Cajun Festivals!

Get your dancing shoes and appetites ready for our authentic Cajun Festivals!

Cajun Music & Food Festival
July 21-22

Ready to pass a good time? Head on over to the 25th annual Cajun Music & Food Festival to get your fill of all your favorite Cajun specialties and more! Celebrating its silver anniversary, the festival will have historical items on display throughout the festival and aims to preserve the Cajun traditions and heritage through music, dancing and food.

New to the festival this year will be a children's washboard band playing on Saturday, July 21 on the Children's stage from 1 to 3 p.m., and the children's Cajun waltz dance contest on Sunday, July 22. The festival also showcases some of the best Cajun foods in the area such as jambalaya, chicken & sausage gumbo, shrimp etouffee and more. After all the amazing food, work it off by entering the "Dancing with the Cajun Stars" dance contest in the Cajun Waltz and two-step. There will also be a children's area with face painting, poster contest and other games available. On Sunday, the family can enjoy a French mass at 8 a.m. followed by a coffee and donut social. Come out as we celebrate our past as it builds towards our future!

Organized by the Lake Charles chapter of the Cajun French Music Association, the festival has been chosen as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society for many years. This award is a coveted honor among 12 member states. The festival is held at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles and the hours are from 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Sat., July 21, and 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sun., July 22. Admission is $7 for adults and children 12 and younger get in free. For more information, contact (337) 217-0880 or www.cfmalakecharles.org.

Marshland Festival
July 27-29

Every year the small town of Hackberry makes its way over to the Lake Charles Civic Center for the annual Marshland Festival. Featuring music from all over Southwest Louisiana, the two-day festival celebrates the landscape that makes Southwest Louisiana.

The festival helps raise funds for 14 schools and church organizations and features exhibits, games, arts and crafts booths, food, live entertainment and is a tribute to the marshes that are famous in Southwest Louisiana and along the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road. Bring your dancing shoes, because the crowd is always on their feet dancing and celebrating our unique landscape. Live music, begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 27, and ends at midnight. On Saturday, July 28, the music will begin at 11 a.m. and go through the day, ending at midnight.

The Marshland Festival has been chosen as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society for the third quarter of 2012. This award is a coveted honor among 12 member states. For more information, visit www.marshlandfestival.com.

Calca-Chew Food Festival
September 30

Here in Louisiana when you hear the word "festival" you think of food, music and dancing. Well the 28th annual Calca-Chew Food Festival offers all that and more! Representing the the best of both our parish and our delicious Cajun cuisine, the festival focuses on our Cajun heritage and provides an alcohol-free family atmosphere. There will be auctions, live entertainment, a French mass and of course-great food!

If you are a fan of spicy Cajun food you won't want to miss this festival with a variety of Cajun classics including shrimp étouffée, boudin, fried fish, gumbo and barbecue. The French mass starts off the festival at 7 a.m. and during the day, visitors can enjoy games, a live auction, raffles, a petting zoo, train rides and great Cajun music and food.

Held at the St. Margaret Catholic Church Family Center, on the corner of 17th Street and Enterprise Blvd. in Lake Charles, the Calca-Chew festival is a favorite among locals and all dishes are prepared by parishioners. Mark your calendar for the annual Calca-Chew Food Festival, September 30. Festival hours are 7 a.m. - 3 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, call the church office at (337) 439-4585.