Parish celebrates Christmas weekend with zydeco and more

    Break in your new dancing shoes with four zydeco dances Christmas weekend in St. Landry Parish. These events in Opelousas, the Zydeco Music Capitol of the World, feature four of the music’s top stars. 

Curley Taylor

    Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble kick off the weekend at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23 at Mojo’s at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino. Keith Frank, The Zydeco Boss, performs at 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23 at Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki, 8471 Highway 182. Owned and operated by the Gradney family since 1947, Slim’s is one of zydeco’s original dance halls. 

    Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers, along with J. Paul Jr. and the Zydeco NuBreedz, host the Christmas Eve Bash at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24 at the Yambilee Building, 1939 W. Landry St. Chris Ardoin and NuStep celebrate “Grown Folk Christmas” at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25 at Mojo’s at Evangeline Downs. 

    In other St. Landry Parish events:
· A free showing of A Miracle on 34th Street is set for 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 22 at the Delta Grand, 120 S. Market St., in downtown Opelousas. Senior citizens and their grandchildren are urged to attend. Concessions will be sold. (337) 407-1806, www.deltagrandtheatre.com. 

· The Compound, a local acting group, concludes its presentation of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 22-23, at the Delta Grand. Admission is $10. 

· The world-renowned, Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions go on from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 24 and 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 holidays, there will be no Rendez-Vous des Cajuns radio and TV show Saturday, Dec. 24 and 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. 

    In upcoming events, 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. 

    The rock band One Trick Pony brings in 2012 Dec. 31 at Beau’s Garage, 125 N. Court St., in Opelousas. 

    The 15th Annual Carrier Family Festival kicks off at 3 p.m. Jan. 1 at the Offshore Lounge, 322 Perry Dr., in Lawtell. Eight zydeco bands are scheduled to perform. 

    On Friday, Jan. 6, Chubby Carrier and Cajun/country music veteran Jo-El Sonnier team up for Zyde-Cajun Night at the Delta Grand. 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 and Twitter @StLandryParish.