LAFAYETTE, KATC - Despite an early morning downpour, the 39th annual Festival International de Louisiane carried on, with organizers and volunteers rallying to keep the event on track.
“I have never seen rain like this before since I’ve been volunteering at the festival, and it’s just going to make it so much more memorable for me,” said Leonardo Juarez, a festival volunteer, as crews worked to clean up downtown Lafayette.
The heavy rain, which began early Thursday, left tents and merchandise waterlogged.
“It was a little bit scary, you know, seeing downtown in that condition,” said Carly Viator Courville, the festival’s marketing director. “We did have tents floating around, some things damaged, and some merchandise damaged.”
By mid-morning, crews and volunteers were bagging soaked T-shirts and breaking down boxes, working quickly to restore the area for the day’s festivities.
“Right now, we’re pretty much just jumping around seeing what we can do and helping,” Juarez said. “We were just squeezing the water out of the shirts because a lot of the volunteers' (shirts) got soaked.”
Despite the soggy start, spirits remained high as the community came together to keep the celebration alive.
Courville reminded festival goers to come prepared as rainy conditions may continue.
“In the event that there are some light showers today, we ask that you don’t bring any physical structures,” she said. “Of course, we have to make space for everyone, so be mindful of that. Absolutely bring an umbrella if you wish, put on your poncho.”
WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT BRING
- You CAN bring an umbrella
- You CAN bring a poncho
- You CANNOT bring a physical structure like a tent
Festival International, the largest international music and arts festival in Lafayette, will continue through the weekend with performances, food vendors and family activities scheduled rain or shine.
Parking information for festival can found below
