LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Festival Acadiens et Créoles concluded its celebration with a musical performance by Wayne Toups, marking the end of an event that has showcased Zydeco, Cajun and Creole culture for over 50 years.

The Lafayette festival is a free event that highlights the region’s rich cultural history through music, food and community activities. This year’s festival featured participation from students of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Hospitality Management program, who gained hands-on experience by serving visitors.

“My favorite part about the festival is more of its camaraderie; everybody is coming together and we’re all peaceful. It’s very peaceful,” said Koi Thomas, a festival attendee.

Fabiola Cantu, a student from UL who worked at the festival, expressed her enjoyment.

“I love seeing the people and just understanding the culture,” said Cantu. “I’m new to the area, actually. The food, the zydeco dancing and the music. It’s just wonderful, in my opinion.”

Organizers noted that this year’s turnout was a sign that Acadiana’s culture is alive and thriving, with numerous food vendors and music tents attracting visitors from across the region.

Thomas emphasized the importance of attending the festival.

“If you’re not at the festival, you should have been here,” said Thomas. “That’s about it.”

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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