Experience the magic of the holiday season in Lafayette, LA, where festive traditions come alive with a unique Cajun twist. The Lafayette Christmas Parade lights up downtown with vibrant floats and lively zydeco music, while Christmas at the Bayou offers a glimpse of Cajun Santa's grand arrival by airboat. Don't miss the Lighting of the Christmas Tree, a community-driven event showcasing a stunning array of handcrafted ornaments.
Whether you're a local or a visitor, Lafayette's holiday events promise a joyful celebration steeped in rich cultural heritage. From boardwalks adorned in festive decor to interactive light displays, there's something for everyone to enjoy this Christmas season.
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The Top Christmas Events in Lafayette
- Lafayette Christmas Parade
- Christmas at the Bayou
- Lighting of the Christmas Tree
- Acadian Village Christmas
- Cajun & Creole Christmas
- Downtown Alive! Christmas Edition
- Holiday Market at Moncus Park
- Sensory Sensitive Santa
- Christmas at Couret Farms
Lafayette Holiday Light Displays
Lighting of the Christmas Tree
What to Expect:
Community-decorated ornaments
Description:
Lafayette's annual tree lighting ceremony showcases a towering evergreen adorned with thousands of ornaments hand-crafted by local residents. This collaborative effort reflects the city's strong sense of community, with each ornament telling a unique story. The tree stands in the heart of downtown, where it has been a holiday focal point since the 1950s. As the switch is flipped, the square erupts in a symphony of twinkling lights. You can contribute your own ornament to the tree, becoming part of Lafayette's living holiday tradition.
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Lighting of the Christmas Tree
Lafayette Holiday Markets and Shopping
Holiday Market at Moncus Park
What to Expect:
Eco-friendly and locally-made gifts
Description:
The Holiday Market at Moncus Park emphasizes sustainability and local craftsmanship, offering a curated selection of eco-friendly and handmade gifts. Artisans showcase products made from recycled materials, upcycled vintage items, and locally-sourced natural ingredients. The market takes place in Lafayette's newest green space, which was transformed from a golf course into a community park in 2021. Visitors can enjoy the park's native plant gardens while shopping, learning about local ecology. You can participate in workshops on sustainable gift-wrapping techniques using natural materials found in the park.
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Lafayette Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Downtown Alive! Christmas Edition
What to Expect:
Fusion of Zydeco and Christmas music
Description:
Downtown Alive Christmas Edition electrifies Lafayette's city center with a unique blend of Zydeco rhythms and holiday classics. Local bands put a Cajun spin on familiar carols, creating an infectious soundtrack that fills the streets. The event showcases Lafayette's vibrant music scene, which has been a cultural cornerstone since the early 20th century. Food trucks offer creative holiday-themed dishes with a Cajun twist. You can join in a festive second-line parade, a New Orleans tradition adapted for the Christmas season, complete with decorated umbrellas and handkerchiefs.
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Downtown Alive! Christmas Edition
Lafayette Other Holiday Activities
Lafayette Christmas Parade
What to Expect:
Cajun-themed floats and marching bands
Description:
Lafayette's Christmas Parade bursts with Cajun flair, featuring uniquely themed floats that showcase the region's rich cultural heritage. Lively zydeco music fills the air as local marching bands strut their stuff. You'll spot krewe members tossing colorful beads and trinkets to eager spectators. The parade route winds through historic downtown, passing by buildings that have stood since the city's founding in 1821. Bring your camera to capture the vibrant costumes and elaborate float designs that make this parade a true Acadiana spectacle.
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Christmas at the Bayou
What to Expect:
Cajun Santa arriving by airboat
Description:
Christmas at the Bayou transforms the swampy landscape into a holiday celebration with a distinctly Louisiana twist. The highlight of the evening is Cajun Santa's dramatic arrival via airboat, decked out in alligator-skin boots and a moss-trimmed hat. Visitors can sample traditional Cajun holiday treats like pralines and beignets while exploring the decorated boardwalks. The event pays homage to the area's French Acadian roots, with bilingual signage and storytellers sharing tales of Christmases past. Participate in a gator-spotting tour to experience the unique blend of nature and festivity.
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Acadian Village Christmas
What to Expect:
19th-century Acadian Christmas reenactments
Description:
Acadian Village Christmas transports visitors back to the 1800s, offering an immersive glimpse into holiday celebrations of early Cajun settlers. Costumed interpreters bring history to life, demonstrating traditional crafts and cooking methods in authentic restored buildings. The air is filled with the aroma of hearth-cooked gumbo and freshly baked pain perdu. Explore the candlelit paths and discover how Acadians adapted their French Christmas traditions to the Louisiana bayou. You can try your hand at making traditional palmetto ornaments, a skill passed down through generations.
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Cajun & Creole Christmas
What to Expect:
Réveillon feast and Fais Do-Do dance
Description:
Cajun Creole Christmas celebrates the unique holiday traditions of South Louisiana with gusto. The centerpiece is an authentic Réveillon feast, a Creole tradition dating back to the early 19th century. Savor dishes like daube glacé and oyster dressing while local musicians play traditional Cajun tunes. The night culminates in a lively Fais Do-Do, a traditional Cajun dance party that will have you two-stepping until dawn. You can learn about the legend of Papa Noël, the Cajun Santa Claus who travels by alligator-pulled pirogue instead of a sleigh.
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Sensory Sensitive Santa
What to Expect:
Calm environment for children with sensory sensitivities
Description:
Sensory Sensitive Santa creates a peaceful, inclusive environment for children with autism and other sensory sensitivities to enjoy a visit with St. Nick. The event takes place before regular mall hours, with dimmed lights, lowered music, and minimal crowds. Trained staff and a specially selected Santa ensure a comfortable experience for all visitors. This innovative program, initiated in 2018, has become a model for inclusive holiday celebrations across the region. You can explore sensory-friendly activity stations designed to engage children in holiday crafts without overwhelming stimuli. The event also offers resources for families navigating the holidays with sensory challenges.
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Christmas at Couret Farms
What to Expect:
Farm-to-table holiday feast and agricultural demonstrations
Description:
Christmas at Couret Farms offers a rustic holiday experience centered around sustainable agriculture and farm-fresh cuisine. The highlight is a lavish farm-to-table feast featuring ingredients harvested mere hours before serving. Visitors can participate in hands-on agricultural demonstrations, from milking goats to pressing sugar cane. The farm, which dates back to the 1800s, showcases traditional Cajun farming methods alongside modern sustainable practices. You can join in the "Couret Farm Olympics," competing in holiday-themed agricultural challenges like wreath-making with farm-grown materials. The event concludes with a bonfire and storytelling session, sharing tales of rural Christmases past.
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Nearby Events
Festival of Lights (Opelousas)
What to Expect:
Synchronized light and music show
Description:
Lafayette's Festival of Lights dazzles with a cutting-edge display of over a million LED bulbs synchronized to a custom soundtrack of holiday tunes. This technologically advanced show transforms the cityscape into a pulsating canvas of color and movement. The event draws inspiration from the city's reputation as a tech hub, showcasing local innovation. Stroll through illuminated tunnels and discover interactive light installations that respond to your movements. The festival's centerpiece is a 50-foot "tree" constructed entirely of programmable lights, creating ever-changing patterns throughout the night.
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Christmas in the Park (Broussard)
What to Expect:
Life-sized gingerbread house playground
Description:
Christmas in the Park stands out with its whimsical, life-sized gingerbread house playground. This edible-looking structure invites children to climb, slide, and explore, bringing storybook fantasies to life. The park's century-old oak trees are draped in twinkling lights, creating a canopy of stars overhead. Local artisans demonstrate traditional Cajun crafts, offering a glimpse into the region's cultural heritage. You can join in a lively Cajun dance lesson, learning steps that have been passed down for generations. The event also features a collection of vintage carnival rides, restored to their former glory.
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Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market Christmas (Delcambre)
What to Expect:
Christmas-themed seafood dishes
Description:
Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market Christmas puts a unique spin on holiday fare with its array of festive seafood creations. Local chefs showcase their culinary prowess, serving up dishes like Cajun-spiced Christmas crab cakes and festive crawfish étouffée. The market, a longstanding tradition in this fishing community, transforms into a winter wonderland with boats decked out in lights. You can watch oyster-shucking demonstrations and learn about the area's rich maritime history. The event also features a boat parade, where local fishermen compete for the best holiday-themed vessel decoration.
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Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market Christmas
Breaux Bridge Christmas Parade (Breaux Bridge)
What to Expect:
Crawfish-themed floats and costumes
Description:
Breaux Bridge's Christmas Parade celebrates the town's title as the "Crawfish Capital of the World" with crustacean-themed floats and costumes. This quirky procession features larger-than-life crawfish sculptures adorned with holiday lights and tinsel. The parade winds through the historic downtown, passing by antebellum homes decorated for the season. Local Cajun bands perform from floats, filling the air with accordion and fiddle music. You can sample crawfish-inspired holiday treats from vendors along the route. The event culminates with the crowning of the Crawfish Christmas Queen, a tradition dating back to 1959.
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Breaux Bridge Christmas Parade
Jeanerette Christmas Parade (Jeanerette)
What to Expect:
Sugar cane-themed floats and treats
Description:
Jeanerette's Christmas Parade pays homage to the town's sugar industry heritage with creatively designed sugar cane floats. The sweet aroma of freshly pressed sugar cane fills the air as vintage tractors pull wagons laden with holiday-decorated cane stalks. Local sugar mills open their doors for tours, offering a glimpse into the town's economic backbone. You can taste sugar cane-inspired holiday confections created by local bakers. The parade route passes by the Jeanerette Museum, which houses exhibits on the area's sugar-making history dating back to the 1800s.
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Abbeville Christmas Stroll & Parade (Abbeville)
What to Expect:
Historic home tours with period decorations
Description:
Abbeville's Christmas Stroll & Parade offers a unique glimpse into holiday celebrations of the past. The event features tours of beautifully preserved 19th-century homes, each decorated in period-appropriate Christmas finery. Costumed docents share stories of Christmases long ago, bringing history to life. The parade itself showcases floats inspired by different eras of Abbeville's past, from its founding in 1843 to the present day. You can participate in traditional holiday crafts like candle dipping and wreath making. The stroll concludes at Magdalen Square, where a centuries-old oak tree is illuminated in a breathtaking display.
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Abbeville Christmas Stroll & Parade
Carencro Country Christmas (Carencro)
What to Expect:
Cajun cowboy Santa and reindeer petting zoo
Description:
Carencro Country Christmas blends Cajun and Western traditions for a unique holiday experience. The star of the show is Cajun Cowboy Santa, who arrives on horseback wearing a cowhide coat and alligator-skin boots. A reindeer petting zoo allows visitors to get up close with Santa's helpers, while also learning about wildlife conservation efforts. The event pays tribute to Carencro's history as a cattle-driving hub in the 19th century. You can try your hand at roping a wooden "reindeer" or participate in a holiday-themed line dancing lesson. Local ranchers showcase their prize-winning livestock decked out in festive attire.
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Church Point Christmas Parade (Church Point)
What to Expect:
Mardi Gras-inspired Christmas floats
Description:
Church Point's Christmas Parade fuses yuletide cheer with Mardi Gras flair, creating a uniquely Louisiana celebration. Elaborately decorated floats combine Christmas themes with the vibrant colors and exuberant spirit of Carnival. Masked riders toss specially-made Christmas beads and trinkets to the crowd, a nod to Mardi Gras traditions. The parade honors Church Point's title as "The Buggy Capital of the World" with antique horse-drawn buggies festooned in holiday decor. You can sample traditional Cajun Christmas dishes like meat pie and rice dressing from local food vendors. The event culminates in the crowning of the Christmas Courir, a festive twist on the town's famous Courir de Mardi Gras celebration.