As someone who is half-Latin American, I value the almost-new Latin Fest in downtown Lafayette more than a little bit. The festival sheds light on where the Viator, Miguez, and Lopez families – plus many more – come from, in addition to our constant celebrations of French Canada. This weekend, the festival will be in full swing! There are after-parties axillary events, and the event itself to dive into this weekend.
10/4: Downtown Alive!: Rio Luminoso will take the stage with touring act Doctor Nativo at Downtown Alive! The weekly event at the pavilion in Parc Sans Souci. This Downtown Alive! Celebration kicks off the weekend-long ACLA Latin Music Festival. It’s free to the public! Show starts at 5:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to not bring ice chests, as beverages benefit Downtown Lafayette.
10/5: Latin Music Festival: This Saturday at Park International, come to a free, family-friendly celebration of all things Latin in Acadiana! Live music, Latin American cuisine, folkloric art and children’s activities are on tap for the daylong festivities. Parc International is located at 200 Garfield St. The event goes from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.!
10/5: PINK OUT CycleBar: This Saturday afternoon, don pink for breast cancer at CycleBar’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month Ride! This 45-minute, indoor cycling ride will suit you, whatever your fitness level, while you support Miles Perret Cancer Services. Proceeds will go toward helping local families fight, survive and live with cancer. To reserve your spot, call 337-984-1920 for more information. Tickets are $30 each!
10/5: Every Place We Ever Lived: Creators Aileen Bennett, Paige Barnette and Gina Aswell join forces this Saturday for “Every Place We Ever Lived,” an Opelousas art installation that explores literal and figurative textures of our lives. Visual art and site-specific dance will be at the center of this performance, with an outdoor art installation in the green space on South Main Street and West Landry Street downtown. Performing artists include Madylin Cashio. Ajah Cox, Nicole Curtis and more. Suggested donation for this event is $10. For more information, contact Gina Aswell at ggaswell@icloud.com or visit everyplaceweeverlived.com.
10/6: DLU fundraisers with Doctor Nativo: A Festival Internationale fan favorite, Doctor Nativo will cap off their return to Lafayette for the Latin Festival this Sunday with a special fundraiser! The fundraiser brunch, at the home of Pat and Lynn Trahan at 101 Cedar Crest St., will benefit downtown Lafayette through an intimate performance. Tickets are $65 each, $125 per couple. Price includes food, drinks, and a courtyeard concert. Brunch begins at 9:30 Sunday morning and ends at 11:30. Tickets are available here.
