A Zydeco Dancer's Travel Guide to Louisiana

This practical guide helps you plan a zydeco dancing vacation in Louisiana, including some Cajun dancing. Lafayette makes a good central base for your Louisiana dancing vacation.

Index to sections further below:

• When to Go Dancing in Louisiana
• Recommended Louisiana Zydeco Bands
• Before You Go to Louisiana
• As Soon As You Arrive in New Orleans
• Where to Stay in New Orleans
• Where to Dance in New Orleans
• As Soon as You Arrive in Lafayette
• Where to Stay in Lafayette
• Where to Dance in Acadiana (Southwest Louisiana)
• Other Recommended Activities in Louisiana
• Recommended Guidebook

We base the following guide upon two trips to Louisiana in May and November of 1995 (click to see these articles) plus further research.

When to Go Dancing in Louisiana:

February through May and September through October have pleasant weather and many festivals. Be prepared for high heat and humidity in June through August. Get the latest event guides & dates from sources listed in "Before you go to Louisiana." Some of the major zydeco and/or Cajun events are listed below. Call before going, as some events are subject to change.

• [*Z/C] Sunday, January 18, 1998: Lake Charles. Martin Luther King Jr. Zydeco Extravaganza, top zydeco bands, in the middle of 11 days of events honoring MLK Jr. Tourist info: 1-800-456-7952. Yearly the Sunday before the third Monday (Martin Luther King Day) in January.
• [*Z] Saturday, January 24, 1998: Melrose, at St. Augustine Church. Creole Heritage Day. Taste Fest and zydeco music. (318) 352-6894
• [*Z/C] Fat Tuesday, February 24, 1998 (plus the previous 2 weeks): Attend the local celebrations of Mardi Gras in Cajun Country on Sunday, Monday, and "Fat Tuesday" in Lafayette 1-800-346-1958, Mamou (318) 468-3272, Church Point (318) 684-3030, Iota (318) 779-2456, Eunice (318) 457-2565, or many more towns. Note that the extravagant Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans can be very crowded. Future dates of Fat Tuesday: February 16, 1999; March 7, 2000; February 27, 2001; February 12, 2002; March 4, 2003; February 24, 2004; February 8, 2005; February 28, 2006
• [Z] Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, 1998: Lake Charles. Black Heritage Festival. (318) 475-5923.
• [Z] Saturday-Sunday, March 14-15, 1998: New Orleans. Black Heritage Festival. (504) 827-0112.
• [Z/C] Friday-Sunday, April 17-19, 1998: New Orleans. French Quarter Festival. Outdoor music (including some zydeco & Cajun), food, fireworks, concerts. 1-800-673-5725 or (504) 522-5730.
• [*Z/C] Tuesday-Sunday, April 21-26, 1998: Lafayette. Festival International de Louisiana. Biggest and best French-heritage festival in America, and best FREE music festival of the South. Book flights, hotel, and car months in advance. 1-800-346-1958 or (318) 232-8086.
• [*Z/C] April 24-26, April 30-May 3, 1998: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Fair Grounds Race Track. Performers announced in February. Crowds estimated at 400,000. Offers varied world-class music, including Cajun and zydeco. (504) 522-4786 or 1-800-488-5252. Offbeat Magazine lists three times its normal number of area dancing events at this time. Book your flights, hotel, and car months in advance. Also check schedule in www.yatcom.com/neworl/jfest/jfesttop.html. Held annually, the last weekend in April (Friday through Sunday), and first weekend in May (Thursday through Sunday).
• [Z/C] April 30-May 3 and May 7-10, 1998: Lake Charles. Contraband Days. (318) 436-5508 or 1-800-456-SWLA or (318) 436-9588. Future dates: April 27 - May 9, 1999.
• [*Z/C] Friday-Sunday, May 1-3, 1998: Breaux Bridge. Two big festivals: 1. Crawfish Festival (318) 332-6655 and 2. Breaux Bridge Crustacean Festival 1-800-346-1958. Zydeco dancing in Creole festival at National Guard Armory; Cajun dancing at the Cajun festival in Parc Hardy. Great food, music, and dancing. Held yearly, the first full weekend in May, Friday-Sunday. Future dates: April 30 & May 1-2, 1999; May 4-6, 2000.
• [*Z] Sunday, May 24, 1998: Lafayette, indoor Blackham Coliseum. Zydeco Extravaganza, for 12 hours. Yearly, the Sunday before Memorial Day. (318) 234-9695 or 1-800-346-1958.
• [C] Sunday, June 28, 1998: Westwego. Festival Des Cadiens. Cajun dancing & lessons in the Fireman's Hall. (504) 899-0615. (Twice yearly.)
• [Z/C] Friday nights, September/October/November: Downtown Alive! in Lafayette. FREE music, often Cajun or zydeco. 1-800-346-1958
• [Z] Saturday, September 5, 1998: Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival. From Plaisance, go west on Highway 167 to Southern Development Farm. This festival has been voted one of the top events in the southeastern United States, and includes 13 hours of top zydeco bands. Be prepared for crowds & hot weather. Call (318) 942-2392, or 1-800-424-5442 (Opelousas Chamber of Commerce). Internet address: www.zydeco.org/index.html. Held yearly on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. The kick-off dance is usually held Friday evening at Slim's Y-Ki-Ki, located on Highway 182 north of Opelousas.
• [*Z] Sunday, September 6, 1998: Saint Martinville. Creole Zydeco Festival. (318) 394-4635.
• [*Z] Monday, September 7, 1998 (Labor Day): Lake Charles. Boozoo's Dog Hill Day. (318) 478-5855.
• [Z] Saturday, September 12, 1998: Lake Charles. Bayou Blues & Zydeco Fest. (318) 475-5123 or 1-800-456-SWLA.
• [Z] Sunday, September 13, 1998: French Settlement. Creole Festival. (504) 698-9886.
• [*Z/C] Friday-Sunday, September 18-20, 1998: Lafayette. Festivals Acadiens, an important cultural event. Dance Friday through Sunday. Regional music, food, and crafts attracting over 100,000 visitors. 1-800-346-1958.
• [*Z] Saturday, September 19, 1998: Lafayette, in Vermilionville, a living history theme park. Creole Culture & Family Festival. (318) 233-1330. Held yearly on Saturday in the third weekend in September.
• [*Z] Friday-Saturday, October 2-3, 1998: Mamou. Zydeco & Blues Festival. (318) 468-2370.
• [*Z/C] Saturday-Sunday, October 3-4 and 10-11, 1998: New Orleans. The Louisiana Swamp Festival, started in 1984 at the 5-acre Swamp Exhibit at the excellent Audubon Zoo, offers great Cajun/zydeco music, food, and crafts during the year's best weather! Bring chairs & a cooler. (504) 581-4629. (Held yearly on the f irst two weekends of October.)
• [*Z] Mid-November (call for dates): Lafayette. Yearly Thanksgiving food drive zydeco event at El Sido's Club. Features many of the hottest names in zydeco. May be held the Wednesday one week before Thanksgiving. (318) 235-0647.
• [*Z] November 14-21, 1998: New Orleans & the Caribbean. Zydeco Cruise '98 featuring Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, with emcee "Louisiana Sue" Ramon, on Commodore Cruise Line's luxury liner the Enchanted Isle. Optional Zydeco Dance Workshop Package: dance instruction by Mona "Zydeco Queen" Wilson (Cade, LA) with Joseph Bias; Michael Seider (Jefferson, Louisiana) with Josie Breger; Debra Seeck (Salem, Oregon); Gary Hayman (Greenbelt, Maryland); and Rae Dinsmore with Len Adams (Seattle, Washington). Email prismagirl@aol.com with questions on this zydeco package. Cruise begins in New Orleans and visits the Western Caribbean: Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel (Mexico), Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay (Jamaica). FREE brochure from 1-800-683-9882, The Travel Machine Inc., 102 Westmark Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70506.
• December 25, Christmas: Christmas Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, an historical town northwest of Alexandria. 1-800-259-1714 or (318) 352-8072. I read that "Louisianans go wild at Christmas and virtually every town has at least one hoopla event."

Recommended Louisiana Zydeco Bands:

• Willis Prudhomme
  
• Beau Jocque & the Zydeco High Rollers . 902 13th St., Kinder, Louisiana, 70648. Contact Beau Jocque or Shelly Espree (318) 738-2729 from 10:30 pm to 12:00 midnight.
  
• Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band. Route 1 Box 28, Oberlin, LA 70655. (318) 639-2203 from 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm.
  
• Geno Delafose
  
• "Step" Rideau. Houston, Texas.
  
• Rosie Ledet
  
• Boo Zoo Chavis & the Magic Sounds. 115 Petah Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605. Contact Leona or Wilson "Boo Zoo" Chavis at (318) 478-5855 from 8:45 pm to 10:15 pm.
  
• Nathan Williams & the Zydeco Cha Chas
  
• Thomas "Big Hat" Fields
  
• Jean-Pierre and the Zydeco Angels. 320 Louise Drive, Lafayette, LA 70506. (318) 234-1842.
  

Before you go to Louisiana:

• Call 1-800-33GUMBO or 1-800-677-4082. Louisiana State Office of Tourism. Ask for a state map, motel guide for the cities you plan to visit, etc.
• Call 1-800-346-1958. Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission. Ask for a visitors packet, calendar of events, accomodation information, and motel discount coupon booklet. If they cannot send you the "Louisiana Traveler Discount Guide," get it from Exit Information Guide, Inc. at www.exitguide.com (352) 371-3948, 4205 NW 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32609. This great coupon booklet lists many good-value Louisiana motels.
• Call 1-800-456-SWLA or (318) 436-9588. Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau. 1211 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA.
• Order Huli’s 1998 Calendar of Louisiana Festivals & Events: 400 events (statewide Mardi Gras parades, ethnic celebrations, & festivals for andouille, oyster, alligator, & crawfish). Researched by Julie Posner, coauthor of the Cajun Country Guide. Call Julie Posner (504) 733-5923, or Huli Publishing (504) 733-5923.
• Call Alamo Rent-a-Car for good rates and service. Ask for Costco or other club discounts.
• Check your airline mileage plans to see if you are eligible for a free flight.
• If you visit during big festivals, book your flights and motel rooms months in advance.
• Check for musical events, band itineraries, and tourist information on the Internet:
• Email ghayman@erols.com to request Gary Hayman’s FREE email newsletter with the latest Louisiana and nationwide Cajun/zydeco news & events. Internet: www.erols.com/ghayman
• Louisiana State Office of Tourism, includes event calendars: www.state.la.us/crt/tourism.htm
• Louisiana calendar/year of events: www.cajunews.com
• Offbeat Magazine online edition, for events in Greater New Orleans: www.neosoft.com/~offbeat
• Greater New Orleans tourist information: www.gnofn.org
• New Orleans: Times-Picayune newspaper, events & restaurants www.neworleans.net and New OrleansNet www.loveneworleans.com.
• New Orleans: Gambit Magazine: www.gambit-no.com
• City of Eunice, Louisiana, home of the Liberty Center and its "Rendez-Vous Des Cajun Show" every Saturday night: www.orion-cs.com/eunice/
• Austin Chronicle Guide to Southwest Louisiana: www.auschron.com/issues/vol15/issue34/xtra.louisiana/index.html
• Hear Cajun and zydeco radio programs: www.bayoubeat.com
• "The New Orleans Connection" Cajun Country Newsletter: www.noconnect.com
• "Allons en Louisiane (Let's Go to Louisiana)" E-Magazine: www.cajunews.com
• Tabasco home page, featuring a zydeco musician's biography, photos, & RealAudio music: www.TABASCO.com
• "The Cajun and Creole Pages": http.tamu.edu:8000/~skb8721
• Louisiana, Texas, & Florida crawfish at festivals from Louisiana Fine Foods of Houston, Texas: www.louisianafoods.com/event/
• Query for "zydeco" on a big index such as the Lycos home page: lycos.cs.cmu.edu

As Soon as You Arrive in New Orleans:

• To find music and dance events in the Greater New Orleans area, stop in a hotel or local music club for the free monthly issue of Offbeat Magazine or Gambit. Or, buy the Times-Picayune newspaper.
• The free, widely available Where Magazine is a good guide to New Orleans.
• Allow 2.5 hours for the drive from New Orleans to Lafayette. Or, better yet, fly directly to Lafayette so you won't be too tired to dance that evening!
  

Where to stay in New Orleans:

• The Prytania Inn. 1415 Prytania Street. (504) 566-1515. Great bed & breakfast lodging in renovated historical buildings! $59 plus tax. (As of November 1995.)
• Room Finders USA Inc. 4241 Veterans Blvd Suite 18, Metairie, LA 70006. 1-800-473-STAY.
  

Where to dance in New Orleans:

• [*Z] Mid-City Bowling Lanes (also known as "Rock 'N' Bowl"). 4133 S. Carrollton, corner Tulane. (504) 482-3133. Zydeco center of New Orleans. Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
• [Z/C] House of Blues. 225 Decatur. (504) 529-2583. Sometimes plays zydeco.
• [Z/C] Maple Leaf Tavern. 8316 Oak Street. (504) 866-9359. Zydeco bands usually play on Fridays and Sundays. Other nights offer local blues, R&B, funk, Cajun, and brass bands. Sticky dance floor.
• [ Muddy Waters club is closed as of 11/95. ]
• [*C] Tipitina's Tavern. 501 Napoleon Ave. (504) 897-3943. Exciting Cajun Fais Do Do every Sunday from 5-9 PM. Other nights offer Blues, funk, R&B. Club is for sale (11/95).
• [*C] Mulate's Restaurant. 201 Julia (across from the Convention Center). (504) 522-1492. Cajun bands every night, and sometimes during the day.
• [*C] Michaul's Restaurant. 701 Magazine. (504) 522-5517. Cajun dancing every night except Sunday.
  

As soon as you arrive in Lafayette:

• Stop at the Lafayette Visitor Information Center, south of the crossing of Interstate-10 and I-49. Open M-F 8:30-5; Sat-Sun 9-5. Pick up the Times of Acadiana, the motel discount coupon booklet, and flyers for Creole and Cajun resources/activities.
• Get the Times of Acadiana every Wednesday at the Visitor Information Center, local clubs, and some groceries. This is the best source for music and dance events in Cajun Country.
• Some events are not listed in the Times of Acadiana, often good zydeco dances. If a particular club is not listed, call or drive by their marquee to find out who is playing. See club listings below.

Where to stay in Lafayette:

• The Rodeway Inn. I-10 Exit 103-A, south 1/3 mile on right. 1-800-535-5344. $32.50 plus tax for 1-4 people, with coupon from Lafayette Visitor Information Center. (As of November 1995.)
• Plantation Motor Inn. I-10 Exit 103-B north to I-49 exit 1-B. 2810 NE Evangeline Thruway 1-800-723-8228. (318) 232-7285. $27 plus tax for 1-4 people, with coupon. (As of November 1995.)
• In Opelousas: Quality Inn (318) 948-9500; exit 15 off I-49, Opelousas
• In Eunice: Seale Guest House: (318) 457-3753

Where to dance in Acadiana (Southwest Louisiana):

In Southwest Louisiana, zydeco dances are usually only held Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings, whereas Cajun dances are available somewhere every night. Tip: If you are shy but want to mix with the locals in a zydeco club, try approaching a table comprised of older ladies. They may help you break the ice with other dancers.

Lafayette:

• [*Z] El Sido's Zydeco and Blues Club, corner of St. Antoine & Martin Luther King Drive. Dance Friday-Saturday. (318) 235-0647
• [*Z] Hamilton's Club, 1808 Verot School Road (between Pinhook & Caffery). Zydeco & reggae on Friday-Saturday. (From Interstate 10, take Exit 103 South, follow Evangeline; right on Pinhook Road; after 3.2 miles turn right on Verot School Road; go 1.7 miles.) (318) 984-5583.
• [Z/C] Vermilionville sometimes offers Cajun or zydeco music. (318) 233-4077.
• [C] Cajun Pier Restaurant. 1601 W. Pinhook (next to the Hilton Hotel). (From Interstate 10, go south on Evangeline, turn right on Pinhook.) (318) 233-8640.
  
• [C] Grant Street Dance Hall. Occasional Cajun. (318) 237-8513.
• [C] Prejean's Restaurant. Cajun dance music on many nights. Tiny dance floor. (318) 896-3247.
• [*C] Randol's Restaurant. Cajun dance bands every night. (318) 981-7080.
  

Lawtell:

• [*Z] Richard's Club, on Highway 190, east of Lawtell a few miles. Zydeco dancing on Saturday and Sunday nights. (318) 543-6596.
• [Z] Offshore Lounge. Run by Roy Carrier and son, Chubby. (318) 543-9996.

Opelousas:

• [*Z] Slim's Y-Ki-Ki, on Highway 182 north of Opelousas, on the west side of the road (across from Piggly Wiggly). Zydeco dancing on weekends. (318) 942-9980.

Eunice:

See the Official City of Eunice Homepage at www.orion-cs.com/eunice/ or the unofficial page stltcc.dyn.ml.org/users/eunice
Listen to Cajun radio KBON-FM 101.1, (318) 546-0007; or Cajun/zydeco weekends on KJJB 105.5 FM/KEUN 1490 AM.

• [Z] Gilton's Club (reopened as of February 1997). Big dance floor. Check for zydeco on Saturday and other nights.
• [*C] Liberty Center. "Rendez-Vous Des Cajun Show" every Saturday night.

Breaux Bridge:

• [*C] Mulate's Restaurant. Cajun dance bands every night. (318) 332-4648 or 1-800-422-2586.
• [C] La Poussier. Saturday night Cajun band. $2. (Take Interstate 10 to Breaux Bridge Exit into town; turn left at Bridge Street; right on Poydras at next light; left at Grand Pt.)

Ville Platte:

• [Z] Foxy Lady Lounge, southeast of Ville Platte on Highway 167.

Lake Charles:

• [*Z] Thibodeaux's Hall Enterprise Boulevard south and Franklin. Zydeco dance on some weekends. (318) 433-1190.
• [*C] VFW Post. 2130 Country Club Rd. Cajun dance on Saturdays. (318) 477-9176.

Baton Rouge:

• [C] Mulate's Restaurant. Cajun dance bands every night. 1-800-422-2586.

Other Recommended Activities in Louisiana:

• Visit the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, one of the top five zoos in the country. Go especially during the first two weekends of October to enjoy the Louisiana Swamp Festival. Do you believe in white alligators? Now I do.
• Visit the Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, just south of Lafayette on Highway 90.
• Visit the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and Liberty Theatre in Eunice.
• Tour the Tabasco Factory and Jungle Gardens on Avery Island (which is not an island, but a salt dome). The factory offers free tastings of various Tabasco products.
• For a walk through beautiful and intriguing cypress swamps, try the following:
• Barataria Preserve Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historic Park. 8 miles of boardwalks and hard-surfaced trails. Located south of New Orleans.
• Chicot State Park. Hiking and backpacking. Located north of Ville Platte. (The cypress is related to the redwood tree. Cypress trees turn yellow and drop leaves in the fall.)
• Taste this:
• Eat mouth-watering, fresh-boiled crawfish, available in season from December to mid-June. Try Gator Cove Restaurant in Lafayette, or other places.
• Gumbo.
• Alligator meat is fun to try once, but can be a little tough.
• Po-Boy sandwiches.
• Boudin sausage, and Jambalaya (for those who like spicy hot food).
  

Recommended Guidebook:

• Cajun Country Guide by Macon Fry and Julie Posner, Copyright 1993. Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, Louisiana; ISBN #0882898310. The 2nd Edition of this excellent travellers’ guide to southwest Louisiana will be published in 1998, ISBN #1565543378.
            Note: This excellent guide does not cover New Orleans, which lies outside of "Cajun Country." For New Orleans information, see above sections: "Before You Go to Louisiana" and "As Soon As You Arrive in New Orleans"