Festival International is a Five-Day Music and Arts Extravaganza

Founded in 1987, festival international is a world-class cultural event that showcases the rich French, Creole and Cajun heritage of Louisiana, highlighting the links between Acadiana and France and the Francophone world. This five-day music and arts extravaganza attracts thousands of visitors to downtown Lafayette every year.

In addition to offering a wide variety of musical performances, the festival also showcases visual art, theater and other forms of performance arts. In addition, the festival is dedicated to supporting a number of local and regional artists, including Cajun and zydeco musicians, painters, and dancers.

The festival’s unique, diverse lineup of performers draws a broad cross-section of music lovers. Attendees can expect to see a wide variety of musical genres including folk, jazz, rock, funk, and blues. Some of the best Louisiana and Lafayette-based musicians will perform, such as Lil Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers and Robert Finley, a Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist who has been featured in the music of Dan Aubreach of the Black Keys.

Many of the performances at festival international are free to the public, but tickets do have to be purchased for some concerts. There are several ticket options available, ranging from $15 to $50.

Volunteers are essential to the success of festival international, and a significant portion of those who work at the event are dedicated volunteers. They man drink tents, wristband stations, will-call kiosks and more. They also help out with preparing the festival grounds, picking up trash and driving artists around.

This group of people donates many thousands of hours to the festival, all for the opportunity to be part of this fun and exciting festival. This is something that can’t be done by an outside company, and it shows that the festival has a great community behind it.

As a result, the organizers of the festival can have a lot of flexibility in programming the events that will take place throughout the weekend. This means that there is often a lot of spontaneity in the performances. For example, the day I saw Ahmad Jamal was his 80th birthday party, so the audience spontaneously sang him a “Happy Birthday.”

If you are looking for an alternative to a hotel, consider camping at a campground or RV park within a short drive of the festival. Most of these offer facilities such as water and electrical hookups, pool access, and WiFi.

Depending on your needs, it is also possible to stay at a host family’s home or rental house, but these are usually booked well in advance. They may also have amenities such as cooking facilities and bathrooms.

When you are packing for a trip to the festival, be sure to bring light clothes and a backpack or purse with essential items such as sunscreen wet wipes, hand sanitizer, deodorant, a hat and a refillable water bottle. It is also a good idea to bring a portable charger, especially if you’re planning on using a phone or tablet during the day.

Written by Kyle