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Festival International De Louisiane

Program Number: 10902RJ
Start and End Dates:
4/24/2013 - 4/29/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana
Price starting at: $599.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Festivals, Misc. Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 14; 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 5 Dinners    

Come down the bayoux to Lafayette and let our experts lead you on a fête of musical genres from around the world. More than 50 artists on six music stages converge on the largest francophone festival in the United States. Sample savory delicacies like étouffée and gumbo, dance to the tunes of zydeco and explore the world with your ears en français as well as other languages. Learn the meanings of Creole and Cajun, and meet local artisans, musicians and historians who will lead you on an exploration of Cajun culture and its links with the Francophone world.




Highlights

• Experience musicians from 15 French-speaking countries and sample some of the best local cuisine.
• Discover Louisiana’s French-language connections and its unique musical heritage.
• Relive Longfellow’s “Evangéline” as you discuss the turbulent history, traditional livelihoods and proud identity of the Cajun community.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to one mile a day.



Coordinated by University of Louisiana at Lafayette.




Lafayette

Two hours west-northwest of New Orleans, Lafayette is vibrant with Cajun and Creole culture. The city hosts a number of arts, music and food festivals dedicated to preserving the Louisiana Acadian spirit, celebrated in the upbeat tempos of Cajun music.
Accommodations
Comfortable hotel with fitness center, outdoor pool, wireless internet connection and an on-site restaurant. Complementary airport shuttle service.
Meals and Lodgings
   Hotel Acadiana
  Lafayette, LA 5 nights
 Hotel Acadiana
Type: Full Service Hotel
  Description: In the heart of Cajun Country. Just minutes from UL Lafayette, Vermilionville, and other tourist attractions. Approximately 3.0 miles from airport.
  Contact info: 1801 W. Pinhook Rd.
Lafayette, LA 70508 USA
phone: 337-769-9408
web: www.thehotelacadiana.com
  Room amenities: Complimentary high speed internet, 32" flat panel television,mini-fridge, coffee station, blow dryer, iron & ironing board. Microwave available upon request.
  Facility amenities: Seasonal outdoor pool, fitness room. Complimentary laundry facilities, 24 hour business center.
  Smoking allowed: Yes
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: $65 Arrangements must be made directly with the hotel. (337) 769-9408
  Check in time: 3:00 PM
  Additional nights after: $65 Arrangements must be made directly with the hotel. (337) 769-9408
  Check out time: 12:00 PM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
4:30 PM in the hotel meeting room for a welcome and orientation. You will be staying at Hotel Acadiana that night.
  End of Program:
Breakfast is served from 6:00 - 9:00. Depart after breakfast. You will be staying at Hotel Acadiana the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. Completed health form returned to Program Coordinator prior to arrival. Valid photo ID such as driver's license.
  Parking availability:
Free parking at the hotel for the duration of your stay.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Lafayette, LA
  Nearest highway: Lafayette is located at the intersection of Interstates 10 and 49.
  Nearest airport:  Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) featuring service with American Eagle, Delta, and United Airlines.
  From End of Program
  Location: Lafayette, LA
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Lafayette

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Hotel Shuttle
phone: 337-233-8120
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

No charge
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

10 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

approximately 3 miles
   

The Hotel Acadiana has airport transportation available. Please include your flight arrival information and your desire for a shuttle on the Personal Information Form. You may call the hotel a day or so before arrival to confirm your shuttle request if desired. Should your flight be delayed or your schedule changed in some way, please call the hotel to notify them.
 

Lafayette

 

From Bus Terminal

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi
City/Dixie Cab
phone: 337-237-3333

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

Approximately $10.00
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

20 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

approximately 5 miles
   

Taxi ride is at your own expense. Other cab companies include: Quality Cab Service: 337-235-8993 Please include expected arrival time on your Personal Information Form. The hotel shuttle might be available, but airport transport gets first priority. Call the hotel to ask if shuttle is available at (337) 233-8120.

 

Lafayette

 

From Train Station

 
 

Service:

 

Hotel Shuttle
phone: 337-233-8120
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

No charge
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

20 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

approximately 5 miles
   

Please put expected arrival time on the Personal Information Form. Should the train be delayed, please notify the hotel (337 233-8120).
 
Driving Directions
  I-10 traveling from east (Baton Rouge, LA) or west (Houston, TX) Driving in on I-10 west or I-10 east, take exit 103A onto Evangeline Thruway. Travel 3 miles, and turn right onto East Pinhook Road. Travel 1.9 miles to destination. Our hotel will be on the left.
  From the airport If you've rented a car at Lafayette Regional Airport, you will exit the airport parking lot, turning left onto Blue Blvd., then left onto Surrey Street. Get in the left lane so you can turn left onto Hwy. 90 (aka Evangeline Thruway). Once on Evangeline Thruway, get in the far right lane, and travel about half a mile, turning right onto Kaliste Saloom Road. Drive 1.2 miles down Kaliste Saloom, turn right on Pinhook. The Hotel Acadiana will be about 3/10 of a mile on the right at 1801 W. Pinhook Rd.
  I-49 traveling from north If you're coming in from north of Lafayette on I-49, I-49 becomes the Evangeline Thruway once you are south of I-10. Stay on the Evangeline Thruway, about 3 miles, and turn right on Pinhook Road. Travel 1.9 miles down Pinhook, and the Hotel Acadiana will be on the left, a little past the Bayou Vermilion bridge.
  US 90 from the south If you are traveling from the south on US 90 (which is the future I-49 corridor), Hwy. 90 becomes Evangeline Thruway. Turn left on Kaliste Saloom Road. Drive about 1.2 miles down Kaliste Saloom and turn right on Pinhook Road. Hotel Acadiana is about 3/10 of a mile on the right at 1801 W. Pinhook Rd.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Welcome and Orientation
(Wednesday, April 24)
   
 Afternoon: Hotel check-in time is 3:00 pm. We will meet at 4:30, get acquainted, and review the weekly schedule. We will take time to answer your questions about the upcoming week, as well as teach you a few Cajun French words and Cajun English phrases to help you enjoy your stay in Cajun country.
 Dinner: Casual dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant.
   
Accommodations: Hotel Acadiana
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Learn the history of the local people and experience a folk life village.
(Thursday, April 25)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast included.
 Morning: Field trip to the Jean Lafitte Center to view a film on the deportation of the Acadians, as well as a museum, which contains artifacts from the early life of Acadians in south Louisiana to current day, followed by a trip to a folk life village.
 Lunch: Lunch at La Cuisine de Maman (on-site café at Vermilionville).
 Afternoon: Class: Louisiana History. Find out which groups of people arrived and when and what impact those people have made on what is now Cajun culture. History comes alive!
 Dinner: Dinner at one of our local restaurants to be announced at later date.
 Evening: Experience a jam session with local musicians.
   
Accommodations: Hotel Acadiana
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Cajun Dance Lessons!
(Friday, April 26)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast included.
 Morning: Class: Cajun Dance Lessons - Learn the Cajun Waltz and Two Step.
 Lunch: Included.
 Afternoon: We will take a downtown driving tour to give a general overview of the festival site.
 Dinner: Local Cajun restaurant.
 Evening: TBA
   
Accommodations: Hotel Acadiana
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Festival International de Louisiane
(Saturday, April 27)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast included.
 Morning: Local musician will inform and entertain with stories of local history interspersed with music.
 Lunch: Included.
 Afternoon: Festival! There are number of different performance stages throughout in the downtown area, with a wide variety of performers. Also included in the festival are arts & crafts booths and a variety of fabulous food booths provided by our local restaurants. It is a fun event filled with lots of walking, dancing, eating, and merry making for the thousands of people who attend. Participants will experience the festival first hand. Feel free to explore the festival area, enjoy the many musical performances, and mingle with the locals. You will be able to sample delicacies from any of the many food vendors onsite as well. We will offer multiple shuttles to and from the festival site. This will allow you to enjoy as much or as little of the festival as you wish.
 Dinner: Local restaurant to be announced.
   
Accommodations: Hotel Acadiana
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Festival International de Louisiane
(Sunday, April 28)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast included.
 Morning: Swamp excursion.
 Lunch: Cajun restaurant.
 Afternoon: More time at the festival! Shuttle available at designated times to take you back to the hotel should you not want to stay for the allotted time.
 Dinner: Dinner and dancing at a favorite Cajun restaurant/dance hall with live Cajun music.
   
Accommodations: Hotel Acadiana
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Breakfast available from 6:00 to 9:00 am. Check-out by noon.
(Monday, April 29)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast included.
 Morning: Breakfast is available from 6:00 - 9:00 am. Free to depart after breakfast.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Time Opportunities
  
  Lafayette, LA Acadian Village
Museum of authentic Acadian homes. Located on the grounds of Acadian Village are eight authentic Acadian houses dating back to 1800. There is a recreation of a General Store that was the main gathering place for the community. Onsite is a replica of a Chapel, the floor of the Chapel was made with long leaf pine that is over 200 years old. The reproduction of the Blacksmith Shop was built with weather-beaten, aged cypress boards. The shop is complete with original tools used by the blacksmith years ago. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed for major holidays. For additional information, visit www.acadianvillage.org
  Heymann Center for the Performing Arts
1373 S. College Rd., Lafayette, LA 70503 For additional information, visit www.ticketmaster.com/venue/221705
  Lafayette Science Museum and Planetarium
The Museum exists to encourage the discovery and understanding of the natural world, the universe, and the role of humans within them. Hours of Operation Monday - Closed Tuesday thru Friday - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday - 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission Charges Adults - $5.00 Seniors (65 or older) - $3.00 Children - $2.00 For additional information, visit www.lafayettesciencemuseum.org
  University Art Museum
The University Art Museum's Permanent Collection consists of more than 1,500 works of art, including paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, and photographs. This collection represents 18th, 19th and 20th century Louisiana, as well as the United States, Europe and Japan. Hours of operation: Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday - 9:00 to Noon Saturday - 10:00 - 5:00 Sunday and Monday - Closed. Ticket prices: Adult $5. Senior Citizens $4. For additional information, visit www.museum.louisiana.edu
  Zoo of Acadiana
Hours of operation are from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week, January to November. (Closed major holidays) Winter Hours: December Only 9:00 - 4:00 Safari of Lights: 5:00 - 9:00 *weather permitting* Admission cost: $9.25* for adults $8.25* for senior citizens 55 and older *plus tax. For additional information, visit www.zooofacadiana.org
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


Cajun Country


Author: Barry Ancelet, Glen Pitre, Jay Edwards


Description: An insightful study of the people of south Louisiana. It examines their traditional culture and its impact on modern ways.



Cajun Families of the Atchafalaya : Their Ways and Words


Author: Greg Guirard


Description: A cultural documentary, with 143 beautiful duo-tone photographs, of the people -- mostly French-speaking Cajuns -- who earn their livelihood by fishing, crabbing, crawfishing, trapping, and hunting alligators, turtles and bullfrogs in Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin.



Cajun Music: Its Origins and Development


Author: Barry Jean Ancelet


Description: Author Barry Ancelet examines the multicultural and multiracial origins of Cajun music, the major figures in the music's development and the circumstances which caused these diverse musical strains to fuse into the the culture's present musical repertoire. Ancelet also traces the evolution of the traditional French ballads that the Acadian settlers took with them to Canada and the songs that the Acadians sang during their years of exile, as well as describes the new musical influences that were encountered in Louisiana.



Founding of New Acadia: The Beginnings of Acadian Life in Louisiana, 1765-1803


Author: Carl A. Brasseaux


French, Cajun, Creole, Houma: A Primer on Francophone Louisiana


Author: Carl A. Brasseaux


Description: In recent years, ethnographers have recognized south Louisiana as home to perhaps the most complex rural society in North America. More than a dozen French-speaking immigrant groups have been identified there, Cajuns and white Creoles being the most famous. In this guide to the amazing social, cultural, and linguistic variation within Louisianas French-speaking region, Carl A. Brasseaux presents an overview of the origins and evolution of all the Francophone communities.



Inherit the Atchafalaya


Author: Greg Guirard & Ray Brassieur


Description: Greg Guirard's stunning photographs, fascinating text by Ray Brassieur, woven together to tell the rich history of the Acadians.



Scattered to the Wind: Dispersal and Wanderings of the Acadians, 1755-1809


Author: Carl A. Brasseaux


Description: The dispersal of the Acadian populationperhaps better known to historians as the Grand Drangementis unquestionably the pivotal event in Acadian history. Longfellow attempted to portray the tragic consequences of the deportation of the Acadian population from the Bay of Fundy Basic through his epic Evangeline, but the narrow focus of this work failed to convey the magnitude of the disruption and the resulting misery upon the Acadian population. Scholarly works dealing with the Acadian dispersal have also tended to focus on one group, or one aspect of this historical event. Scattered to the Wind fills the resulting need for an overview of the tragic episode, providing detailed accounts of the dispersal, Acadian life during the exile, the ensuing migrations, and the ultimate transplantation of various Acadian groups in widely separated geographic areas. Segments of the booklet examine the impact of the Grand Drangement, the dispersal, Acadians in each of the Eastern seaboard colonies, as well as post-dispersal Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Madawaska (Maine), England, France, Saint-Domingue, Martinique, French Guiana, the Falkland Islands, St. Pierre, Miquelon, and Louisiana. This short monograph also examines little known late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Acadian migrations to the lower Mississippi Valley. This fully documented narrative will provide engrossing reading for genealogists, history buffs, and anyone interested in Louisiana's Acadian heritage.



Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine


Author: Marcelle Bienvenu, Carl A. Brasseaux and Ryan Brasseaux




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