Carrier Family Festival, live music ring in 2012

    Eight zydeco bands entertain at the 15th Annual Carrier Family Festival at 3 p.m. New Year’s Day at the Offshore Lounge, 322 Perry Drive, in Lawtell. The musical lineup includes Grammy winner Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe, Dwight Carrier, Corey Ledet, Brad Randell, Gerard Delafose, Lil Pookie and T. Broussard.

Chubby Carrier

    For more than 30 years, Thursday night jam sessions at the Offshore Lounge served as the first stage for some of zydeco’s most top stars -- Geno Delafose, Zydeco Force, Beau Jocque, Same Ol’ Two Step and many others. The festival is a fundraiser for the rustic dancehall, which is in need of major repairs. 

    Admission is $20. Red beans and rice with fried chicken, barbecue and gumbo will be sold. T-shirts and tribute CDs featuring the late zydeco legend Roy Carrier, the lounge’s former owner, will be available. 

    In other St. Landry Parish events: 

• Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band entertain at the Sixth Annual Mayor’s New Year’s Charity Gala at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30 at the Opelousas Civic Center, exit 18 on I-49. The event includes a candlelight dinner, midnight champagne toast and “Dancing with the Starz-Acadiana Style” contest. Funds from this gala help the elderly and needy of St. Landry Parish with emergency assistance. Tickets are $30. (337) 948-2525. 
• Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames kick off a weekend of live music at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino, I-49 exit 18 in Opelousas. Admission is free for the 9 p.m. Dec. 30 dance with Chavis. Turning Point, a Southern rock and country band, performs for New Year’s Eve at Mojo’s in the casino. Chris Ardoin and NuStep Zydeco play at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 1 at Mojo’s. (337) 594-3000, www.evangelinedowns.com. 
• The weekly Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 31 at Savoy Music Center, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice. Admission is free and all musicians are invited to join in. (337) 457-9563, www.savoymusiccenter.com. 
• Because of the holiday break, there will be no Rendez-Vous des Cajuns radio and TV show Saturday, Dec. 31 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The weekly program, which features Cajun and Creole musicians in a Grand Ole Opry, Prairie Home Companion format, resumes Jan. 7, 2012. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com. 
• Grammy winner Chubby Carrier hosts Chubby’s New Year’s Eve Party at 9 p.m. Dec. 31 at Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki. Tickets, which are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, include gumbo with all the fixings and champagne at midnight. (337) 288-8893, www.chubbycarrier.com. 
• The rock band One Trick Pony brings in 2012 at 8 p.m. Dec. 31 at Beau’s Garage, 125 N. Court St., in Opelousas. Tickets are $10, $15 at the door. (337) 678-0648. 
• The monthly JAMbalaya acoustic music jam will be held from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 1 at Tom’s Fiddle & Bow, 204 Fuselier St., in Arnaudville. Bring your favorite for a pot luck lunch. Coffee, tea, wine, soda and water will be provided. (337) 754-5528. 
• J. Paul and the Zydeco Nubreedz perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 1 at Stallions Bar-B-Que and Seafood, 5675 I-49 S. Service Road, in Opelousas. (337) 948-2090. 

    In upcoming events, Chubby Carrier and Cajun/country music veteran Jo-El Sonnier team up for Zyde-Cajun Night at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Delta Grand, 120 S. Market St., in downtown Opelousas.. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 

    For more information on all these events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Follow us on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul, Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.