longer.

I hope you’ve found my guide to what to in Lafayette helpful for planning your trip!

Check out my Mardi Gras Instagram story highlight on my profile and follow me on Facebook and Twitter for more travel updates. I also have a Youtube channel.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I visited Lafayette for a press trip before travel restrictions were introduced. All views are my own and this content is not sponsored.

Pin this

• 

•