You must be an active DL Member to submit an event for consideration on the Downtown Event Calendar.
Our next DLU Member Spotlight video focuses on local branding visionary, Amy Jones. Amy’s full-service advertising agency, Burning Stick Creative, is headquartered on Garfield Street—in a prime spot for live music lovers—directly across from Parc International. You can find the Burning Stick staff taking full advantage of their location during Downtown Alive!, Festival International, and the many other festivals and live events hosted at Parc International on a regular basis.
Amy is a firm believer in the importance of Downtown Lafayette to the Acadiana region. “There’s an energy to Downtown that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the Parish,” says Amy “there’s this constant vibe that anything is possible because of what’s happening down here. It’s creative, it’s growing fast, it’s bringing in those that are tech entrepreneurs.”
Burning Stick Creative joined DLU in 2018 to become a part of the movement of Downtown stakeholders working together to grow the district. “There’s really a collaborative spirit that exists down here. Downtown wants to see its neighbors succeed. We want to see success happen for the people that are investing their time and investing their talent into revitalizing an area that is absolutely crucial for the future of Lafayette.”
Downtown Lafayette Unlimited is a nonprofit membership organization that has supported the community of Downtown Lafayette since 1983. Our 200+ member-strong organization includes Downtown business leaders like Amy Jones, as well as individuals, families, and businesses from throughout Acadiana. Our members believe in the importance of a strong downtown to our city and region. If you do too, you should join them.
Downtown is the place where Acadiana comes to celebrate culture AND do business! Here at Downtown Lafayette Unlimited our goal is to help orchestrate these celebrations. Not only are we celebrating our community this fall with events such as Downtown Alive! and ArtWalk but over the past month, we have celebrated new ownership of beloved historic buildings as well as 10-year business milestones and more!
Read Clair Taylor’s article for The Acadiana Advocate here.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricanes Laura and Delta impacted the construction, the developers behind the old federal courthouse redevelopment in Downtown Lafayette knew the project would take a lot of work. J. Dyke Nelson, the architect behind the project, said he had to wear a hazmat suit the first time he came out and saw the property.
Perficient, a digital consulting firm with an office in downtown Lafayette, hired 50 graduates from its training bootcamp held last fall.The second Bright Paths Program, an initiative designed to advance STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented constituencies and communities, was offered at its Lafayette and Detroit locations. Students completed software engineering coursework, learned about the consulting business, connected with mentors, and engineered their own innovative applications, company officials announced Thursday.
SchoolMint will move into a temporary space in downtown Lafayette and could soon land a permanent home possibly later this month. Company CEO Bryan MacDonald said the company will move into the first floor of the Lemoine building, 214 Jefferson St., and hopes to have employees working there on Feb. 1.
In the blistering summers of Acadia Parish, Meg Arceneaux would watch her grandfather sit in his truck and go about business telling others what to do. She was fascinated with how he operated his work, hoping to one day own her own business.
As Acadiana recovers from the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19 and flagging oil and gas prices, the region will likely rely on a few key businesses to help spearhead the recovery.
Vestal, the planned live fire concept restaurant in downtown Lafayette owned by award-winning Lafayette chef Ryan Trahan, will open in early April, he said. Trahan announced on Facebook Thursday he is accepting applications online to staff the restaurant, which will be at 555 Jefferson St. in the former Antlers location.
Since the iconic Don’s Seafood in Downtown Lafayette closed in 2020, there has been a lot of curiosity about what would happen to the building. Since the 1930s, the restaurant was a staple of the district and a favorite dining destination for locals and visitors. Wonder no more.