Festivals Acadiens et Créoles this year is about “The Great Return”

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Free fun has made its great return to Girard Park. For almost 50 years, Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has combined crafts, food, and of course music, but 2020 was virtual and 2021 didn't happen. That's two reasons this festival's theme is "The Great Return".

"Le Grand Retour. You know it's the great return of festivals," said Patrick Mould, Festivals Acadiens Vice President of Programming & Development. "Because we didn't do one in 2021, we wanted to make up for lost time and do one in March which ironically enough, the first festival took place in March in 1974."

Mould says cranking back up the machine of hundreds of volunteers, vendors, utility workers, and artists has been challenging. "The feeling has been kind of a feeling of joy, man. We're a little bit nervous because we haven't done this in two and a half years, but everybody is excited for the opportunity. Especially for the musicians to be able to play again.

Eric Adcock takes the stage with Roddie Romero and the Hub-City All Stars Saturday. He says even though his band has performed all over the world, this festival feels like a homecoming. "We're born to perform, right? And we've kind of been cooped up for the past couple years, so it's going to be nice to hang our boots off the stage and try to play some pretty notes for the people," says adcock.

So, it's not only "Le Grand Retour" of the festival or the music, but of the fans and the culture as well.