One of the best things about living in a warm climate is that you can have outdoor activities all year round. While others brace themselves for extreme cold weather and precipitations, living down South means summer doesn’t necessarily have to end so soon.
This certainly applies to people living in and around Lafayette, Louisiana. In the months of October and November, when people from other parts of the country are resigned to the fact that summer is over and already look forward to the Holiday Season, Lafayette is still partying. Here are the coolest things to do in the Lafayette area this fall.
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Festivals Acadiens et Créoles
This mid-October three day festival is more like three festivals all rolled into one, each celebrating a different part of Cajun and Creole culture. It started back in 1972 as Louisiana Native Crafts festival, and two years later it merged with a newly-started Cajun music festival. The final piece of the puzzle was added in 1977 with the Bayou Food Festival.
The result is a wonderful craft, music, and food festival that celebrates the old traditions of south Louisiana natives. It’s been named this way since 2008, and thanks to the amazing people putting it together, it grows in popularity with each passing year.
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Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival
Louisiana has many different peoples and traditions, but if you have a passion for the blues, this is the festival for you. This award-winning festival, presented by The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, hosts its 13th edition this year, and they anticipate it will be their biggest one yet. So, get ready to listen to some soul-soothing blues, while tasting some of the best barbecue in the state.
The admission is free, and you’ll be treated to a wonderful variety of blues artists playing on one of the festival’s two stages. This year’s top-billed performer is guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan, brother of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Festival-goers will also get to choose between 12 of the best barbecue vendors in the area, plus a large and well-stocked arts market.
How to Practice Eco-Friendly Driving
Cars are wonderful things because they give us the freedom to go anywhere we want to, at any time. This unprecedented mobility has been the driving force behind the automobile industry’s growth throughout the last hundred years, and nowadays cars are as popular as ever.
New automotive technologies have made engines more efficient and less polluting, but you can still maximize the performance you get out of every tank by the way you drive. Here are some ways to be as efficient as possible while driving.
Choose an Eco-Friendly Vehicle
Gone are the days where engine power automatically meant burning up a lot of gas. Over the last few decades, manufacturers understood that a more efficient car is a win-win situation, not only helping the environment but also being significantly cheaper to operate.
So next time you’re in the market for a new car, keep in mind that you can you can find a great one that’s also efficient and eco-friendly. Hybrid engine or fully electric cars are also more and more present in the market, and most major car manufacturers are currently investing in clean energy for future car models.
Have an Eco-Friendly Driving Style
Even with an efficient car, the way you drive can have a significant effect on the gas you consume. Not only does aggressive driving increase odds of car crashes, it’s also bad for your vehicle’s MPG.
Having a calm demeanor can help you burn a lot less fuel, thus saving money and reducing the toxic gases that the car releases into the atmosphere. So simply accelerate calmly, avoid driving too fast, and try not to make too many sudden brakes. Pretty soon you’ll find that the miles-per-gallon ratio will rise, and your trips will also be more relaxing.
Tackle Any Job in the 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500!
Pickup trucks have been steadily dominating the American market for some years now. The reasons for that are not hard to understand, as there really isn’t anything you can’t do with a truck.
Although crossover and all-purpose models are becoming more and more popular, there is no another car type out there that you can use for carrying a few tons of materials, successfully tackling off-road environments, and dropping your kids off to school, all in a comfortable, tech-rich environment. It’s no wonder the 2018 Silverado 1500 is Chevrolet’s most popular model, as it comes with all the perks of having a pickup truck while adding a few of its own.
Versatility
Not only does the Silverado come with the above-mentioned versatility that’s common to every truck, it is especially versatile, and its trim options reflect that. First of all, there are a few engines to choose from. If you’re using the truck for driving around town, and maybe doing some light carrying, then the 4.3-liter V-6 is more than enough to satisfy your needs.
The most popular engine is the 5.3-liter V-8. It’s able to carry some heavy-duty cargo, your family, an attached trailer, or all of them together with remarkable ease. Then, there’s the class champion. If your day-to-day operations involve carrying massively heavy things, the spectacular 6.2-liter will surely get any job done.
The vehicle’s versatility doesn’t stop with power, however. There are three cab configurations available: regular, extended, and crew. So no matter how many family members, colleagues, or employees you have to drive around as part of your daily routine, there’s definitely a Silverado model that fulfills your needs.
Drivability
Unexpectedly for a vehicle of this size and weight, the 2018 Chevy Silverado is also easy to drive. When your transportation is your tool, you expect that tool to be working smoothly so you can get the job done as efficiently as possible, and the Silverado delivers exactly that.
It accelerates well with any engine, with the top 6.2-liter engine reaching 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just 6.4 seconds, a time that would put most sedans and hatchbacks to shame. It also brakes better than most trucks in its class and has very good steering for a truck that is this heavy.
Do you love Fall, being outside, live music, local food, and interacting with your community? If you’ve answered yes to any of these, the 2018 Fall Concerts at Couret event is for you! Haven’t heard of Concerts at Couret before? It’s a seasonal live music series that highlights local music artists by holding weekly performances to promote the spirit and hospitality of Acadiana.
The Concert at Couret series takes places at Couret Farms, located at 505 W Pont des Mouton Rd at 1-49N. Each week a different local artist performs from 6:00-9:00PM on Fridays. Concerts at Couret is also a completely FREE event that is open to the public, so you can bring all your friends and family! Not only will you enjoy wonderful live music performances, but also the delicious cuisine of local restaurants and goods from local businesses and boutiques. Concerts at Couret has something for everyone, so it’s guaranteed entertainment for the whole family, so make sure you mark down the Fall performances on your calendar! Check out the performance schedule and featured artists below.
2018 Fall Schedule of Performers
- Sept 21
FLAMETHROWERS - Sept 28
HORACE TRAHAN & THE OSSUN EXPRESS - Oct 5
GTO PARTY BAND
Join Service Chevrolet Cadillac at Concerts at Couret this Fall, we know you’ll love it!
A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Lafayette
Southern Louisiana is alive. All the lowlands, swamps, and dirt that flows along the Mississippi River contribute to a dense biomass that includes algae, trees, insects, gators, and birds of all kinds. All of this makes Lafayette a great place for birdwatchers to start from, and if you have any interest in the hobby, there are a few things you should know about the area.
Where to Look
All kinds of birds live in and migrate through Cajun country, and Lafayette is close enough to the Louisiana wetlands that you can go to the east part of town to start birdwatching. Still, if you’re looking for the best birding spots, the state of Louisiana has several trail loops you can drive along to find good spots. Some of these trails pass through Lafayette or travel through the region, including the Atchafalaya Loop that passes up through the Atchafalaya Basin and down to New Iberia and the Vermillion Loop that starts in Lafayette and heads down to Vermillion Bay.
When to Look
Thanks to southern Louisiana’s warm climate, it very rarely freezes during winter. This lets many bird species live in the area year-round, but there’s more to it than that. Between the warm weather and sitting at the southern end of the Mississippi River, Cajun country and the rest of Louisiana is a winter destination for birds that come from all across America. You can spot birds near Lafayette any time of the year, but if you want to make the most of your birdwatching time, then you should definitely head out in late fall or winter.
The Chevy Silverado dates back to 1998, although Chevrolet and GM have been selling full-size pickup trucks for most of the brand’s history. You can see all those decades of experience in today’s Silverado: all the toughness, reliability, and capacity you get from today’s Chevy truck came from adding technology and refining the design of all the pickup trucks that came before it. With so many upgrades and good qualities, it’s no wonder that the Silverado inspires some impressive customer loyalty.
Utility
The bed is an important part of every pickup truck. After all, if you didn’t need the open space for heavy or oversized cargo, you could’ve bought another vehicle. That’s why Chevrolet makes the Silverado’s bed light but tough, using roll-formed steel to get extra strength with less weight compared to a stamped-steel bed. The new 2019 Silverado also improves the cargo area while adding useful features like a 120-volt power outlet, LED bed lights, and 12 tie-down points rated to 500 pounds. You can even get a bumper step with enough room for steel-toe boots.
Power
The Silverado has always had some of the most powerful GM engines under the hood, and by offering several choices at once they let you choose a balance between power, efficiency, and price. The 2018 Silverado has one V-6 and two V-8s with up to 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque to offer, and the 2019 model will have six options, including a surprisingly potent turbo I-4. Combined with 10-gear transmissions and dynamic fuel management technology, these engines are adding extra efficiency with no drop in power or towing ability.
There’s nothing more satisfying than a freshly baked loaf of bread, muffin, cookie, scone, pie, or other delicious treats. The perfect mix of crispiness, chewiness, and either a sweet or savory flavor mixes beautifully, giving both your taste buds and olfactory senses something they can’t experience just anywhere. If you’re in Lafayette, Louisiana, you might just be in for a bigger treat than you know. With dozens of local bakers churning out fresh items each morning, you’re sure to find a delectable baked good to quell your hunger.
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Poupart Bakery Inc.
Founded in 1956 by Mr. Poupart (as he likes to be called), Poupart Bakery Inc. has been a part of Lafayette’s baking scene for over 60 years. After studying as a pastry chef in Paris, Poupart fell in love with Acadiana and settled here to start a family and craft some of the most delicious treats in southern Louisiana.
In true Louisiana fashion, the most popular item here is the king cake, made with fresh ingredients, sweet icing, the colors of Mardi Gras, and the baby baked right inside. Choose between two different fillings to make the cake your own.
Poupart Bakery has two locations in Lafayette to serve you. The original location is at 1902 W. Pinhook Road. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The downtown location is at 100 E. Vermillion St., Suite 130. Hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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Keller’s Bakery
Located in downtown Lafayette at 1012 Jefferson St., Keller’s Bakery is one of the oldest and most popular bakeries in the city. Started in 1929 and moved to the current building in 1948, the Keller’s bakery is a story of quality, perseverance, and a time that’s almost seemingly gone. The Kellers were a family of bakers from France, and when they moved to Louisiana in the 1760s, they continued their trade. Everyone who walks in the door is sure glad they did.
From pecan rolls and cinnamon rolls to elegant cakes fit for special occasions, Keller’s Bakery dishes out some sweet treats you can’t get enough of. They also offer take-and-bake pot pies and quiches for a delicious, easy dinner. Hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Zuhause Bakery & Coffee
A pastry is certainly delicious on its own, but throw in a cup of coffee and it’s a match made in heaven. At Zuhause Bakery & Coffee that’s just what you’ll get. Known for their freshly made coffee, danishes, beignets, and croissants, Zuhause is the ideal place to sit back and unwind.
Zuhause is located at 6774 Johnston St. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Whether you’re searching for a sweet morning pick-me-up or a savory afternoon snack, these Lafayette bakeries dish out some of the best-baked items you’ve ever tasted. When you’re at one of these places, don’t worry about overindulgence. No one’s here to judge.
Image via Pixabay
2018 Impala vs. 2018 Malibu: Which is Right for You?
The Malibu is Chevrolet’s midsize sedan and the Impala is the company’s full-size offering. Both cars have plenty of interior space for people and for cargo, and both cars have decent engines and a long list of features. So which one is the right sedan for you? Read on to learn what separates these two quality vehicles.
Price Range
Smaller vehicles have lower prices. Unless you’re looking at a luxury car, you can count on that as a fact, and even for most luxury brands, the costs go up with the size. As such, while the 2018 Chevy Malibu starts at $21,680 and ends at $31,895, the 2018 Impala starts at $27,895 and ends at $37,495. That’s a similar price range between the top and bottom trims, but the Malibu is clearly less expensive to the tune of $6,000. The extra cost does come with extra features and extra room, but for pure price, the Malibu wins.
Interior Space
Just like how the price always goes to the smaller car, the interior dimensions are always better in the bigger car. In the Malibu, backseat passengers can expect up to 38.1 inches of legroom, but Impala passengers can get up to 39.8 inches. It doesn’t sound like much, but with this number every inch helps. As for the trunk, the Malibu can store up to 15.8 cubic feet while the Impala bumps that number up to 18.8 cubic feet. That’s a big number even when you compare it to other full-size sedans.
Looking for some great galleries, museums, and outdoor art parks to check out in Lafayette? Locals are lucky to have a wonderful art community where you can not only view local art, but get involved in it, too. Be sure to check out these four fantastic art centers and museums.
Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum
The Hilliard Art Museum located on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is certainly one of the most spectacular museums in the area. They have seasonal exhibits from international artists as well as a permanent collection of outstanding art from around the world. You’ll find one of the best collections of Louisiana artists including paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculptures.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday and is a bargain at only $5 per adult and $3 for students. Children under five years old get in free. If you enjoy night viewings, the museum is free every Wednesday between 5 and 8 p.m.
Acadiana Center for the Arts
The Acadiana Center for the Arts is a fantastic local art center where you can view art of all mediums. The center works to nurture the creative arts in people of all ages. There is a gallery inside the center where you are free to explore paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more modern art pieces created by community members over the years.
The center is also home to dance, theater, and film groups that put on events throughout the year. Whether you want to get involved with one of the groups, or simply enjoy it as a spectator, get down to the Acadiana Center this weekend to learn more about the different performing arts available to the Lafayette community.
Your 2018 Cadillac ATS Buying Guide
If you’re looking for a great new car and haven’t considered a luxury sedan like the 2018 Cadillac ATS, you’re definitely going to want to take a closer look. Many people think luxury brands like Cadillac are out of their price range or that they don’t offer enough to justify paying more for a car, but neither of these things could be further from the truth.
Here’s your 2018 Cadillac ATS buying guide.
Power and Performance
The 2018 Cadillac ATS comes standard with a 2.0-litre turbo engine capable of producing up to 272 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 295 pound-feet torque at 3,000 rpm. This means you’re getting quite a lot of power from a relatively small and efficient engine. The 2018 ATS also comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission. If you prefer, you can opt for a six-speed manual transmission instead.
Fuel Economy
This is where the 2018 Cadillac ATS really stands out, making it well worth the initial investment. The 2018 ATS is capable of offering up to 22 miles per gallon on city streets and as much as 31 miles per gallon on the highway. Those numbers are slightly higher than industry standards for a car of this size and mean you’ll spend less time and money at the gas pump.
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