Fun awaits you Down the Bayou

Southeast Louisiana is busting at the seams with October festivals to suit every taste from food to music to culture.

Break in your dancing shoes for the Cut Off Youth Center Fair Oct. 8-10 at La. Highway 1 in Cut Off.

Pay-one-price rides, crafts and a carnival midway get the party started.

South Louisiana’s own Waylon Thibodeaux is just one of the entertainers tempting you to hit the dance floor.

And don’t forget the large variety of great food such as gumbo, po-boys, jambalaya, sauce piquant, burgers and fries and a whole lot more diet-busting treats.

To find out more call D’Lynn Boudreaux at (985) 632-7616.

The Cajun Heritage Festival celebrates the 34th Annual Louisiana Woodcarving Competition Oct. 15-17 at the Larose Civic Center on La. Highway 308 in Larose.

“The word festival is misleading. This is a wood carving competition,” Carol Matherne explained.

The talented carvers will have their own booths where festival visitors can ask questions and watch while new creations come to life.

The Saturday duck-calling contest is always a lot of fun and Sunday will feature “a duck head whittling contest, awards and auction,” Matherne said.

Gumbo, hot dogs, hamburgers and nachos are on the menu when the munchies kick in.

General admission to the event is $3.

Proceeds help the Cajun Heritage Festival and Club pass on the craft of woodcarving to future generations.

For more information, contact Matherne at (985) 438-5384 or visit http://www.cajunheritagefestival.com/.

A Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event, the Gumbo Capital of Louisiana celebrates the Louisiana Gumbo Festival Oct. 15-17.

Gumbo of every variety will tickle the taste buds along with sauce piquant, fish, crab cakes, chicken tenders, burgers, fries and hot dogs.

“We have crafts, games, rides, amusements and bands all weekend,” Joshua Falgout said.

The Brandon Foret Band and No Exit are on stage Friday. Saturday it’s Heart & Soul, Junior LaCrosse & Sumtin Sneaky, Velvet Sky, Don Rich and the Good Feelings Band. Gary T, Way Down South and Foret Tradition wrap up the entertainment Sunday.

Admission and parking are free at the Choupic Fairgrounds at 326 La. Highway 304 in Chackbay. Hours are Friday 5 a.m. to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight and Sunday noon to 7 p.m.

For more information, call Falgout at (985) 859-4859 or visit http://lagumbofest.com/

Last but not least is the 37th Annual French Food Festival Oct. 29-31 at the Larose Regional Park and Civic Center on La. Highway 308 in Larose.

“This is the best thing our community has to offer. It’s the true community spirit of a small town; family, food, music and culture all rolled into one three day event,” Jasmine Ayo said.

The first thing visitors will notice on the fairgrounds is the huge tent jammed with 28 food booths.

“We were thinking about having salad this year but I don’t think it will go with Cajun food. It’s not deep fried,” Ayo joked.

Shrimp boulettes, crawfish etouffe, seafood gumbo, alligator sauce piquante, white oyster soup, shrimp po-boys, jambalaya, pork routee, gratons, and more.

For the sweet tooth sample the pralines, tartes a la bouille, cobblers and beignets

But this is more than just a food festival. Carnival rides, games, and art show, auction, crafts, Cajun folklife demonstrations, a dance contest and trick-or-treating for the kids are just a few of the surprises awaiting you.

Bring your dancing shoes to join in the great music and dancing. Friday’s band line up is Gary T, Rockalanche then Halifax. Saturday Waylon Thibodeaux leads the way followed by Junior LaCrosse & Sumtin Sneaky, Southern Cross and the Chee Weez. And Sunday it’s Foret Tradition and the Hurricane Levee Band.

“This is a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event. It’s a pretty big award and we’ve won it twice. You have to have over 30,000 people in attendance to get it,” Ayo said.

“We have all this stuff going on in business and industry but let’s come out for French food and celebrate the stuff that matters – family, community and culture,” she continued.

To finds out more, contact Ayo at (98) 693-7355 or visit www.bayoucivicclub.org.