By Stacey Wittig
Call me naïve, but until assorted visits to Louisiana, I had no idea that family-oriented, pet-friendly Mardi Gras celebrations existed. Like many westerners, I mistakenly thought Marti Gras was an adult-rated, hedonistic, New Orleans-only tradition.
We’re just back from Cajun Country and family-friendly Mardi Gras in Lafayette, Louisiana. And so now I understand that Mardi Gras celebrations can be fun for the whole family, including Fido. What’s more, I got a sampling of why Lafayette was named the Happiest City in America for humans.
I can attest that the city smack dab in Cajun Country could also be one of the happiest for traveling with your pet.
Take Lafayette’s Mardi Gras, for instance. As one of over a dozen family-friendly nighttime and daytime parades throughout the Mardi Gras season, Krewe des Chiens Mardi Gras parade rolls during the day with dogs, strollers, families, and fun.
All funds generated from the pooch parade (minus those retained to produce the February 4, 2024 procession) are shared with animal rescue groups who opt to participate by walking adoptable dogs in the parade.
Pet owners who think of their fur babies as royalty (don’t we all?) can purchase the designation of Grand Marshall, King, Queen, or other Royal Court positions for their furry friend. Then they can strut their four-legged stuff on elaborate floats or fancy convertibles. During the festivities, the Krewe collects cat and dog food donations.
But Mardi Gras isn’t the only event in Lafayette that welcomes your canine companions. Since there’s always something to celebrate in the Happiest City in America, many of the dozens of music and cultural festivals (https://tinyurl.com/3y87mp85) are critter-friendly. Simply check the events website before you go.
Another favorite is the Dog Days of Summer fundraiser at Acadiana Cane Cutters baseball stadium in Youngsville, with “tail” gating, pup photos with the players, adoptable pets from local shelters, and interactive dog events.
Lafayette provides many happy places for your four-legged traveling companion, with parks for off-leash fun and socializing.
Moncus Park is a 100-acre greenspace in the heart of town with an off-leash dog park, accessible treehouse, weekly pet-friendly farmers market, and Orlando Mountain, the highest point in Lafayette.
World-renowned Pete Nelson of Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters designed the treehouse knit within the limbs of a majestic Live Oak and sports a cargo-net hammock. Brown Memorial Dog Park also has a grassy off-leash area.
Sniff out Louisiana forests at Acadiana Nature Center and Trails right in the city limits. You and your leashed pooch can scamper over six miles of mostly wooded trails that incorporate boardwalks along the way. There is even camping with hookups for tents and RVs.
We were delighted with our stay at dog-friendly DoubleTree by Hilton Lafayette, but over four dozen other Lafayette hotels will also welcome you and your pet. In addition, plenty of RV camping is available around the area.
If that doesn’t make you happy enough, over 50 Lafayette restaurants offer hospitality to dog-accompanied patrons at their outdoor tables. Along with the rest, unleash your tastebuds at Old Tyme Grocery for their woof-worthy poorboy sammies.
For lagniappe or ‘a little something extra’ in Cajun French, don’t miss perusing paintings of the “Blue Dog” at Rodrigue Studio. Artist George Rodrigue, born in New Iberia, near Lafayette, moved his studio here after Katrina.
His Blue Dog Series had launched him to worldwide fame in the early 1990s, and today dog and art lovers continue to lap up his pop work.
Learn more about the Happiest City at lafayettetravel.com.
Stacey Wittig writes about traveling from her home near Flagstaff. Get more travel inspiration at her website, unstoppablestaceytravel.com.
