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Explore Lafayette

Culture & Inclusion

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Explore Lafayette

  • Lafayette is in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun & Creole Country, an area that was crowned the “Happiest City in America.” Our Cajun and Creole cultures are truly unique and they’re celebrated in our food and our music.
  • We're a community that embraces visitors, and that's something you feel at the University and around town.
  • Lafayette is a mid-sized town with big-city amenities. We have everything from Whole Foods and Costco to boutique shopping and a mall.
  • There are plenty of green spaces to enjoy, such as Girard Park, which is right by campus, Lafayette Central Park, which has a farmer’s and artisan’s market on Saturdays, and nearby state parks.
  • Lafayette is home to a variety of free concert series and large-scale festivals. Festival Acadiens et Creoles happens right next to campus, and Festival International de Louisiane is a free international festival that draws visitors from all over the world—and it happens within walking distance from campus.

[music playing]

Lafayette feels like a big city that offers everything, but a small town vibe.

Well, to simply describe the culture here, in three words, it would be joie de vivre, which translates to joy of life, which very accurately describes Lafayette, Louisiana.

There's Festival International, which definitely celebrates so many different cultures and brings in music from all over.

There's tons of parades that are held in the Lafayette area, and there's actually parades that come right through the campus. So if you live on campus in one of the residence halls, you can literally walk out your door, and walk to parade during Mardi Gras season. No need to worry about finding parking, or things like that. It's literally right outside your door.

So there are tons of great green spaces outside, like Girard Park, right by campus. There are so many students who go and set up their hammock and read. Here they have just as many chain stores as anywhere else, like Costco, Walmart, Target, Whole Foods.

But then there's also many local boutiques and shops you can experience as well. Lafayette has a culture unlike any other, whether it be from food, live music, or events around town, you can always experience the culture in many different ways, from po' boys to crawfish etouffee, to parades, Lafayette's got it all.

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