Breaux Bridge
Crawfish Dreams
Put on your sturdiest dancing shoes before heading to the May 4-6 Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival (bbcrawfest.com) in Parc Hardy, where 30 sizzling hot Cajun, swamp pop and zydeco bands will have both young and old twirling until midnight. Try to top that 55-pound record (in 1994) at the Saturday afternoon crawfish-eating contest (Tip: Judges consider technique and will put any runaway mudbugs right back on your tray).
Scott
Book Bliss
The new West Regional Public Library is now under construction in Scott (513 Old Spanish Trail; westregionallibrary.blogspot.com), measuring around 17,000-square-feet, with an anticipated opening in the first quarter of 2019.
Lafayette
Hail to the Chefs
Being selected as a James Beard semifinalist is comparable to receiving an Oscar nomination. Manny Augello of Bread & Circus Provisions was the only chef from Acadiana that was named as a semifinalist for Best Chef South. The other eight chefs were from New Orleans, which also had nominations in seven other categories. What’s so remarkable this year is that an unprecedented number of chefs from Louisiana (more than any other state) were among the semifinalists selected for Best Chef South in 2018.
Power to the Megawatt
Calcasieu Entergy Louisiana LLC has broken ground on a 994-megawatt electricity generation plant in Westlake. Recent developments are requiring the need for more electricity, according to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office, since approximately $55 billion in new industrial construction projects have been launched in Southwest Louisiana since 2012, with billions more investments planned over the next decade. For the new natural gas-fired Lake Charles Power Plant, Entergy Louisiana will make an $872 million capital investment in a project that mirrors the St. Charles Power Plant. Economists predict that the region will surpass 300,000 in population by 2020.
New Oil Discovery
Terrebonne, Lafourche Chevron has announced a “major” oil find about 100 miles southeast of Port Fourchon (located on the southern tip of Lafourche Parish). Chevron’s “significant oil discovery” is sparking optimism among locals hoping to bring back lucrative offshore work.
calendar
3 Festivals for May
1. Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
Breaux Bridge
Since 1960, the “Crawfish Capital of the World” has been celebrating crawfish and Cajun culture. Visitors can join in on Cajun dance contests, Cajun music workshops, and, of course, lots of crawfish. (Additional information in the middle of this page.)
2. Sunset Herb and Garden Festival
Sunset
For 22 years, the Sunset Garden Club has sponsored the St. Landry parish Herb and Garden Festival. Admission is $5 and guests can peruse yard art, herbal products, plants and flowers.
3. Starks Mayhaw Festival
Starks
Each year, the Starks Business & Civic Association holds the Mayhaw Festival in hopes of community unity and to provide a positive image of Starks. The festival hosts a jelly contest, live auction, car show, carnival rides, food and more.
