Give Momma Bear a Hug!

May brings out the best in our Momma Bears, and what better way to celebrate than giving Mom the gift of travel to the Cajun Coast! Come at the beginning of May for the Bayou Teche Black Bear Fest when Momma and the whole family of bears get celebrated. Or bring Mom for her style getaway this summer! We have plenty of options!
If your Mom thrives in the great outdoors, bring her to explore and enjoy the beauty of nature all along the Cajun Coast! You can take a swamp tour or get Mom down in a kayak to paddle the vast Atchafalaya Basin! Tours by Steven can even provide the kayak and the guide for a delightful tour. Find a swamp tour captain or deep sea guide, and go exploring on all our waterways.
The Bayou Teche Scenic Byway is a beautiful drive along one of our most famous waterways, the Bayou Teche, combining natural beauty with more than 100 historic properties along the way. Bring Mom along this corridor and stop off in main street districts to shop, enjoy factory and plantation tours, dine at delicious spots, and even win at an area casino.
For moms who enjoy retail therapy, the Cajun Coast is full of spots for antique, boutique, and unique shopping! Our Main Street districts are alive with local shops, dining, art & activities, including scheduling a Candle Pouring Soiree at Fifolet Candlemakers! Check out our shopping section and plan your shop-til-you-drop adventure.
Toast the mom in Mom & Pop, when you geaux local, dining on the Cajun Coast! We have so many local eateries (from diner to fine dining) you’ll be able to please mom’s palate and give her a night out of the kitchen on your culinary adventure on the Cajun Coast! You know we don’t just eat to live here, it’s all live to eat! Join us for a feast for your senses!
When you’ve played all day and are looking for a place to stay, we’ve got you covered for camping out to glamming it up! Find gorgeous bed & breakfasts, casino suites, comfortable name brand hotels, and even RV parks to suit your mom! Yep, that houseboat is an option for a really cool stay.
Since Momma Bear probably does the vacation planning, we’ve added a bunch of itineraries to our site to make the trip planning and giving the gift of travel easy! Take advantage of itineraries for just about every interest from Off-the-Beaten Path stays to Franklin’s Main Street, noted as one of the prettiest in Louisiana, to even an Easy Rider Tour for your motorcycle Mom! Let us help with the planning, check out all of the itineraries built just for you! Bring Mom for a week or a weekend away!
Give Mom a Bear Hug with the gift of travel to the Cajun Coast this Mother’s Day!
Come Fest This Spring!

Spring has sprung on the Cajun Coast of Louisiana, and there’s no better time to explore all that our vibrant region has to offer! From lively festivals to delicious seafood, there’s something for everyone this Spring Festival Season!
The Cajun Coast is known for its many festivals each year, and Spring is the perfect time to take part in the festivities. Not only is nature vibrantly displaying its Spring beauty, from Iris blooms at the Visitor Center to the explosions of color throughout the Atchafalaya Basin, but a bevy of festivals proudly display their celebrations of Spring. From Porches to Arts, and Music to Markets, with a basketful of Easter celebrations, and ongoing weekend celebrations with live music at Live After 5 along the Atchafalaya River, there is something for every interest at a Spring Festival on the Cajun Coast! See the events calendar for specific dates.
Other celebrations of life on the Cajun Coast include dining on piles of crawfish and other fresh seafood fresh from nearby waters and cooked up in a delicious symphony of flavor, along with finding local treasures while exploring and shopping in charming Main Street districts.
Main Street celebrations go into overdrive during weekend markets, like the Bayou to Main Marketplace in Franklin, Berwick’s Town Market, and Morgan City’s Spring Market that showcases local talent from craft and kitchen, as well as plenty of other goodies and food trucks to round out the party!
Check out the Cajun Coast calendar for a spring full of fun events. Do not miss a moment of fun this spring on the Cajun Coast!
Continue the Celebrations This Spring

With Mardi Gras just behind us, it’s time to bring on Spring Festival season with celebrations like Basin Brew Fest and the Irish-Italian Walking Parade! Enjoy the family-friendly, festive, cultural celebrations! And of course, nature springs into its own celebrations that you can enjoy all season long!
The Krewe of Dionysus hosts the Irish-Italian Walking Parade through Morgan City on March 18, and the following weekend is the Basin Brew Fest, showcasing craft beer from Louisiana Breweries on March 25! Check the events calendar for the details.
The parade of Spring explodes with irises and water hyacinths and other bursts of color on top of the green lushness of the Atchafalaya Basin. It is a beautiful spectrum that you have to witness! Take a kayak tour with Tours by Steven, and Captain Caviar or other nearby operators are ready to bring you out on a swamp tour to spot the gorgeous bayou landscapes, plenty of alligators, and other wildlife.
Along with kayak or swamp tours, there are also ways many ways to view the beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin and nearby waterways. You can take a boardwalk out into the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, stroll along lovely Lake Palourde at the Brownell Memorial Park & Carillon Tower, or even stay overnight in a houseboat along the Cajun Coast. And, party barges create their own sort of floating parade at Lake End Park! You can rent barges, pontoon boats, jet skis, and kneeboards from Lake End Rentals.
We have also created itineraries that make planning easy to get away from it all this Spring! You can go camping, waking up along the water’s edge, take an off-the-beaten-path vacation, or venture out on the birding trail to witness the migratory birds this season.
The Bayou Teche National Scenic Byway is an easy way to see the beauty of the area from the comfort of your car! The meandering route along the banks of the Bayou Teche affords views of the lovely waterway, moss-covered trees, and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Download the brochure and plan your trip now.
With plenty of lodging varieties, plan to stay a while to Celebrate Spring With Fests and Nature’s Bounty on the Cajun Coast!
Come Mardi Gras on the Cajun Coast!

The Mardi Gras season is in full swing on the Cajun Coast, beginning January 6, the Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day, continuing through Mardi Gras Day, always 40 days before Easter which is set based on the spring equinox.
This year Fat Tuesday falls on February 21 with the weekend leading up to the big day full of family-friendly parades, along with a season of balls and parties, where Mardi Gras royalty are celebrated.
The season also brings the long-anticipated King Cake! The usually ring-shaped cake was traditionally a cinnamon and sugar-filled pastry, but all different types of cakes exist, such as those filled with cream cheese and fruit or even boudin and crawfish for a savory treat! Cajun Coast chefs are even more creative, with King Cake bread pudding, milkshakes, and coffee-based creations celebrating the season!
Mardi Gras parades roll through the Cajun Coast beginning February 17!
See the parade schedule below and download the route map and other info and make reservations now to Come Mardi Gras on the Cajun Coast!!
CAJUN COAST PARADE SCHEDULE
- February 17 – Krewe of Adonis. Morgan City, 7 p.m.
- February 18 – Baldwin Mardi Gras Parade. Baldwin, 1 p.m.
- February 18 – Cypremort Point Parade. Cypremort Point State Park, 1 p.m.
- February 18 – Krewe of Dionysus Parade, Berwick, 2 pm.
- February 19 – Krewe of Galatea Parade. Morgan City, 2 p.m.
- February 19 – Krewe of Nike, following Krewe of Galatea Parade; 2:30 pm.
- February 20 – Krewe of Amani Parade. Patterson, 2 p.m.
- February 20 – Krewe of Hera Parade. Morgan City, 7 p.m.
- February 21 – Franklin Mardi Gras Parade. Franklin, 1 p.m.
- February 21– Krewe of Hephaestus Parade. Morgan City, 2 p.m.
- February 21– Siracusaville Parade. Siracusaville, 1 p.m.
New Year – Yours to Explore!

The new year means new adventures and new paths to explore! The Cajun Coast is full of new possibilities throughout its age-old, mystical waterways and the cities and towns that have built up along its fresh and saltwater shores. With its seductive waterways and hypnotic beauty, you can plan to make magical memories as you explore the Cajun Coast this year!
And, let’s not forget festival season kicks off with the incomparable Mardi Gras! Balls, parades, and Mardi Gras festivities mark this season of frivolity, celebrated up to Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day, February 21 this year. Officially, Mardi Gras begins on January 6, the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, and the King Cakes of just about every variety imaginable can be found on the Cajun Coast! You can check out our Mardi Gras page for a list of locations. CajunCoast.com/MardiGras Tag us on social #cajuncoastmardigras to let us know your favorites (or other spots to add).
There are so many ways to find a new adventure on the Cajun Coast! And, we’ve made paddling the Atchafalaya Basin easy to navigate. Not only do we have Paddling Trails with maps and difficulty levels, so you’ll know where to put your oar in the water, but Tours by Steven now has guided Kayak Tours, so you don’t even need to bring your kayak along. If you would like a little more distance from the water, take a pontoon boat with local swamp tour operators, like Captain Caviar, who provide entertaining and educational tours of the beauty and mystery of the Atchafalaya waters.
After all that waterway exploration, you’re bound to be hungry! We’ve got you covered! Everything is delicious, so you can take your taste buds on a new adventure as well – try étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, sauce piquant, and seafood so fresh it was probably swimming in the Gulf this morning! Be sure to save room for dessert! The Cajun Coast is sugar country, so sweets from pralines to bread pudding are worth the calories! (You can dance it off later to some Zydeco rhythms) See our dining page and plan to eat your way throughout the region.
You could work off those pounds in the mesmerizing beauty of our great outdoors – with year-round, mild temperatures, you can hike or bike even in winter! Of course, check the weather before you head out, and remember we do get our fair share of winter showers, so pack appropriately.
Or, if you’d prefer your exercise in jumping up and down over your casino winnings, Amelia Belle Casino or Cypress Bayou Casino-Hotel, Louisiana’s first land-based casino, have plenty of opportunities. In addition to slots and table games, you’ll find amazing dining at Cypress Bayou.
We also have cool museums to add a little learning to your adventures! Learn something new in the new year, including learning about the many cultures who settled this area, such as the Chitimacha, the first settlers of the region. Their basket-weaving skills are legendary, and you can see their work on display at the Chitimacha Museum in Charenton. We also have museums highlighting aviation pioneers, and you can even walk about an oil rig on the Cajun Coast!
So, come explore and find a new you in the new year on the Cajun Coast!
It’s the Most Wonderful Time!

Any time is a good time to visit the Cajun Coast, but Christmas is an especially magical time! Christmas on the Cajun Coast finds holiday events with a Cajun twist – from Papa Noel being pulled on a shrimp boat by his team of gators to feasting on Cajun fare to twinkling lights making the beauty of this area even more spectacular! Come Christmas on the Cajun Coast!
Along with traditional Christmas tree lightings, caroling, and concerts, holiday features include Victorian Christmas at Grevemberg House and Shadowlawn with historic tours of other homes and churches, as well as Christmas lights on the bayou and boat parades! Plan your route to see the amazing holiday light displays throughout the Cajun Coast! Park and walk along the beautiful Bayou Teche to see the Christmas Lights in Franklin. Tune your radio to 88.9 and enjoy the Centerville Light Show which runs nightly from 5:30 PM – midnight (weather permitting). The Traditional Idlewild Plantation Christmas Lighting in Patterson is a driving tour that runs from 5 to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Kemper Williams Park in Patterson for $2 per car (weather permitting). Visits from Santa may look more like Pere Noel with his team of alligators instead of reindeer, so see the Christmas Events page for all the details and don’t miss a single event!
And in a place where we live to eat instead of eating to live, the holidays brings that up to a magical place! Try scrumptious, Cajun bread pudding with a Chantilly sauce and gumbos made with the freshest catch from coastal waters. Even cookies for St. Nick might be pralines or divinity. Check out local restaurants and dine like a king this holiday season.
Black Friday pales in comparison to Small Business Saturday (and the rest of the holiday season) on the Cajun Coast! Main Street shops, dressed for the holidays, beckon you with local shopping and quaint, one-of-a kind buys, as well as tastes of Louisiana cuisine and cookbooks to bring back home. Take home keepsakes of your travels along with great memories and find something special for those special someones in your life. There are plenty of holiday shopping specials, so check the calendar for events like Moonlight Monday or Mingle & Jingle and come shop the Cajun Coast!
Come Christmas on the Cajun Coast and leave the holiday headaches behind! Let us entertain and feed you, and we’ll even do the dishes! And, with such great rates, you’ll be able to spend more on unique gifts for the whole family! Make your reservations now at holiday rates!
So, check out the complete list of holiday events, download your list to check it twice, and plan to Christmas on the Cajun Coast!