A&E

Cajun country comes to the city Vermilionville’s annual celebration features rural Mardi Gras traditions, live music and more.

Join Bayou Vermilion District’s Vermilionville this Sunday as the Basile Mardi Gras Association brings a traditional country Mardi Gras run to the Hub City for their annual Courir de Mardi Gras event.

Vermilionville will open at 10 a.m. with children’s capuchon-making workshops, which will run throughout the day. The courir begins at 11:30 a.m. with an overview of this Mardi Gras tradition by Russell Rider of the BMGA. From there, guests will stop at seven of the homes located inside Vermilionville’s historic village where they will watch the BMGA beg for all the ingredients for the community gumbo and perform some rituals along the way.

The run will end with an opportunity for children to chase a chicken themselves, and the one who catches it will win Vermilionville’s official 2017 Chicken Chase Champion trophy.

Following the end of the Courir, attendees will be able to purchase gumbo and dance to the music of the Pine Leaf Boys in the Performance Center.

There will also be both French and Louisiana-style King Cake cooking demonstrations at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in Vermilionville’s Cooking School by chefs from Poupart’s Bakery. Attendees will learn about the tradition of the King Cake as well as what it represents and how to make it, and can sample the finished product as well.

Admission for the Courir de Mardi Gras is $5; children under 3 get in free. This event is in conjunction with LARC’s annual bead drive; those who bring a bag of beads to donate will get $1 off their admission fee. For more information visit Vermilionville.org or call 337-233-4077.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

10 a.m. – Children’s capuchon-making workshops begin

11:30 a.m. – Mardi Gras run by the Basile Mardi Gras Association

12:30 p.m. – Children’s chicken chase

1 p.m. – Pine Leaf Boys perform

1:30 p.m. – King Cake making demonstration by Poupart’s Bakery

2:30 p.m. – King Cake making demonstration by Poupart’s Bakery