Cajun Heritage Fest Postponed Due to COVID-19 Concerns

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The SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARTS COUNCIL and our host, Lamar State College – Port Arthur, are monitoring the COVID-19 situation carefully and following CDC guidelines on public gatherings. Consequently, we are postponing the Cajun Heritage Fest until later this summer. We will announce the exact date when we are certain that the threat of COVID-19 has passed.

We hope that all of you remain safe and well, and we hope to see you in a few months! We are very disappointed to have to reschedule the event, but the safety of our musicians, vendors, and attendees is paramount. Please watch our Facebook page and this site for further information.

While the new date is as yet unannounced, tickets which have already been purchased WILL remain valid. If you would like a refund for your ticket and you purchased online, you will receive an email with instructions. If you purchased your ticket in person, please bring your ticket back to the location you made the purchase to request a refund. We apologize for the inconvenience. Stay safe!

Cajun Heritage Fest 2020

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A CAJUN HERITAGE FEST IN PORT ARTHUR
APRIL 04, 2020
CRAWFISH | DANCING | MUSIC | FOOD

CAJUN CARAVAN
APRIL 05, 2020
CAJUN HISTORY | FOOD | MUSIC

Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center
1800 Lakeshore Dr
Port Arthur, TX 77640

Doors Open at 11 AM

To purchase tickets and for more information visit
CajunHeritageFest.com

Tickets also available at the gates on the day of the festival
409-835-2787

Do you like Cajun music? (How ’bout dat Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns?)
Do you like spicy boiled crawfish?
How ’bout dancing?
Beer?
Tell me something: you competitive? Like contests?

Hey, if you answered “Yes” to more than ’bout two or three of those, you need a ticket to the Cajun Heritage Fest right-now-this-instant! That’s right, that ol’ Cajun shindig is back to tear it up in 2020! On April 4th there’s gonna be so much music on the stage, we might need a new stage!

Come down and dance to the a-forementioned Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns, Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys, High Performance, Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners, and Damon Troy & Louisiana Beat. Don’t worry, the dance floor is even bigger this year!

Also not to be missed is relatively high-speed and exciting Crawfish Racing! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a crustacean jockey, go see a doctor! . . . But then come on down to the Cajun Heritage Fest, we got a place for you here!

If the only crawfish race you care about is seeing how fast you can eat ’em, we got that covered too. Head over to www.CajunHeritageFest.com to sign up for our Crawfish Eating Contest!

Last but not least, are you ever sad when the Cajun Heritage Fest is over? Why not turn your one-day Cajun visitation into a full-on weekend vacation? The Cajun Caravan kicks off Sunday morning the 5th with a Rosary Recitation at La Maison Beausoleil followed by a city crawl that will tour historic houses, Cajun restaurants, and the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

If you’re so excited about Cajun heritage that you show up early, no problem! The Port Arthur Public Library (4615 9th Avenue) is hosting a free Cajun Genealogy Workshop the morning of the 4th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Library Staff and other genealogists will be on hand to help you climb your family tree! Men of the Opelousas Post Militia fought with Galvez at the Battle of Baton Rouge during the American Revolution. Was your Acadian ancestor among them!? For more information call 409.985.8838.

Keep an eye on www.CajunHeritageFest.com for information on special hotel rates and event updates. If you’re a vendor and would like a booth or if you would like to be a sponsor for the Cajun Heritage Fest, forms are available on the website.

Presented by the Southeast Texas Arts Council with support from the City of Port Arthur, Cajun Sounds Internet Radio, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Foundation for Southeast Texas.

Cajun Caravan

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Cajun CaravanAfter the Cajun Heritage Fest on Saturday, start your Palm Sunday with a rosary recitation led by Father Badeaux of St. Joseph Catholic Church and a tour of the historic Cajun home La Maison Beausoleil, followed by brunch at the Rodaire Roadhouse. After some delicious food, the caravan will travel to La Maison Acadienne and then down to Port Arthur to the Museum of the Gulf Coast for guided tours at both locations. The museum’s Music Hall of Fame is not one to miss for fans of any genre. Finally, the caravan will gather at Reel Cajun for lunch and dessert.

9:30 – 11:00 AM :
Rosary Recitation and tour at La Maison Beausoleil
701 Rue Beausoleil, Port Neches

11:30 – 12:15 :
Brunch at the Rodaire Roadhouse
6701 Jade Ave, Port Arthur

12:30 – 1:00 :
Tour and live music at La Maison Acadienne
1500 Boston Ave, Nederland

1:15 – 2:00 :
Tour of the Museum of the Gulf Coast
700 Procter St, Port Arthur

2:15 PM :
Lunch at Reel Cajun
7500 Twin City Hwy, Port Arthur

Hampton Inn Offering Discount Rates to Cajun Heritage Fest Attendees!

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Hampton Inn offers Cajun Heritage Fest attendees great deals on overnight stay

The Hampton Inn & Suites in Port Arthur is offering Cajun Heritage Fest attendees a special rate! If you’re coming to the Fest and need a hotel room, call the Hampton Inn (409-722-6999) and mention the Cajun Heritage Fest to get a Deluxe King room for $94.00 or Double Queen room for $104.00 on Friday the 19th and/or Saturday the 20th. Reservations must be received by 3/28/19.

For more information or to reserve your room, call the Hampton Inn & Suites now!

Hampton Inn & Suites
Memorial Blvd
Port Arthur, TX 77642
409-722-6999

Reservation Method: Individuals will call the hotel direct(409)722-6999 Please ask for group name “Cajun Heritage Fest” when making all reservations.

Guarantee & Billing: The following billing arrangements apply to guest rooms: Individual to pay guest room charges, must provide credit card to guarantee reservation. (Cash paying guests may be asked to leave a cash or credit card deposit to guarantee payment). Guests are responsible for all charges.

Parking: All parking is complimentary for all overnight paying guests.

Reservations must be received by 03/28/2019; thereafter, reservations will be taken on a space available basis only.

Cajun Heritage Fest Schedule 2019

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April 20, 2019
Gates open at 11 a.m.

Carl A Parker Center
Port Arthur, TX

Hampton Inn offering discounts to attendees! Click here for information.

Music Schedule:

Noon – 1:00 – Donovan Bourque & Friends
1:30 – 3:00 — Wayne Toups & Royal BluGarou
3:30 – 5:00 — Pine Leaf Boys
5:30 – 7:00 — High Performance
7:30 – 9:00 — Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns

Events Schedule: TBA

11:45 – 12:00 – Texas Military Honors Team
1:00 – 1:30 — Cajun Waltz Contest – $100 Prize
3:00 – 3:30 — Crawfish Racing Contest – Trophy Prize
5:00 – 5:30 — Crawfish Eating Contest – Prizes TBA
7:00 – 7:30 — Cajun Two Step Contest – $100 Prize

TCA Continues to Praise Cajun Heritage Festival

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Texas Commission on the Arts Supports the Cajun Heritage Fest

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) has once again granted high marks to the Cajun Heritage Fest. The grant review panelists were highly impressed by the event, scoring the application 957 points out of 1000. Panelists were pleased to note the history and relevance of the event as well as the strong support SETAC and the Cajun Heritage Fest has received from the community.

Panelist Comments

I enjoyed the fact that the applicant is building on a culture of a people that time would otherwise forget. The level of support and strategic partnerships exemplify in my opinion the type of creativity this category was designed for. Great Job.

Interesting to read about their history and work!

Strong letters of support. Strong partnerships for the event.

Cajun Heritage Fest Schedule 2018

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Wayne Toups & Royal BluGarou headline the schedule for Cajun Heritage Fest 2018! Also on stage are the perpetually popular Travis Matte & the Kingpins and Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns!

11:00 – Doors Open
12:00 – 12:45 Donovan Bourque & Friends
12:45 – 1:30 Cajun Waltz & Two Step Contest
1:30 – 3:00 Wayne Toups & Royal BluGarou
3:00 – 4:00 Elite Redfish Tournament Series Weigh-In
4:00 – 4:30 Crawfish Eating Contest
4:30 – 6:00 Travis Matte & The Kingpins
6:15 – 7:00 Crawfish Races
7:30 – 9:00 Jamie Bergeron & The Kickin’ Cajuns

Coming to the Cajun Fest? Stay at the Hampton Inn for $99!

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Hampton Inn and Suites

The Hampton Inn & Suites in Port Arthur is offering Cajun Heritage Fest attendees a special rate! If you're coming to the Fest and need a hotel room, call the Hampton Inn (1-409-722-6999) and mention the Cajun Heritage Fest to get up to 30% off and rates starting at $99 on April 6th through 8th. Reservations must be received by 3/16/18.

The 2018 Cajun Heritage Fest will be headlined by none other than Wayne Toups & Royal BluGarou! Also on stage this year is the ever popular Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin' Cajuns, Travis Matte & the Kingpins, and Donovan Bourque. Don't miss this opportunity to see these Cajun troubadours on one stage on April 7, 2018.

Still need tickets to the Cajun Heritage Fest?

Hampton Inn & Suites

7660 Memorial Blvd
Port Arthur, TX 77642
409-722-6999

Here is what TCA said about The Cajun Heritage Fest

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Texas Commission on the Arts is a proud sponsor of the Cajun Heritage Fest

The Texas Commission on the Arts‘ (TCA)  grant panelists reviewed the application for assistance submitted by the Southeast Texas Arts Council (SETAC) on behalf of the Cajun Heritage Fest and here is what they had to say:

“In my opinion, SETAC is helping revive lost traditions in their community, which demonstrates a great cultural impact and has the ability to draw new audiences to the area, particularly with the intercity publication.”

As the Fest grows each year, organizers at SETAC are looking to expand the celebration of Cajun culture beyond food and music and into the realms of history, craft and influence on the arts (literature, film, etc).

“The listed participants seem to be high quality, especially for a relatively new festival. I like the involvement of students from Lamar University.”

The Cajun Heritage Fest isn’t just for self-identified Cajuns either. The Acadian travelers had a heavy influence on the Gulf Coast region that touches all the area’s modern inhabitants in ways they may or may not be aware of. Drawing in students from Lamar University in Port Arthur to provide them with real-world training opportunities allows them to grow in both technical proficiency and cultural appreciation!

One panelist expressed a hopeful outlook based on SETAC’s consistency in event planning and execution.

“I believe that Artistic Quality will be an area where there is room for growth as the event is put on year after year.”

The application scored high in all categories resulting in an overall A rating.

Scores:
Artistic Quality: 90 %
Capability: 92 %
Impact: 92 %