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Lafayette, LA – Downtown Alive! announces their Fall lineup as they return to in-person programming this Fall in Parc International. This beloved community tradition pivoted to virtual programming throughout 2020 and Spring 2021 due to COVID-19 and managed to reach over 45,000 viewers in the Spring season alone thanks to supporters near and far.
Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (DLU), the non-profit, member organization that produces DTA!, is gearing up to bring this important cultural celebration back to its traditional format with a top-notch lineup and more energy than ever. The star-studded homegrown talent showcased in this 39th season’s lineup includes first-time DTA! performer Chris Ardoin as well as returning crowd favorites Marc Broussard, Cupid, and Wayne Toups.
“This stellar lineup of four GRAMMY nominees is sure to kick off weekends this Fall in a big way, we are excited to welcome the community back to Downtown Alive! and encourage families to mark your calendars now to celebrate with us!” - Anita Begnaud CEO, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited
Downtown Alive! has said “goodbye” to waiting in ticket lines and will continue to accept cash, credit, and debit for all food and beverages within Parc International, creating a more efficient and enjoyable experience for patrons. During each transaction, guests are encouraged to support the event by donating to continue to keep DTA! free for the whole family. Please leave your ice chests at home with your pets. DTA! is a smoke-free and family-friendly event.
Downtown Lafayette has experienced significant growth and activity since the last in-person DTA! and organizers encourage the Acadiana community to make plans to check out new businesses, along with property and public space improvements, as they kick off the weekend in the heart of Lafayette. Downtown Alive! brings the community together to celebrate arts & culture while supporting local bars, restaurants, and retail spaces and is the perfect atmosphere to be a part of the economic development momentum happening downtown.
All shows take place in Parc International. Happiest Hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with music kicking off at 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Zydeco
RnB/Hip-Hop
Rock-n-Roll
Rock-n-Roll, Cajun/Zydeco/Folk/Americana
This year marks the 39th season of Downtown Alive! and would not be possible without the ongoing support of its sponsors, especially presenting sponsor Evangeline Maid. Companies including CGI, Coca-Cola, Legend’s, Victor Ashy, 3Circle Solutions, and One Telemed also believe in the mission of making downtown more vibrant and are proud to support this comeback season.
Little did Acadiana know that on Friday, April 8th, 1983, history would be made in Downtown Lafayette. It all started when a group of people got together to try and figure out how to bring life into Downtown Lafayette. Downtown Development Director Cathy Webre and her team had a hunch – “Give them music, and they will come.” Downtown Alive! was then born on a tiny stage in the middle of Jefferson Street with a performance from Beausoleil.
Festival International de Louisiane is set to take over Downtown Lafayette this weekend, converting the city center into a world music mecca like no other. The streets will be packed with throngs of sandal clad weekend warriors—over 300,000 people attend the festival each year, coming from all over the country and around the globe. Everyone knows the bands they want to see and where the stage is, but there’s more to Festival than just the music. This guide to Festival International’s unofficial and off-the-beaten-path events will help you to get the most out of a full week of Downtown festivities.
Don’t miss out on the third annual Merry & Bright Holiday Series, presented by Lafayette Coca-Cola Bottling Co., happening Downtown this holiday season.The holiday season is a time to come together and celebrate the connection you have to your family, friends, and community. Part of Downtown Lafayette Unlimited’s mission is to foster a downtown district where this can happen, to serve as a gathering place for memories and traditions that stand the test of time.
After the success of both Chicken Sandwich Snackdown and Burger Battle Royale, we HAD to continue the fun competition amongst our Downtown neighbors. 16 Downtown restaurants will compete for the ultimate title: TACO TAKEDOWN CHAMPION.This exciting month-long food fight is a fundraiser for Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, with $1 per every taco sold going to our non-profit organization. Check out our Facebook and Instagram feeds to see who’s ready to knock-out the competition. Public voting begins August 15.
Maker Faire Lafayette has opened online registration and announced the schedule of events for the week of April 5-10, 2021. This year’s event is presented by Lafayette Public Library, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, and AOC Community Media.
It was like walking onto a Hallmark movie set for local artist Kelly Russo. Last year, downtown Lafayette took decorating for Christmas seriously, and along with it, came the Window Wonderland competition. Russo was one of 30 artists who decorated storefronts in hopes of winning and bringing Christmas cheer.
Lafayette, LA – Do you hear what we hear? Downtown Lafayette is becoming a Winter Wonderland once again this December. Downtown Lafayette Unlimited is producing “Merry & Bright,” a series of family-friendly holiday events in Downtown Lafayette sponsored by Lafayette Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The seasonal celebration includes a Christmas tree decorating contest, a concert featuring Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, a competition for best holiday window display, a Candlelight Christmas featuring traditional carols, and a Movies In The Parc season finale —all taking place throughout December and following guidelines for safe outdoors events.
2019 was a transformative year for Downtown Lafayette, one that will mark the beginning of a new decade of momentum for the heart of Acadiana. Our organization has undergone exciting changes, beginning with the appointment of Anita Begnaud as the CEO of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (DLU) in October of 2018. Anita hit the ground running by reinvigorating DLU’s membership and programming efforts, hiring Maureen Dugas Foster as the first ever Director of DLU, and acting as the spokesperson for a list of catalytic projects in Downtown—from the renovation of the Old Federal Courthouse and the construction of Vermilion Lofts and Buchanan Heights, to efforts addressing Downtown’s pressing infrastructure issues.
Downtown Lafayette will become the perfect destination for lovers of Christmas this December. In an effort to spread seasonal joy throughout the Acadiana region, DLU has committed to creating a month-long series of family-friendly holiday events in Downtown Lafayette. The seasonal celebration, called “A Merry & Bright Downtown Christmas” will feature a Christmas tree decorating contest, multiple concerts, a competition for best holiday window display, pictures with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a “North Pole” installation in Parc International—all taking place throughout the month of December.