A&E

Acadiana 365’s Weekend Picks

Highlights from this weekend include the Opelousas Spice & Music Festival, The 2013 Latin Music Festival and The Blue Moon's Pink Ribbon Jam.

Highlights from this weekend include the Opelousas Spice & Music Festival, The 2013 Latin Music Festival and The Blue Moon's Pink Ribbon Jam. For details on more events taking place around Acadiana this weekend visit Acadiana365.com.

Latin Music Festival 2013

The 11th Annual Latin Music Festival, presented by the Association Cultural Latino Acadiana, is an evening-long celebration of Acadiana's Latin culture and features eight restaurants of Latin cuisine opening alongside the festival at noon including Pamplona, Barandas, Café Habana City, La Carreta, La Morenita, El Chile Verde and Pelon's Mexican Hot Dogs. Live music will be provided by Rio Luminoso, Mariachis Jalisco, Vivaz, Casa Samba and OVI-G and the Froggies representing cultures of Brazil, the Caribbean, Honduras, Mexico and more. Dance instructors will also be on hand to help guests better experience the music. The festival also features art exhibitions with 14 Latin artists and ACLA members offering their artwork comprising textiles, jewelry, crafts, paintings and carvings.

The 2013 Latin Music Festival begins on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Parc International in downtown Lafayette. Admission to the festival is free. For more information visit AclaLaf.org.

OPELOUSAS SPICE & MUSIC FESTIVAL

Country music icon Joe Diffie is among the headliners for the ninth annual Opelousas Spice & Music Festival. And for the first time, the celebration of Cajun and Creole cuisine and toe-tapping music moves to the fall, allowing patrons to enjoy cool temperatures and the warm hospitality of Louisiana's third oldest city. In addition to traditional carnival rides, the Spice Fest will feature a giant hamster ball where children as well as adults can roll around in and even compete. The festival also features a state of the art video game theater complete with Guitar Hero, Madden Football and Call of Duty on gian plasma screens with surround sound, laser light effects and more. There will also be Cajun and Creole cooking demonstrations to highlight some of the area's finest cuisine. Jambalaya, red beans and rice, fried catfish and other south Louisiana delicacies will be available for purchase.

The Opelousas Spice & Music Festival will be held Friday, Oct. 4, through Saturday, Oct. 5, at South City Park, located at 1524 S. Market St., in Opelousas. Admission for the festival is $7 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under. For more information, call 800-424-5442 or visit OpelousasSpiceandMusicFestival.com.

Breaux Bridge Citywide Garage Sale

The Breaux Bridge Citywide Garage Sale spans Saturday through Sunday and features yard and street sales all over the city with the main focus on booths set up in the downtown Veteran's Park. Additional booth space will be available in the downtown Parc des Pontes de Pont Breaux along Bayou Teche. Downtown Breaux Bridge will also feature sales along its sidewalks.

The Breaux Bridge Citywide Garage sale is held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, through Sunday, Oct. 6.

5th Annual Pink Ribbon Jam

Cajun Invasion, Louisiana's first and only cancer survivor dragon boat team, is sponsoring the 5th Annual Pink Ribbon Jam: A Celebration of Life After Cancer. Proceeds will benefit Breast Cancer of Acadiana and LA Foundation For Cancer Care. Entertainment includes performances from The Wayne "Blue" Burns Band, Bonsoir Catin and Chubby Carrier Bayou Swamp Band.

The Pink Ribbon Jam starts on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Blue Moon Saloon, located at 215 E. Convent St. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information visit BlueMoonPresents.com.