Traditional Cajun Country Mardi Gras Experience -- Eunice and Mamou, Louisiana

There are few experiences as genuine today in America as a traditional Cajun Country Mardi Gras. Costumed pranksters, colorful riders on horses, happy folks on floats showering the crowd with shiny beads, and Cajun and Zydeco bands fill the streets of many small towns across the Cajun Triangle, which has Lafayette roughly as its center.

This video takes you to Eunice, Louisiana, a city of just over 10,000 people north of Lafayette that knows how to host a Mardi Gras bash. There are also a few clips taken in Mamou, a smaller city a little further north, that's home to world famous Fred's Lounge, which hosts a Cajun dance party every Saturday morning -- and a few extra days leading up to Mardi Gras. Ray Abshire and his Cajun band rocked the dance hall when we were there.

The amazing sights, sounds, food -- oh the food -- and the drink combined with the locals, who welcome visitors with open arms and good humor, create a truly priceless experience.
Here's the official schedule for the five days of Mardi Gras 2019 entertainment in Eunice. Local, nationally-recognized and Grammy award-winning bands appeared on-stage in downtown Eunice. One of the reasons we absolutely love Cajun Country is we can find amazingly talented musicians playing in dance halls every night of the week. (Many of the spectacular Cajun and Zydeco bands appear in this video. Zydeco legend Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie play inside Nick's Restaurant toward the end. )

Friday, March 1st
Live music Downtown at Walnut & Second St.
7pm LaRecolte
10pm Wayne Toups
Saturday, March 2nd
Live music & events Downtown at Walnut & Second St.
12pm T-Monde
3pm Parade of Paw “Puppy Parade”
4pm Fred Charlie & the Acadiana Cajuns
6pm Jambalaya ft. Basile Mardi Gras Association @ Liberty Theatre
7pm Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys
9pm Jamie Bergeron &the Kickin Cajuns
Sunday, March 3rd
Live music & events Downtown at Walnut & Second St.
9:30 Eunice Old Time Boucherie
10am Ryan Simon & Acadien
12:30pm Kegan Navarre & Louisiana Traditions
3pm Children’s “Lil Mardi Gras” Parade
4pm Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express
Monday, March 4th
Live music & events Downtown at Walnut & Second St.
7pm Bubba Hebert & the New Morse Playboys
9pm Travis Matte & the Kingpins
Tuesday, March 5th
Live music & events Downtown at Walnut & Second St.
9:30am Wallace Trahan & Rice-N-Gravy
11am Ronnie Matthews & the Thow Down
1:30 Raul Daigle & Cajun Gold
3pm Mardi Gras Parade
4pm Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys

Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners made a surprise appearance at 6 p.m. Mardi Gras night.

I'd also like to mention it was a pleasure to meet Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot and the manager and crew at The Dugout who made us feel welcome and filled us in on the local Mardi Gras scene. Laissez les bons temps rouler! We'll be back!

This film was created by Larry Richardson -- StepByStepChef.com -- using an Apple iPhone 7 and iMovie.