A Cajun Celebration at Lafayette’s Festival International de Louisiane

Festival International de Louisiane (April 22-26) brings an international array of Francophone musicians and celebrated Cajun headliners to commemorate the 40th anniversary in downtown Lafayette. The festival’s official 2026 poster, pin and artwork by Francis Pavy (aka the Picasso of Zydeco) debuts on March 1, showcasing the acclaimed artist’s inaugural collaboration with daughter, Annabelle Pavy. Their unique partnership captures the multigenerational spirit of the festival and its vibrant Francophone heritage.

Awards of Distinction

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities recently announced the 41st annual Bright Lights Awardees. Two-time Grammy winner Michael Doucet, founder of BeauSoleil and a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship for his work revitalizing French language and Cajun culture, has been named the 2026 Humanist of the Year. Esteemed author Kevin Rabalais, a professor of English at Loyola University and a regular contributor to Louisiana Life and Acadiana Profile magazines, has been named the 2026 Documentary Photographer of the Year.

West Monroe: Racing Ducks for Bucks

Northeast Louisiana’s largest festival, RiverFest (April 24-25) held in downtown West Monroe  features live duck races and a rubber duck drop into the Ouachita River (with very generous cash prizes). Live music, food trucks, art vendors and a kids’ zone add to the family fun.

New Orleans: Music on the Menu

Don’t miss the star-studded first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz Festival (April 23-May 3) featuring such hitmakers as Jon Batiste (presenting Swamp), Lorde, Stevie Nicks, Tyler Childers, Nas, Rod Stewart and David Byrne. Closing out the second weekend on Sunday (May 3) is headliner Teddy (“Lose Control”) Swims making his Jazz Fest debut with those raspy, soulful love songs, and the hot, rhythmic melodies of Trombone Shorty that prompt irrepressible dancing.

Vernon Parish: A Woodpecker Comeback

The red-cockaded woodpecker, living on the edge of extinction for more than four decades, is making a comeback in the Kisatchie National Forest. Biologists have been tracking the small woodpeckers for years, finding their nests high above the ground in the trunks of tall longleaf pines. The bird’s habitat was disappearing as trees were cut for timber, agriculture and development. Fifty years of forest conservation efforts are finally paying off.