Hel

d th

e Fr

iday

bef

ore

Mar

di G

ras,

the

Dow

ntow

n M

ardi

G

ras

Cel

ebra

tion

offe

rs li

ve e

nter

tain

men

t, fo

lk a

rt a

nd fo

od.

On

Mar

di G

ras,

the

Hal

f-Fa

st C

rew

of

Fran

k’s

Par

ade

rolls

th

roug

h th

e do

wnt

own

dist

rict

. 800

-424

-544

2. M

usic

& M

arke

t cel

ebra

tes t

he sp

ring

and

fall

boun

ties

of

fres

h, h

omeg

row

n pr

oduc

e w

ith

loca

l mus

ical

tal

ents

. Hel

d on

Fr

iday

s 5:3

0 –

8:30

dur

ing

spri

ng a

nd fa

ll. 8

00-4

24-5

442

The

Ju

nete

enth

Fo

lklif

e C

eleb

rati

on

is

an

Afr

ican

A

mer

ican

cul

tura

l ev

ent

high

light

ing

its

cont

ribu

tion

s to

So

uthw

est

Loui

sian

a th

roug

h fo

od,

folk

art

dem

onst

rati

ons,

mus

ic a

nd l

itur

gica

l. H

eld

the

Satu

rday

bef

ore

Fath

er’s

Day

. 33

7-94

5-50

64 O

pelo

usas

is

desi

gnat

ed Z

ydec

o M

usic

Cap

ital

of

the

Wor

ld a

nd th

e O

rigi

nal S

outh

wes

t LA

Zyd

eco

Mus

ic F

esti

val

is h

eld

each

Lab

or D

ay w

eeke

nd. 3

37-9

42-2

392

or zy

deco

.org

Zyd

eco

Bre

akfa

st

– B

efor

e he

adin

g to

th

e O

rigi

nal

Sout

hwes

t LA

Zyd

eco

Fest

ival

on

Labo

r Day

wee

kend

, sto

p by

th

e he

art

of d

ownt

own

Ope

lous

as fo

r liv

e m

usic

and

bre

akfa

st

item

s ava

ilabl

e at

nea

rby

cafe

s. 80

0-42

4-54

42 C

emet

ery

Tou

rs: V

oice

s fro

m O

ur P

ast –

Hel

d th

e se

cond

an

d th

ird

wee

kend

s in

Oct

ober

, lo

cal

acto

rs b

ring

his

tori

cal

char

acte

rs t

o lif

e th

roug

h to

urs

at t

he S

t. La

ndry

Chu

rch

Cem

eter

y. 3

37-9

42-8

318

Hol

y G

host

Cre

ole

Baz

aar

& F

esti

val i

s hel

d th

e fir

st fu

ll w

eeke

nd in

Nov

embe

r, th

is fe

stiv

al c

eleb

rate

s C

reol

e cu

ltur

e.

337-

948-

2732

Lig

htin

g of

the

Nat

ivit

y Sc

ene

& t

he O

aks

Thi

s an

nual

ho

liday

tra

diti

on is

hel

d th

e Sa

turd

ay a

fter

Tha

nksg

ivin

g D

ay

on t

he g

roun

ds o

f th

e hi

stor

ic S

t. La

ndry

Par

ish

Cou

rtho

use

Squa

re.

Lig

htin

g of

the

Vill

age

is h

eld

the

first

Fri

day

in D

ecem

ber.

Cel

ebra

te th

e C

hris

tmas

seas

on w

ith

child

ren’

s act

ivit

ies,

caro

ls

and

a vi

sit f

rom

Pap

a N

oel a

t Le

Vie

ux V

illag

e. 8

00-4

24-5

442

Chi

ldre

n’s

Chr

istm

as P

arad

e –

Hel

d th

e se

cond

Thu

rsda

y in

D

ec.,

this

an

nual

ho

liday

ev

ent

feat

ures

co

lorf

ully

lit

C

hris

tmas

them

ed fl

oats

, mar

chin

g ba

nds,

cost

umed

cha

ract

ers

and

of c

ours

e ev

eryo

ne’s

favo

rite

, San

ta C

laus

! 80

0-42

4-54

42,

city

ofop

elou

sas.c

om L

a T

able

Fra

nçai

se –

Hel

d th

e la

st W

edne

sday

of

the

mon

th a

t Le

Vie

ux V

illag

e, a

tten

dees

are

invi

ted

to g

rab

a gr

ab

a cu

p of

cof

fee

and

join

in o

n Lo

uisi

ana

Fren

ch c

onve

rsat

ion.

33

7-94

8-62

63 D

elta

Gra

nd T

heat

re –

Loc

ated

in th

e he

art o

f dow

ntow

n O

pelo

usas

, thi

s hi

stor

ic t

heat

re h

osts

a v

arie

ty o

f pr

oduc

tion

s th

roug

hout

the

year

. 33

7-40

7-18

06 o

r del

tagr

andt

heat

re.c

om O

pelo

usas

L

ittl

e T

heat

re

stag

es

year

-rou

nd

qual

ity

prod

ucti

ons.

opel

ousa

slit

tlet

heat

re.c

om

Vis

it O

pelo

usas

and

dis

cove

r our

uni

que

cult

ure,

our

rich

hi

stor

y an

d ou

r Jo

ie d

e V

ivre

(jo

y of

life

) th

at m

akes

us

Loui

sian

a’s a

uthe

ntic

Caj

un a

nd C

reol

e de

stin

atio

n! O

pelo

usas

, Lou

isia

na’s

thir

d ol

dest

Cit

y, w

as e

stab

lishe

d by

the

Fren

ch in

172

0.

In 1

765,

the

Aca

dian

s (C

ajun

s)

arri

ved

in th

e O

pelo

usas

are

a an

d th

e Sp

anis

h es

tabl

ishe

d a

garr

ison

her

e in

the

mid

-18t

h ce

ntur

y. A

stro

ng C

reol

e in

fluen

ce c

an st

ill b

e fe

lt in

this

old

cit

y. Ji

m

Bow

ie,

fam

ed

hero

of

th

e A

lam

o, l

ived

in

Ope

lous

as b

efor

e m

ovin

g to

Tex

as t

o jo

in t

he fi

ght

for T

exas

inde

pend

ence

. O

pelo

usas

bec

ame

the

capi

tal

of

Con

fede

rate

Lou

isia

na f

or a

lmos

t a

year

in

1862

, an

d th

e ci

ty h

as

the

olde

st r

emai

ning

Gov

erno

r’s

Man

sion

in th

e st

ate.

The

cul

tura

l mos

aic

here

pro

duce

d th

e ex

otic

and

soug

ht-a

fter

Caj

un a

nd C

reol

e di

shes

like

et

ouffe

e’,

jam

bala

ya,

boud

in

and

crac

klin

s. Y

ou c

an d

ine

whe

re w

orld

-fam

ous c

hefs

Pau

l Pr

udho

mm

e,

Tony

C

hach

ere

and

Eula

Sav

oie

lear

ned

thei

r cu

linar

y sk

ills.

Aft

er d

inne

r, pu

t on

you

r da

ncin

g sh

oes

and

mov

e to

the

bea

t of

zyd

eco,

C

ajun

or

swam

p po

p at

our

m

any

mus

ic v

enue

s an

d da

nce

halls

. H

ere,

our

her

itag

e is

cel

ebra

ted

ever

y da

y!

Take

a st

ep b

ack

in ti

me,

step

into

a c

ulin

ary

expe

rien

ce o

r da

nce

the

two-

step

. W

hate

ver y

our t

aste

, Ope

lous

as is

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Hor

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1720

2020

1720

2020

1720

2020

1720

2020

1720

2020

Th

e O

pelousas

Nation

al H

istoric D

istrict, located in the heart of

Old

Opelousas,

showcases

more

than 175

years of

architecture, ranging from

Greek R

evival to A

rt Deco. V

isit the 300+ year old Jim

Bow

ie Oak and our

courthouse square,

or stroll down brick

sidewalks dating back

to the

early 1800s

while exploring our H

istoric District. Stop by the

visitor’s center for a free driving and walking m

ap.

Opelou

sas Mu

seum

& In

terpretive Cen

ter – T

his museum

showcases various objects and artifacts

relating to the history and culture of the city. Learn about the N

ative Am

ericans, Cajuns, C

reoles, African

Am

ericans, and the French and Spanish. Discover the

area’s important role in the C

ivil War and learn about

famous O

pelousas residents. 337-948-2589.

Creole

Heritage

&

Folklife

Cen

ter – Learn about the rich heritage of the C

reoles of Color people

of Southw

est Louisiana

337-945-5064.

Attractions

Evan

geline

Dow

ns

Racetrack

&

C

asino –

Offers som

e of best Vegas-style gam

ing action with

more than 1,600 slots and exciting T

horoughbred and

Quarter

horse racing

where

the announcer

yells, “Ils sont partis!” – French for “They’re off!”

Enjoy live music and concerts. 1-866-472-2466 or

evangelinedowns.com

Pu

blic A

rt –

Discover

downtow

n and

explore unique public art including the A

cadian to Cajun m

ural, Zydeco C

apital of the World m

ural, Seven Brothers Oak

mural, St. Landry Parish H

istory from the 1800s m

ural, and Fiddle M

ania – large fiberglass and metal fiddles

decorated by local artists. Opelousas is also hom

e to a certified C

ultural District, so be sure to take advantage

of tax-free purchased original art.

Historic C

hu

rches an

d Cem

eteries – The St.

Landry Catholic C

hurch was established by French C

apuchin friars in the mid-

1700s.

Other

churches include

Louisiana M

emorial

United

Methodist C

hurch, Holy

Ghost C

atholic Church,

Mt. O

live Baptist Church

and Little

Zion Baptist

Church.

Cem

eteries include

St. Landry

Catholic

and M

yrtle G

rove.

Historical an

d Gen

ealogical Research – O

pelousas is a treasure trove for historians and genealogists. T

he area’s records date back to the French and Spanish colonial eras. T

he documents located at the St. Landry

Parish Courthouse and St. Landry C

atholic Church rival

those of New

Orleans, M

obile and Natchitoches.

Le V

ieux V

illage – French for the Old village. T

his historical

park and

museum

is

a collection

of buildings

from

Opelousas

and St.

Landry Parish,

dating from

the 1700s to

the early

20th century.

The village includes one of the oldest C

reole homes

west of the M

ississippi River the M

ississippi River, the

Louisiana Orphan Train M

useum, and a Zydeco M

usic exhibit. T

here’s even a chapel for weddings! For free

guided tours and info: 1-800-424-5442.

Lou

isiana O

rphan

Train

Mu

seum

– Housed in

a former U

nion Pacific Depot, this m

useum honors the

inspiring story of abandoned and homeless children w

ho w

ere rescued from the streets of N

ew York and becam

e know

n as the Orphan Train R

iders that traveled to Louisiana betw

een 1873 and 1929. 337-948-9922 or laorphantrain.com

.

Historic M

ichel P

rudh

omm

e Hou

se – Believed to be the oldest structure, circa 1770, still located in its original location in St. Landry Parish, and is a fine exam

ple of French Colonial architecture. D

uring the C

ivil War, the hom

e was used to house U

nion officers. A

vailable for tours, meetings and receptions by appt.

337-942-8011.

R

V C

ampin

g is available at Opelousas South C

ity Park. T

he Park features 67 sites with w

ater, electric hook-ups and dum

p station.

For Sportsm

en and

Nature Lovers, O

pelousas is part of the A

tchafalaya N

ational H

eritage A

rea and

nearby T

histlewaite

Wildlife

Managem

ent A

rea. These sites provide

opportunities for biking, hunting, fishing and paddling!

Fireman’s

Museum

– M

emorabilia and artifacts

related to Opelousas H

ope, Hook and Ladder Fire C

o. #1, one of the oldest volunteer fire com

panies in the city. It is housed in the com

pany’s former building w

hich also serves as Fire Sub-Station 3. Free and open to the public. 337-948-2542.