Celebrate at the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
Come celebrate at Louisiana’s most unique and oldest chartered harvest festival on Labor Day Weekend! Beginning nearly 90 years ago as a blessing of the shrimp harvest and a celebration of the many who labored in the deep Gulf waters, the petroleum industry was added in 1967 to also honor this important industry. The Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival has grown from a simple event honoring these industries, to the 5-day extravaganza it is today! It features great food (shrimp just about any way you can cook it), continuous, FREE live music, arts & crafts, children’s activities, and traditional events, such as the blessing of the fleet and boat parade.
This fest with a unique name celebrates the unique culture of the Cajun Coast. Food tents feature Cajun and Creole dishes as well as a variety of festival favorites. Artists and crafters showcase their unique merchandise and artistic masterpieces. A street parade, water parade with blessing of the fleet, and fireworks on the Atchafalaya River, mark the joie de vivre, joy of living, so prominent in the Cajun way of life.
And no festival in Louisiana is complete without good music! From Country to Cajun to cover favorites, check out the music line-up and plan to jam to your favorites.
The blessing of the fleet is a special part of the festival, and giving thanks for the harvest begins with Mass in the Park under the oaks in Lawrence Park on Sunday. After the water blessing from the Morgan City docks and celebrations on the Atchafalaya River, a Certificate of Blessing and a prayer card of St. Brendan the Navigator, patron Saint of Seafarers is presented to each participant.
And new to the festival this year, aside from a stunning, new annual festival poster, is the Petro Pit, a special VIP Tent near the music stage with two-day access to special events and other amenities. These will go fast, so get your tickets now!
The Shrimp & Petroleum Festival has been honored as a Festival of the Year by the Louisiana Fairs & Festivals Association, a Top 100 American Bus Association event and a top 20 Southeast Tourism Society event. It was even noted by Time magazine as “…the best, the most unusual, the most down-home, the most moving and the most fun that the country has to offer.”
Come join in the fun – make your reservations now for Labor Day weekend on the Cajun Coast!
Summer Fun on the Coast
Summer on the Cajun Coast means lots of opportunities for full days of adventure and staying cool on the water! We have put together a Family-friendly itinerary for summer fun! And a list of summer options below!
Come summer on the coast!
FUN ON THE WATER
Summer on the Cajun Coast means basking in the sunshine along with ways to beat the heat! Spending time on the water is easy on the coast along with finding an inland splash pad or swimming pool. Check out a few locations to play in the spray or deeper waters.
Splash Pad and Spray Park in Bayou Vista, 985-395-6552
Kiddy Pool at Franklin City Park, 337-828-6324
Lake End Park in Morgan City, 985-380-4623 (beach, fishing)
Lake End Rentals also provides plenty of options for boating (can you say party barge!), jet skis or just that perfect place to park an umbrella along the water’s edge!
Lake End Rentals in Morgan City, 985-518-1577
Cypremort Point State Park, 337-867-4510 (beach, fishing)
With a self-guided driving trail, the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will take you on an adventure, showcasing the dramatic affect water has had on this area. Byway drives along with biking, paddling and hiking trails, https://www.cajuncoast.com/activities/trails-byways along with the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge and Boardwalk in Franklin will keep your nature-lover happy as well.
Fishing also makes for a great day on the water! Find a captain to take you off-shore or even find a houseboat to STAY on the water!
RECREATION
In addition to waterway adventures, there are plenty of other indoor and outdoor recreation on the Cajun Coast, from golf and skate parks to bowling and movies. Lake Cinema even has FREE summer movies, Tuesday-Thursday!
COOL TREATS
Cooling off with a good old fashioned snowball is also a delicious solution! These shaved ice concoctions of sugary syrup and any number of add-ins, from condensed milk to fruits and candies, are a prized commodity on a summer afternoon. Below are a few locations to pick up one of these treats, along with ice cream and other cool treats around the Cajun Coast!
Blizzard 25 Snowballs, 200 Stable Rd Patterson
Cajun Sneaux Snowballs – 804 Marguerite Street, Morgan City
Lamp Station Ice Cream Shoppe, 723 Main St. Franklin
Lily Bea’s Snoballs, Food Truck Court, Downtown, Berwick
Paw Paw’s Sno Cones – 319 Southeast Blvd, Morgan City, 985-395-6100
Sharon’s Tastee Freeze, 7708 Hwy 182 E Morgan City, 985-384-2332
The Big Chill – 202 Tournament Boulevard Berwick, 985-329-2525
So, pack up your crew and find fun in the summer sun on the Cajun Coast!
Fun in the Sun!
From a lakeside retreat (with paddle boat, jet ski or barge rentals!) to a State Park paradise, to historic homes with ample front porches, you can find your perfect summer getaway on the Cajun Coast!
Your Louisiana adventure on the Cajun Coast not only includes Cajun culture, food & music but also the beauty of both the Atchafalaya and the Gulf! Our waterways make the perfect setting for your fun in the sun getaway! Boating and fishing are the most popular water activities, along with paddling along our many paddling trails, but swimming, water skiing, and just playing along the water’s edge at places like Lake End Park are especially popular for families. The addition of Lake End Rentals with kayaks, jet skis, pontoon boats and more, add a little excitement (and ease) to the fun!
Fishing excursions along inland waterways or into the vast Gulf of Mexico can add a lot to the excitement as well with a local guide. And going on a swamp tour is practically mandatory when visiting the Cajun Coast. Guides like Captain Caviar are almost as entertaining as the alligators! Book a tour or check out our abundant wildlife areas where your wild things can view ours!
If golf is your thing, you can book a tee time for a round of golf at The Atchafalaya at Idlewild, an Audubon Golf Trail course! Views from the porch or dining at the Atchafalaya at Idlewild Restaurant.
And, if sandals on the sidewalk is more your thing than sand between your toes or hitting it over the sand trap, a Main Street shopping excursion is perfect for you! We boast plenty of cute boutiques and a lot of antiques and uniques in between! Find just the thing to take home as a reminder of your getaway!
We have plenty of accommodations to allow you to stay and explore! From historic homes with front porches just made for sippin’ away the summer evenings to national chains and local boutique properties, you can find your favorite spot to stay on your Cajun Coast vacation. And, don’t forget the option to STAY in the great outdoors; we offer everything from primitive camping spots to cabins, plenty of RV hookups some steps away from the water, and even houseboats to stay literally on the water!
When you need a little time out of the sun, explore our museums or historic homes, or try your luck at an area casino.
We have a complete list of itineraries prepared to make the planning easy for just about any you want to follow – from Ghosts to Easy Rider! So come, find your fun in the sun this summer on the Cajun Coast!
Celebrate Mom on the Cajun Coast
Whether your mom is an adventurous and outdoorsy sort of mom or a shopping and fine dining sort of mom, the Cajun Coast has you covered for giving the gift of travel this Mother’s Day!
We even have a card you can download to wish Mom a Snappy Mother’s Day!
Bring Mom 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! Check our list to find a captain, a guide, or even a weekend houseboat adventure on the Cajun Coast and go exploring.
Birding is also in high-season right now during the spring migratory season which also happens in the fall, so if your mom has her binoculars handy, bring them for bird and nature viewing on the Cajun Coast! Our Visitor Center is a great spot for beginning your journey!
The Bayou Teche Scenic Byway is a beautiful drive, 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.
Take Mom shopping! The Cajun Coast is full of spots for antique, boutique, and unique shopping! Our Main Street districts are alive with shopping, dining, art & activities, and outlying stores cater to specialty items when you are looking for something specific. Check out our shopping section and plan your retail therapy adventure!
We plan our activities around dining on the Cajun Coast! From mom & pop spots (that Mom will love) to fine dining and even hot spots with martini specials each week, you’ll be able to plan your culinary adventures on the Cajun Coast!
And when you 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!
Since Mom 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 make the planning easy with an itinerary built for you. Bring Mom for a week or a weekend away!
You can even time your visit during a fun festival this spring or fall or take in live music every weekend! Check out the Cajun Coast calendar and our list of Live Music https://cajuncoast.com/activities/live-music fun events.
Remind Mom why you’re her favorite and give the gift of travel to the Cajun Coast!
Celebrate Life on the Cajun Coast
The Cajun Coast is known for its many festivals each year, but it’s the celebrations of every day life that really tell the story of living (and visiting) on the Cajun Coast!
Spring is the hallmark of renewal, and nature takes her cues in earnest throughout the area! From the Iris blooms at the Visitor Center to the amazing explosions of color adding to the beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin, you’ll want to include outdoor excursions on your visit to the Cajun Coast! Our paddling trails or swamp tours can help you get up-close and personal exploring our vast waterways!
You’ll definitely want to take advantage of itineraries for just about every interest and plan your stay for a big adventure! From a golf trip on the beautiful Audubon Golf Trail Atchafalaya at Idlewild, to Off-the-Beaten Path stays, let us make the planning easy with an itinerary built for you. Come celebrate for a week or a weekend away!
Celebrations of life on the Cajun Coast include weekends full of live music, dining on piles of crawfish and other fresh seafood fresh from the water and cooked up in a delicious symphony of flavor, along with finding local treasures while exploring and shopping in charming Main Street locales. Weekly celebrations like Live After 5 in Berwick (go check out the music line-up!), to celebrations of local fare with marketplaces in Franklin and Morgan City, showcase 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!
Celebrate Spring on the Cajun Coast!
Not only does March host the final Mardi Gras parades of the season on Fat Tuesday (and other events back this year -yay!), but nature celebrates with its own parades of gorgeous splendor! You’ve got to experience it in person! Schedule your visit along with a swamp tour (or bring your kayak) to get up close and personal!
Continue the party with the Krewe of Dionysus as they are back this year with the Irish-Italian Walking Parade on March 19 along with Basin Brew Fest showcasing craft beer from Louisiana Breweries on March 26! Get all the Events Info!
The parade of color explodes on top of the green lushness of the Atchafalaya Basin. It is a beautiful spectrum that you have to witness! Captain Caviar or other nearby operators are ready to bring you out to spot the gorgeous bayou landscapes, gators and other wildlife as well.
Along with swamp tours, there are also ways many ways to view 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.
The Bayou Teche National Scenic Byway provides an easy way to see the beauty of the area, meandering along the banks of the Bayou Teche. See this lovely waterway, moss-covered trees, and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Go download the brochure and plan your trip now.
We have also created itineraries that make planning easy to get away from it all this Spring! You can go camping, waking 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.
Make your reservations to Celebrate Spring on the Cajun Coast!