LAFAYETTE PARISH (BREAUX BRIDGE) — The 2025 Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival has officially come to a close — but not without one last celebration of Cajun culture, crawfish creativity, and community spirit.
From beignets to boiled tails, the three-day event served up crawfish in nearly every imaginable form.
Food vendors reported long lines, high demand, and selling out of their unique takes on the classic mudbug.
One standout was a crawfish beignet creation from “Any Special Occasion,” a local food stand co-owned by Mark Rito.
“We take all the seasoning from a crawfish boil — crawfish tails, corn — and mix it in a fresh bread batter and fry it,” Rito said.
The dish is topped with a house-made “Son-in-law sauce,” which Rito — the namesake son-in-law — described as “a little spicy, a little creamy — the perfect dip to go with a crawfish ball.”
In the next booth over, the New Iberia-based restaurant Bon Creole Seafood was just as busy, drawing crowds for their spinach and crawfish bread bowls, crawfish po'boys, and shrimp plates.
“We’re selling a lot. It’s been a busy festival this weekend,” manager Chris Louviere said.
For purists who prefer their crawfish the traditional way — boiled — Chez Sidney Catering from Catahoula Parish delivered.
The team cooked more than 7,500 pounds of crawfish throughout the weekend.
“What’s in your seasoning mix?” KATC asked.
“That’s locked away,” a Chez Sidney staffer replied with a smile.
As plates were filled and fingers were stained with seasoning, the festival delivered yet another year of Louisiana flavor and fun.
