Mardi Gras in Louisiana is a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Often called, “America’s Greatest Party,” Mardi Gras gets its roots from similar European celebrations and festivals that date back to the Middle Ages. Some historians even believe that our modern Mardi Gras festival can be traced all the way back to Ancient Rome.

By the beginning of the 19th Century, the annual Mardi Gras festivals in Louisiana were in full swing – with street processions, colorfully-decorated carriages and masked revelers on horseback. In the cities, the onlookers began to grow in numbers and newspapers began to announce the annual Mardi Gras events in advance. Finally, in 1875, the Governor of Louisiana signed the famous “Mardi Gras Act” making the well-known festival a legal holiday in the state of Louisiana.

Today, New Orleans travel enthusiasts know that Mardi Gras is held in February each year and boasts an abundance of crazy costumes and colorful floats in the streets. They come from all over the globe to celebrate and be witness to one of the most famous parades on the planet. Here in Houma, Louisiana, where Cajun Country truly begins, Mardi Gras is a ten-day celebration featuring hundreds of fun events for the whole family. What makes Mardi Gras in Houma so popular is the family-friendly nature of our parades and the colorful nature of our beads, decorations, masks and trinkets. The Houma Mardi Gras is full of family events – without the crowds, noise, traffic and high-cost of a trip to New Orleans during the festival season.

So, come to Houma, Louisiana for Mardi Gras!

With its centuries-old Cajun culture, Houma is a landscape steeped in Louisiana history and genuine mystery. If you’re ready for a truly authentic Cajun Mardi Gras celebration, make the short trip across Highway 90 from New Orleans to the true heart of Louisiana Cajun Country in Houma. Come for all or part of our ten-day-long Cajun Mardi Gras celebration.

The 2012 Mardi Gras in Houma, Louisiana kicks off on Friday, February 10th with the Krewe of Hercules at 6:00 pm and doesn’t stop until the Krewe of Bonne Terre at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, February 21st.

Bring the whole family and come early! Most of the locals prepare for Mardi Gras parades by feasting on Cajun cuisine and King Cakes – then beat a path to the edges of the parade route. The revelry begins while waiting for the parades to start – so don’t miss a moment of the fun and excitement of a real Cajun Mardi Gras.

Come one, come all! Mardi Gras in Houma is a celebration you’ll never forget! We promise you’ll return home with fantastic Mardi Gras memories and fistfuls of beads and trinkets.

Call the Houma Louisiana Visitors Bureau at (800) 688-2732 for a Cajun Mardi Gras brochure and parade schedule. Mardi Gras in Houma is a centuries-old, grand-style Cajun celebration. Let the good times roll!

The wetlands and swamps of Southern Louisiana are breathtaking to behold. In the spring, the indigenous flowers bloom and the wildlife thrives. In the warmth of the summer, the wetlands come alive – alligators are slowly on the move, the Blue Herons and White Egrets take to the air.

If the mystery and the excitement of an authentic Louisiana swamp tour is part of your travel itinerary, then look no further than Houma, Louisiana – the gateway to real Louisiana Cajun Country. With over 2,500 square miles of swamps and wetlands, Louisiana swamp tours don’t get any better than those around Houma. Bird watchers and alligator enthusiasts alike will be thrilled by our guided tours of wildlife refuges, marshes, swamps, and bayous.

Don’t know where to begin? Let Houma, Louisiana be your next starting point and learn what brings millions of visitors to Southern Louisiana each year. Located only 55 miles southwest of New Orleans and 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, Houma has swamp and wildlife tours to fit every interest and lifestyle.

Top Louisiana Swamp Tours: 

• Take a guided wetland tour cruise and snap photos of 15-foot alligators, snapping turtles and over 250 species of exotic birds.
• Charter an airboat. You can go where no other kind of boat can go. An airboat lets you speed across the water on the ride of your life!
• Take a deep backwater tour into ecologically-sensitive areas and learn about centuries of history and ecology in the wetlands.
• Fly over in an air tour! Take to the sky and see the wetlands and surrounding landscapes from the air.
• For those who prefer a leisurely swamp cruise, try one with a singing guide. Let a real Cajun songwriter be your guide through the waters around Houma.
• Enjoy a traditional wetlands photography tour where you’ll glide through a cypress swamp, cross pristine lakes and snap photos of the bayou. You’re guaranteed a chance to look back in time and see the wetlands just the way the earliest explorers did.
• Visit a wildlife garden and take a nature trail walking tour through a cypress swamp.
• See a real alligator farm. Catch and hold baby alligators. See large alligators as part of a live show.

Did you know? Southern Louisiana is home to nearly 45% of all the wetlands found in the lower United States. The Louisiana wetlands around Houma provide a vast reach of wildlife habitats and recreational areas. Every Louisiana swamp tour in Houma is an entertaining, educational and downright exciting experience. The boats are comfortable and the guides are knowledgeable.

You can call the Houma Louisiana Visitors Bureau at (800) 688-2732 for a brochure about all the swamp adventure that the region has to offer. Cajun Country enthusiasts come to Louisiana for many different reasons, but those who’ve been here before know that there is no better region for swamp tours in Louisiana than in Houma.

With waterways and marinas galore, Houma, Louisiana is a launch point for more charter fishing adventures than you can count. This makes Houma and its incorporated towns of Cocodrie, Dulac, Pointe Aux Chenes, Bayou Dularge and Chauvin a true fishing paradise in Southern Louisiana.

What makes a Louisiana Fishing Tour in Houma so special? 

• Access to the Gulf Coast
• World-class fishing for all ages and skill levels
• Year-round gulf coast fishing
• Fishing rodeos and tournaments
• The largest catch limits in the country
• Dozens of marinas and launches
• The best swamp and wetland fishing in the nation
• Situated right on the intracoastal waterway
• And that ever-elusive “catch of a lifetime” is just waiting for you!

Those who come down to Houma’s Gulf Coast find some of the finest fishing in the United States. They come from all over the world. If you enjoy fishing variety, Houma, Louisiana is a habitat for an incredibly diverse combination of fish that is rarely found anywhere else on earth: Amberjack, Bass, Black Drum, Catfish, Cobia, Flounder, Grouper, King Mackerel, Redfish, Red Snapper, Speckled Trout, Shark, Tuna, and Yellowtail (and more).

The chartered fishing tours often operate throughout the year and include fishing licenses, fish cleaning and packaging, seasoned captains, bait and groceries (or restaurant accommodations). Most all credit cards are accepted. Day and night trips are available. Some packages even feature hunting and fishing combinations.

And when you’ve had your fill of fishing, remember that Houma is where real Cajun Country in Southern Louisiana begins. When you’re off the boat, you’re in a vacation paradise where swamp tours, alligator farms and abundant wildlife can be found at every turn. And when fishing all day and night has your appetite at its peak, Houma is home to all the gumbo, étouffée, and jambalaya you can eat. Take a seat and dig in while the Zydeco music is playing.

Whether you’re into deep sea or inland, freshwater or swamp, the liberal fishing limits and tropical climate make Houma the best fishing region in Louisiana. Bring your tackle. There’s plenty of fish to go around. Call the Houma, Louisiana Visitors Bureau at (800) 688-2732 for a brochure about Louisiana Fishing tours. Cajun Country enthusiasts come to Louisiana for many different reasons, but those who’ve been here before know that there is no better region for fishing in Louisiana than in Houma.

Yes, Louisiana is truly the soul of America, and Louisiana Cajun Country is one of our nation’s greatest treasures. As a destination, New Orleans travel interests bring millions of visitors to Southern Louisiana each year. Most come for the food, festivals and culture. But some come to the New Orleans Cajun Country for a different reason. They come for centuries-old Cajun culture. They come for adventure.

Down south and west, only about an hour from New Orleans, is where the mysterious and the exotic mingle in the bayous and the wetlands. If you can picture yourself paddling across an open pond at dusk, with the moon just peeking over a canopy of cypress trees, you’re half-way there. Hear the symphony of night sounds coming off the bayou? They’re calling to you. And, if you stretch your ear, perhaps you can even hear a zydeco band tuning up at a Cajun dance hall in the distance. Got the fever for the bayou now? You’re closer to adventure than you think.

So, where is this stretch of Cajun paradise? You’ll find it in Houma, Louisiana – a historic city settled by the Cajuns over 300 years ago.

Houma, Louisiana, the Heart of Louisiana’s Wetlands, is located 55 miles southwest of New Orleans, only 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Its central location makes it an easy reach for travelers from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. The land encompasses 2,500 square miles of swamps, bayous and wetlands that play home to exotic wildlife and unusual flora. Most travelers come for the natural elements, as Houma is home to nature preserves, airboat rides, year-round fishing, birding trails, and fishing tournaments. But there’s so much more to Houma.

Houma is a vacation and travel paradise full of wondrous and uncommon attractions. As one of the fastest-growing cities in Louisiana, Houma is often called a “Cajun Metropolis.” The city has one of the richest histories in the state and is the proud home to the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, the Folklife Culture Center, and the Southdown Plantation House (a 19th-century sugar manor house). And if you venture down to Houma’s Gulf Coast, you’ll find some of the best fishing in the nation. Whether it’s deep sea or inland, freshwater or swamp, Houma’s liberal fishing limits and tropical climate make it one of the best fishing regions in Louisiana.

With its centuries-old Cajun culture, Houma is steeped in history and mystery. If you’re ready for adventure, make the short trip across Highway 90 from New Orleans to the true heart of Louisiana Cajun Country in Houma. Step off the beaten path and you’ll soon find yourself immersed in the exotic and the unexpected.

And as they say down here in Cajun Country: “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”

Let the good times roll!

Although many travelers to Louisiana have only heard about New Orleans
Cajun Country, those more adventurous folks who’ve travelled an hour south and
west of The Big Easy, down into Acadiana, are the ones who truly know where Cajun Country is located and what real Cajun culture is all about.

Can Louisiana Cajun Country be found at a chateau on the bayou? Yes it can.

Can it be found in a seafood shack at the edge of Lake Boudreaux? You bet.

Houma, Louisiana is where Cajun Country begins. You’ll find Cajun
heritage and history around every corner – from tableside in Houma restaurants
to a strut across the floor in one of Houma’s dance halls. True Cajun Country
is evidenced in Houma architecture, festivals, museums, and wildlife. Cajun
Country permeates every nook and cranny in Houma, Louisiana, coursing through
the air like the tempting aroma of fresh gumbo and étouffée on a warm Saturday
night on the bayou.

The real Louisiana Cajun country is a 300-mile stretch that begins in
the east – in wetlands surrounding Houma – and ends with the Sabine National
Wildlife Refuge at the west-end of the state. And although real Cajun Country
spans thousands of square miles, most folks down here will tell you that it
begins in the east, with Houma.

A Cajun is an Acadian (a person of French-Canadian descent), one of the
many who came down from Nova Scotia in 1755 to settle along the bayous,
marshes, and prairies of southern Louisiana. Over the next 300 years, the
‘Cadiens (or Cajuns as we now know them) farmed and fished and trapped,
spreading their unique French-Canadian dialect, music, piquant culinary style,
and lust for life all across Southern Louisiana. The Cajun Country population –
which began as no more than a few hundred in the earliest days – has melded with Spanish, Native American, English and German influences in the region and grown to be a thriving population that numbers near half a million people!

So, what can be found in Acadiana, the birthplace of Cajun Country in Louisiana? An excellent question.

If you travel to Houma, Louisiana, where Cajun Country begins, you may
soon find yourself on a high-speed airboat ride across the wetlands. You may
end up at a table graced by the best Cajun food you’ll ever find. Perhaps
you’ll soon take a leisurely swamp tour for a little wildlife photography and “gator
gazing” expedition. You can visit the home of a century-old sugar plantation or
try your hand at some of the best inland and brackish fishing in the
nation.

The real Cajun Country is Houma, Louisiana, where visitors discover the music, dialect, food and history of a proud and lively culture that was founded over 300 years ago. And those travelers who venture down from New Orleans to Houma are never at a loss for Cajun hospitality.

• Louisiana Swamp Tour – airboat tour of swamplands
• New Orleans City Tour – French Quarter, St. Charles Avenue
• Plantations along the Mississippi River
• Self-guided walking tour of the French Quarter
• Historical Cemetery Tour
• Voodoo Spiritual Tour
• New Orleans Cocktail Tour
• Horse and Buggy Tour of the French Quarter
• New Orleans Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden
• Self-guided New Orleans Trolley tour on the oldest operating trolley cars in the United States
• Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World – see how Mardi Gras floats are createdSpecial group rates are being arranged by Grayline tours and independent tour operators.  Optional tours may be arranged.

GRA : Houma – October 9^th & 10^thSunday, October 9^th  www.houmatravel.com
11:00 a.m.  Unveiling and Blessing of the Acadian Deportation Cross Monument in downtown Houma near the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, 7910 Park Avenue, Houma, LA (985) 580-7200 (heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served)
1:00 p.m.  Gathering of Acadians Presentation. Keynote presentation by Stephen White, Genealogist, Moncton University, New Brunswick, Canada and Tim Hebert, author and chairman of the Louisiana Commission of Archives and History, on Terrebonne Parish’s Acadian Cultural Contributions.  Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Boulevard, Houma, LA (985) 850-4657
ALL DAY  “Voice of the Wetlands Festival” at Southdown Plantation, 1209 Museum Drive, Houma, LA (Infophone 800.688.2732 or www.voiceofthewetlands.com)
Monday, October 10^th – Discover Houma region / Tours   www.houmatravel.com

• Coastal Restoration Project: Grass Planting – Click for more information (Limited registration)  Note:  Bus departs at 7 a.m. from the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.
• Special tours are being developed by the Convention and Visitors Bureau with various attractions and restaurants.

GRA : Lake Charles – October 11^th & 12^th www.visitlakecharles.org/gra

Tuesday, October 11^th – All events take place at the Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA (337) 491-1256
10:00 a.m.      Genealogy Library display opens, Buccaneer Room.
11a -12:15p.m.    Welcome by Dignitaries, Exhibition Hall  / Light Lunch
12:15-2:00 p.m.  Papillion & Creole for Kids on stage, Exhibition Hall
2:15-4:00 p.m.  Genealogy Seminar/workshop in Buccaneer South Room.  Keynote Speaker –Stephen White, Genealogist, Moncton University, New Brunswick, Canada

• Learn to Speak French, Buccaneer Middle Room
• Additional programming, Buccaneer North Room

4pm-10pm  Booths Open

• Tourism, Louisiana Market, Candice, Alexander’s Fleur de Lis
  collection, Cajun families, Cajun artists and vendors, Exhibition Hall
• “Taste of Southwest Louisiana” – festivals and restaurant vendors serve food

Cash Bar open
4pm-5:30pm  Lesa Cormier / Cajun French Music Association, dancing demonstration
5-6 p.m.          Wine Tasting   (Ticketed event – limited registration), Contraband Room
5-7 p.m.          Boudin Trail Battle – taste and cast ballots for your favorite
5:30 p.m.        Tourism Representative provides “Battle of the Boudin” details
5:30 p.m.        French Immersion Children Performance
6:00-7:30pm  Live music and dancing with Chris Miller & Bayou Roots
7:30 p.m.        Announcement of the Battle of the Boudin Awards
8-10 p.m.       Live music and dancing with Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience
(Off site)         The Southwest Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Library, 411 Pujo Street, Lakes Charles, LA (337) 721-7116, will remain open after hours from 5-8 p.m.
for those interested in researching their family histories. www.calcasieu.lib.la.us/genealogyinformation.html
Wednesday, October 12^th – Discover Lake Charles region / Tours  www.visitlakecharles.org

• Hit the Boudin Trail-The Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail winds throughout Calcasieu Parish and parts of Cameron Parish.  The trail has a brochure that plots out places to try boudin as well as attractions along the way.  Visitors might want to drive part of the trail or stop in and pick up Southwest Louisiana’s favorite finger food – BOUDIN!
• Visit area parks- Sam Houston Jones State Park is a gorgeous place to explore nature, with hiking trails, picnic areas and majestic scenery
• GPS activated handheld video tour of the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road-The CPS handheld video tour device is available for check-out free of charge at the Lake Charles / Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1205 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA (337) 436-9863.  The knowledgeable staff at the bureau can provide visitors with French and English versions of the tour to take with them as they explore Louisiana’s Outback.
• Visit the Mardi Gras Museum-The Mardi Gras Museum in Lake Charles houses the largest display of Mardi Gras costumes anywhere in the world.  There are themes dedicated to various aspects of Mardi Gras from king cake to costume making to chicken runs and Mardi Gras royalty.
• Visit Local Art Galleries-The Imperial Calcasieu Museum is the treasure trove of history in Lake Charles / Southwest Louisiana.  Furniture, jewelry fashion and documents, it is a peek into the lives of the founders of Lake Charles and the heyday of the lumber barons.
• Carriage rides through downtown Lake Charles (private bookings)-Local carriage companies will offer visitors a ride through downtown Lake Charles, along the lakefront and through the Charpentier Historic District to see the Victorian Mansions.  There is also a detailed brochure on the historic district that guides visitors through the area, telling stories along the way.

GRA :  Lafayette  – October 13^th – 16^th www.LafayetteTravel.com
Thursday, October 13^th – Fête de Famille  [Free Admission but ticketed luncheon, $20 in advance - $25 at the door - Chef Gilbert and Nova Scotian Guest Chef serve a tantalizing Cajun buffet], Ballrooms A & B, Cajundome Convention Center, 444 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA  337.265.2320
Ballrooms A & B:
8:30 am  Registration [Free Admission but ticketed luncheon] / Meet & Greet / Coffee and Pastry in Café Bienvenue (foyer area).
9:30 am  Opening ceremony:  Welcome, Special Guest, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, Announcements, Introductions, SNA Young Acadian Award
Causeries: Acadians converse about similar topics of interest to each area (scholars to facilitate)
10:00 am  Acadian Heritage & Culture – Our Future?  Keynote Speaker TBA.
11:30 pm  Genealogy and The Acadian Identity: Finding our Ancestors.  Keynote Speaker: Stephen White, Genealogist, Moncton University, New Brunswick, Canada.                       Buffet Luncheon (Ticketed Event, $20 in advance, Register on line www.gra2011.org) -
1:00 pm   Environmental Issues – Seafood Industy and Oil Spill / Coastal Erosion and Restoration,  Thomas Michot, Ph.D., Institute for Coastal Ecology & Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
2:00 pm French Language – The Louisiana French Language: The Battle Continues.  Keynote Speaker: Amanda Lafleur and Eileen M. Angelini, Ph.D, Department of Modern Languages, Canisius College (NY).
4:00 pm  Musique des deux Acadies avec les Frères Michot:  lyrics, old ballads with musicians / Music conversations: Similarities and differences with special blend of Acadian and Cajun Music.
Foyer Area: Lucius A. Fontenot Photography Exhibit [Note: In conjunction with the Lucius A. Fontenot Photography Exhibit, additional Acadian art exhibits will be held off site - Georgette Bourgeois, Artist in Residence at Grand-Pré National Historic Site in Nova Scotia showing at the ULL A. Hays Town Building and Elemore Morgan and Students Exhibit at  the ULL Art Museum]
Foyer Area: Table top displays will be available for information on Genealogy, Acadian family name products, artists: music, crafts, Cajun & Acadian products, books, family photos, family groups, etc.  Skirted tables (4’ x 6’) with 2 chairs will be provided at a cost of $200.  To request a table top, contact Kim Broussard at CRbrouss@bellsouth.net or call (337) 298-3711. 
2^nd Floor: Cajun Film Festival
2^nd Floor: Children’s Storytelling by New Brunswick author, Diane Leger and Sheila Hébert-Collins
7:00 pm: L’Ordre du Bon Temps Banquet - Re-enactment of the first social eating club in North America. (Limited Seating/Ticketed Event) Contact Acadian Memorial (337) 394-2258 for details.

Friday, October 14^th / Discover Lafayette and Acadiana vicinity www.lafayettetravel.com
8:00 am:  “Beignets and Coffee” gathering at the Musee de Maurice, Chief H. Fred Street, Maurice, Louisiana.  The art of making beignets demonstrated to visitors.  Coffee and beignets offered with live Cajun music and conversation for all.  (Complimentary)
[Note: Vermilion Parish has arranged a host of activities during Grand Réveil Acadien. Start off your morning in Maurice with “Bienvenue avec Beignets” – libre! From a photograph exhibit, “Unique Beauty” in Gueydan to exhibits in Abbeville on “Coastal Cowboys” and “At the Movies”, Vermilion Parish is sure to please. Not a fan of exhibits? Then come on down to the square and enjoy music in downtown Abbeville, part of their free live concert series. Jam sessions, farmers’ market, cattle festival, Vermilion Parish offers all that is Cajun! Check out our website at www.gra2011.org to see the full schedule under the “Stay Awhile” tab. Discover Acadiana and discover what’s Cajun!

5:00 pm: Opening of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles concert at Girard Park
Saturday, October 15^th – Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, Girard Park, Lafayette, LA www.festivalsacadiens.com
10:30 am until     Music, Dancing, Cajun Cuisine, Arts & Crafts, Acadian History, Culture, Traditions

• GRA Hospitality
• Dancing Tent : Where Acadians and Cajuns come together to dance
• Reception and exhibition of Grand Pré artists, including Georgette Bourgeois originals

Discover St. Martinville :

• St. Martinville Re-enactment of the Arrival of the Acadians on the Bayou Teche, renewal and reconnection with St. Martinville’s sister cities, and attractions.  (Nova Scotia, New
  Brunswick, Nantes, France)
• Blessing Ceremony at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church, Church of the Acadians, in historic downtown, St. Martinville

Sunday, October 16th - Festival Acadiens et Creole- Girard Park – 11:00 – 7:00 pm
GRA Closing Ceremony and Mass at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles
9:30 am Outdoor French Catholic Mass, Salle de Danse Stage
Abbeville Omelette, featuring Louisiana Crawfish will be prepared at the Culture Sur la Table tent during Festivals Acadians et Créoles.  The Confrerie d’Abbeville is delighted to offer a preview of their unique Omelette celebration for GRA.  The members will prepare a petite omelette in their four foot skillet.  Although only 1/9^th the size of its main skillet used in the annual celebration, it is still quite impressive and tasty!
11:00 am  Grand Parade Procession – parade around the park, including youth program participants: A demonstration of cultural traditions and community affirmation, encouraging all ages to participate in Le Courir du Mardi Gras, Le Tintamarre (Scott Jumelage Committee), La Mi-Carême, La Guiannée and La Chandeleur.