Lafayette, LA – Lafayette, the heart of Louisiana's Cajun Country, is known as the hub of all things Cajun – authentic Cajun cuisine, toe-tapping Cajun and Zydeco music, Cajun culture, historic attractions, scenic swamps, and festivals celebrating everything from Mardi Gras and crawfish.

Not so widely known is Lafayette's cutting edge chefs that are creating inventive twists on Cajun classics and a plethora of new festivals celebrating every aspect of modern life in South Louisiana. Here's a sampling of what's new in Lafayette:

Lafayette Park at the Horse Farm
In the middle of Lafayette lies 100 acres of undeveloped land once used by the University of Louisiana as a horse farm. Lafayette has chosen to turn this property into a world-class public park with input from the community. But before the park is developed, locals and visitors can enjoy the space every Saturday at the Farmers and Artisans Market at the Horse Farm where local farmers, artisans and value-added food vendors offer their products for sale. The market encourages a sustainable local food system featuring fresh, local food choices, relationships with farmers and fishers, and interactive opportunities. www.LafayetteCentralPark.org | www.MarketattheHorseFarm.com

A Foodie's Paradise
Lafayette has been named one of the Top 10 Foodie Cities by Livability.com, a national website that ranks quality of life and travel amenities of America's small and mid-sized cities. Lafayette was chosen because it has an invigorating restaurant scene, a wealth of chefs adapting traditional dishes into edible art, and a restaurant community that supports local farmers and food producers. This tops off a three-year run of recognition for Lafayette as a destination with great food. Lafayette was The Tastiest Town in the South (Southern Living, 2012) and Best Food City (Rand McNally, 2011). www.tastelafayette.com

New Festivals
You may know about Festival International de Louisiane and Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, but Lafayette has more to offer. The Zydeco Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier, features post run activities including Zydeco music and Cajun food. The Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week offers experiential, immersive learning opportunities in music, dance, cuisine and culture. The South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cookoff features music, dancing, food, camping and jamming. The Steampunk & Makers Fair is an all-ages festival by Cité des Arts and Lafayette Science Museum showcasing and celebrating science, technology, education, art and mathematics.
www.zydecomarathon.com | www.lafolkroots.org/balfa-week | www.blackpotfestival.com | www.steampunkandmakersfair.org

Local Breweries
The Lafayette area is home to two local breweries dedicated to producing craft beer using only the finest ingredients. Parish Brewing is an upstart local brewery that uses old-school techniques with German, Belgian and North American malted barley and other grains and the finest hops from the Pacific Northwest and Europe. Bayou Teche Brewing crafts beers that compliment local cuisine and lifestyle. Their beers include LA-31 Bière Pâle, Boucanée, Bière Noire, Passionné (passion fruit), Acadie, Courir de Mardi Gras, Saison D'Ecrevisses and Cocodrie.
www.ParishBeer.com | www.BayouTecheBrewing.com

Cajun Boudin Trail
The Cajun Boudin Trail puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to discovering Louisiana's best boudin. The Lafayette area is the indisputable center of all things boudin. Lafayette even holds the annual Boudin Cookoff in October, where the top boudiniers come together to show off their skills. Scott, La. has been named the Boudin Capital of the World and is home to the Scott Boudin Festival. Scott has more boudin purveyors per-capita than any other place in the state and a couple of the more prominent boudin makers, no other city in Louisiana produces more links than Scott. www.CajunBoudinTrail.com

Best World Music Festival
Festival International de Louisiane was the 2013 World Music at About.com Readers' Choice Award Winner for Best World Music Festival. Festival International de Louisiane, or simply “Festival,” as it's known to locals, is the reigning champ in this category, taking home the prize two years running. Most of the big world music festivals in the USA are on the East and West Coast, or at least in really large cities, but Lafayette, Louisiana holds this massive free celebration of international music and culture, with a Francophone focus, and hundreds of thousands of their closest friends join them for the party. Festival International de Louisiane is held the fourth weekend in April. www.festivalinternational.com

Food Truck Revolution
Fine cuisine can be found curbside thanks to an expanding group of food trucks popping up all over Lafayette. Paul Ayo, owner of a gourmet cooking shop called E's Kitchen, founded E's Kitchen Lafayette Round Up to generate traffic and business at the newly developed shopping area, Parc Lafayette. Food trucks can also be found around town serving lunch to college student and business people serving everything from crawfish etouffee topped French fries to boudin stuffed waffles.

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