Festivals Acadiens et Creoles to go virtual in October

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)- Festivals Acadiens et Creoles will go virtual this fall during its regular annual hours.

From Oct. 9-11, the South Louisiana festival that celebrates regional Cajun and Creole culture in Girard Park each year will go live online due to health-safety precautions.

Here is an official statement on behalf of the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles board of directors:

After carefully considering both the health and economic issues at stake, the board of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has decided that we cannot in good conscience plan to hold our live event as planned in Girard Park this October.

Given the ongoing challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe it would be irresponsible to host a public event where people would gather in large numbers, especially as COVID cases continue to rise in Acadiana and considering the scientific community’s prognosis for the fall.

That said, we feel a deep responsibility to do everything we can to continue to support our community, especially the musicians, artisans, restaurant owners, and vendors who have been among the hardest hit economically by the current pandemic. That’s why we have announced plans to offer a number of virtual events and opportunities to our loyal fans during the weekend of October 9-11, 2020.

The details of this ‘virtual’ Festival Acadiens et Créoles are still being worked out, but will likely include live performances in controlled settings, as well as historical performances from our vast archives — all broadcast via the internet and other media. We are also exploring options to make food from our vendors available via takeout, though we are deferring our planned dedication to Cajun and Creole cuisine until 2021.

We are happy to be working with our colleagues at Festival International, building on their highly successful experience hosting a virtual festival last spring. More details will be shared as they are available, and we look forward to celebrating our area’s unique local culture with everyone this fall.

Learn more about Festivals Acadian et Creoles here.