Opelousas celebrates Spice and Music Festival

    Zydeco stars Chris Ardoin and NuStep headline the 8^th Annual Opelousas Spice and Music Festival June 1-2 at South City Park, just off I-49 exit 18, in Opelousas. Ardoin and band close both nights of the festival with shows at 9:30 p.m. Friday and 9 p.m. Saturday.

Chris Ardoin

    The festival opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday with Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, followed by Horace Trahan and the New Ossun Express at 8 p.m. Saturday’s lineup includes J. Paul and the Zydeco Nubreedz (5 p.m.), Jamie Bergeron and the Kickin’ Cajuns (6 p.m.) and Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames (7:30 p.m.).  

   The festival also includes food, arts and crafts and a kids’ activity center with a fun jump and rock wall. RV parking is available. For more information, call (337) 948-6263 or visit  www.opelousasspiceandmusicfestival.com.

   In other events:

• Glass and mosaic artist Christine Ledoux continues the First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe series from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 1 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, I-49 exit 23, just north of Opelousas. This free series emphasizes recycling and features artists who create new art out of materials left over from the Visitor Center construction. (337) 948-8004, www.cajuntravel.com.
• The Washington Community Farmer’s Market is held from 8:30 to 11 a.m. each Saturday at the Pavilion across from Town Hall in Washington. Vendors will offer produce, plants, craft items, homemade good and more.
• The weekly Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Savoy Music Center, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice. Admission is free. (337) 457-9563, www.savoymusiccenter.com.
• The Mamou Tuck with Ryan Brunet and Christine Balfa play the Rendezvous des Cajuns radio and TV show at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 2 at the Liberty Theater in downtown Eunice. The group of all-star Cajun musicians played during Mardi Gras at the Liberty. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com.
• Brenda C and Her Cajun Jammers play the beach party from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, June 2 at Lakeview Park & Beach, 1717 Veteran Memorial Highway, in Eunice. (337) 457-2881, www.lvpark.com.
• Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers entertain at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 3 at Miller’s Zydeco Hall of Fame, 11154 Highway 190, in Lawtell. Originally built in 1947 as Richard’s Club, the Hall of Fame is a classic, wooden roadhouse that has featured generations of zydeco artists. (337) 319-0639.
•  The Eunice chapter of the Cajun French Music Association hosts free accordion, fiddle, guitar and dance lessons from 7-8 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday from June 5 to June 21. The workshops will be held at the Jean Laffite National Historical Park and Preserve’s Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, 250 W. Park Ave., in downtown Eunice. Registration is set for 6:30 p.m. June 5. (337) 457-84990, www.nps.gov/jela.

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