CULTURAL TRADITIONS

from 2022 Lake Charles Media Profile Sheet

CREOLE NATURE TRAIL ALL-AMERICAN ROAD

The identity of Lake Charles and its surrounding areas are deep-rooted in Cajun and Creole heritage, Zydeco/Cajun music, seafood galore, and a bunch of Southern hospitality in Sportsman’s Paradise. There are genuine stories in every nook and cranny of the area. The sounds of Southwest Louisiana were born in musical blends of folk and blues using washboards, silverware, accordions, fiddles, harmonicas, and more. You can blend your favorite pastime with your favorite plate of food by enjoying outdoor excursions for a moment of peace with nature or to catch and release nature’s bounty into the grease for dinner! You can sense the wholesome hearts of locals at every turn. It doesn't take long to understand why there’s no place like Lake Charles.

✦ Henning Cultural Center ✦ Charpentier Historic District

✦ No Man's Land ✦ 1911 Historic City Hall

QUIRKS & CURIOSITIES

Southwest Louisiana is serving up quirks and curiosities for visitors year-round. Don’t believe us? We have a group of local pirates that make our mayor walk the plank. That’s weird, but this is wild. Did you know albino dolphins are pink? We have two of them swimming around the gulf. It gets even wilder and weirder around here, especially during Mardi Gras season. There's a rural neighborhood Mardi Gras parade that includes a live chicken that bounces from house to house. Boudin is available across Louisiana, but our boudin is insane. If these peculiarities didn’t make you scratch your head or question logic, either you’re unusually strange or a Lake Charles local.

✦ Louisiana Pirate Festival ✦ Creole Nature Trail All-American Road

✦ Iowa Chicken Run ✦ Insane Sausages ✦ Panorama Music House

FOOD & DRINK

From our bayous to the soul, right in a piping-hot bowl, you’ll get a traditional taste of Louisiana’s staples, including jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish, muffulettas, étouffée, po’boys, red beans, and rice, bread pudding, and more. In Southwest Louisiana, we’ve excelled the culinary status quo. We have food trails, festivals, and events that offer an authentic taste of Southwest Louisiana year-round. You’ll fall in love with homemade cracklins and boudin at one of our quaint and cultured restaurants. Then wash it all down with a pint of craft beer, rum, or vodka if you really want to tap into the Lake Charles spirits. There’s a genuine taste of Cajun/Creole cuisine and fresh seafood in Louisiana’s Playground, as well as a few other flavors, passed down from generation to generation.

✦ Chuck Eats Restaurant Week ✦ Louisiana Food & Wine Festival

✦ Smoke & Barrel: A Celebration of Bourbon, BBQ & Whiskey

✦ Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail ✦ Gas Station Eats Trail

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

With more than 75 festivals, fairs, and annual events, Lake Charles has earned its title as the Festival Capital of Louisiana. Whether you’re seeking an extended taste of Mardi Gras celebrations, reveling in Cajun or Zydeco music under a vibrant sunset, multiday Juneteenth festivities, or exploring the surrounding small towns for a charming experience, there’s always a party in Louisiana’s Playground. You can catch regional and national artists at our resort casinos, explore downtown events, or be a spectator at thrilling sporting events.

✦ Downtown at Sundown Concert Series ✦ Live at the Lakefront Concert Series