CITY OF
EUNICE, LOUISIANA
Courir de Mardi Gras 2008
January 31, 2008 - February 5
, 2008


For an Arts, Crafts or Food Booth - Click HERE

About the Boucherie

     A traditional old time Boucherie (hog butchering) and cochon de lait (a suckling pig, now often used to refer in general to a pig roast) is held downtown. It begins in front of City Hall at 10 a.m. the Sunday before Mardi Gras.
    Visitors can see and enjoy the products of a Cajun tradition that is still common at many family gatherings. A hog is slaughtered and then made into a variety of dishes such as backbone stew, boudin, gratins (cracklings - pork skin with fat and some meat deep fried), and other delicacies.  By 11:30, the first dishes are ready for tasting. Music and fun for the family all day long.


About the Courir de Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Run)

    Mardi Gras draws on traditions which are centuries old. Revelers go from house to house, begging to obtain the ingredients for a gumbo. The capitaine (captain) of the "Courir de Mardi Gras" (Mardi Gras Run) first must obtain permission from the people at the house for the group to go onto their property. Once permission is given, the Mardi Gras riders may charge toward the house where they will sing, dance and beg for "cinqsou" (5 cents) until the owner offers them  ingredients for the gumbo. The owner will throw a live chicken into the air and the Mardi Gras group will give chase, running, falling, and fumbling over each other for the honor of being the one to catch their dinner.

Thursday January 31, 2008

  7:00 pm -

Music on Downtown Second Street

Performing at Nicks on Second St.

7:00 pm -   Cajun Jam Session - Free

Refreshments Sold. PLEASE - No Ice Chests Allowed


 

Friday February 1, 2008

  7:00 pm -

Music on Downtown Second Street

 

Performing at South Second St. & Walnut Ave.

7:00 pm - 11:00 pm   Street Dance: Tyler Latiolais & Crossroads
 

Performing at Nicks on Second St.

9:00 pm - 1:00 pm Travis Matte and the Zydeco Kingpins
 

Refreshments Sold. PLEASE - No Ice Chests Allowed

 
 

Saturday February 2, 2008

  8:00 am - 8:30 am  Sign-In for pre & day of registration for LeJeune Mardi Gras Run
(Today's Run Is For Teenagers Ages 13 to 17)

 

Registration fee on the day of run $20.00

     Sign in and Registration in front of the National Guard Armory at the corner of 9th. St. & Maple Ave. Children up to 17 years of age are invited to take part in the Mardi Gras courir that is just as fun and exciting as the adult run, but without the “spirits.” departs 9:00 am, Lunch at St. Thomas Chapel in Savoy (Registration fee provides lunch & snack for registered child at 12 Noon. Parents will be able to purchase lunch at stop after registrants are fed). Ends at the City Hall parking lot at 3:00 pm. 

Pre - Registration is available for $10.00

Begins: Wednesday January 31,  2007 - 8:00 am
Ends: Thursday February 15, 2007 - 5:00 pm
at Mayors Office - Click HERE to print registration form on line

ALL TRUCKS & TRAILERS MUST BE REGISTERED (No Fee To Register Them)
If in your own truck, ice chests are allowed.
* NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED ON THE RUN *
Click HERE to print truck registration form on line

For More Information Contact:

Eunice Mayors Office (337) 457-7389 or Barry Soileau (337) 546-0613

  8:30 am - 4:30 pm Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Free admission

  8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Prairie Acadian Culture Center - Mardi Gras Interpretive Program in Downtown Eunice - Free Admission
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Eunice Depot Museum - Mardi Gras films and exhibits - Free admission
10:00 am -

Music on Downtown Second Street

  3:00 pm - LeJeune Mardi Gras Parade - Down Second Street
  6:00 pm - 7:30 pm At The Liberty - Radio & TV Show with T-Sale' Cajun Band,
 Georgie Manuel & Mardi Gras Traditions - Basile Mardi Gras Association

For the full Official Liberty Schedule, Click HERE

  7:30 pm - Music on Downtown Second Street
  8:00 pm -  Midnight St. Thomas More Annual Old Style Cajun Mardi Gras Dance -
Held at the St. Thomas More Church Hall - Doors open at 7:00 pm. - Music by: Jason Frey w/ Ken Smith - $20 per person - Tickets may be purchased at the St. Thomas More Church Office, or call (337) 457-8107 or (337) 457-9921 after hours

Performing at South Second St. & Walnut Ave.

10:00 am - 1:30 pm   Street Dance - Open Cajun Jam Session
  2:00 pm   Fred Charlie & the Acadiana Cajuns
  7:30 pm -   Belton Richard & The Musical Aces

Performing at Nicks on Second St.

  7:00 pm -   Kyle Huval & Dixie Club Ramblers
 10:00 pm - Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
 

Refreshments Sold. PLEASE - No Ice Chests Allowed

 
 

Sunday February 3, 2008

  8:00 am - 8:30 am  Sign-In for pre & day of registration for Lil' Mardi Gras Run
(Today's Run Is For Children Ages 0 to 12)

 

Registration fee on the day of run $15.00

     Sign in and Registration at The Northwest Community Center on 501 Samuel Drive. Children up to 12 years of age are invited to take part in the Mardi Gras courir that is just as fun and exciting as the adult run, but without the “spirits.” departs 9:00 am, Lunch at the Eunice Recreation Complex (Registration fee provides lunch & snack for registered child at 12 Noon. Parents will be able to purchase lunch at stop after registrants are fed). Ends at the City Hall parking lot at 3:00 pm. 

Pre - Registration is available for $7.00

Begins: Wednesday January 31,  2007 - 8:00 am
Ends: Thursday February 15, 2007 - 5:00 pm
at Mayors Office - Click HERE to print registration form on line

ALL TRUCKS & TRAILERS MUST BE REGISTERED (No Fee To Register Them)
If in your own truck, ice chests are allowed.
* NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED ON THE RUN *
Click HERE to print truck registration form on line

For More Information Contact:

Eunice Mayors Office (337) 457-7389 or Barry Soileau (337) 546-0613

  8:00 am - 5:00 pm Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Prairie Acadian Culture Center - Mardi Gras Interpretive Program in Downtown Eunice - Free Admission (The center is usually closed on Sundays but will be open today).
  9:00 am Children's Mardi Gras Run - Leaves The Northwest Community Center
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Eunice Depot Museum - Mardi Gras films and exhibits - Free admission

10:00 am -

Demonstration of
Traditional Old Time Boucherie

Downtown Eunice on South Second St. & Park Ave. - Witness this food way tradition and experience the tasty dishes that result. Other food, live music, dancing and refreshments.
12 Noon - Music on Downtown Second Street
  3:00 pm - Children's Mardi Gras Parade - Down Second Street
 

Performing at Main Bandstand on Park Avenue

12 Noon -  5:00 pm   Charlo & Southern Tradition
 

Performing at South Second St. & Walnut Ave.

12 Noon - 3:00 pm   Briggs Brown & Bayou Cajuns
 

Performing at Nicks on Second St.

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm   Felton LeJeune & Cajun Cowboys
9:00 pm - 12:00 pm Jamie Bergeron & Kickin' Cajuns
 

Refreshments Sold. PLEASE - No Ice Chests Allowed

 
 

Monday February 4, 2008

All Day Long

Eunice Depot Museum, Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum and shops open city wide

  8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Prairie Acadian Culture Center - Mardi Gras Interpretive Program in Downtown Eunice - Free Admission (The center is usually closed on Mondays but will be open today).
10:00 am -

Music on Downtown Second Street

12:00 Noon Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Prairie Acadian Culture Center - Slide Presentation: "The Variety of the Cajun Country Mardi Gras," presented by Dr. Barry Ancelet, folklorist and professor of French at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
  1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Northwest Community Center - St. Landry Parish Council on Aging Mardi Gras Dance - $5 general admission, $1 for persons age 60 or older. Judges will choose the most traditional and prettiest costumes, best dancing couple, Mardi Gras King and Queen.  Music by Zydeco Force
 

Performing at South Second St. & Walnut Ave.

 10:00 am   Open Cajun Jam Session
   2:00 pm - 5:30 pm   TBA
   7:30 pm - Midnight   Junior Melancon & the Comedown Playboys
 

Performing at Nicks on Second St.

8:00 pm - 12:00 pm Don Fontenot et les Amies de la Louisianne
 

Refreshments Sold. PLEASE - No Ice Chests Allowed

 

Tuesday Mardi Gras Day - February 5, 2008

  6:00 am

Registration at The Northwest Community Center on 501 Samuel Drive - Courir de Mardi Gras sign-up & departure for the Mardi Gras Run featuring Live music, food and spirits. A great alternative to the congested New Orleans celebration, this rural Mardi Gras features traditional costumed pranksters traveling through the countryside on horseback and flatbed trailers gathering ingredients for the evening’s communal gumbo.
  8:00 am Mardi Gras Leaves The Northwest Community Center For Run

  8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Prairie Acadian Culture Center - Music, traditional crafts, cooking

  9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Eunice Depot Museum (Special exhibit: Cajun Country Mardi Gras dolls, plus a variety of handmade Mardi Gras masks) (12 Noon)  - Cooking Demonstration
10:00 am

Festival Begins Downtown Eunice

Activities begin at with Cajun and Zydeco bands, food, refreshments, a children’s parade, fun jumps, arts & crafts and a costume contest.
10:00 am -

Music on Downtown Second Street

  2:45 pm

Mardi Gras Parade - Courir de Mardi Gras truck parade by the Courir de Mardi Gras returning and riding into town
 

Performing at Main Bandstand on Park Avenue

10:00 am  - 12 Noon Don Fontenot & les Amies de la Louisianne
12:45 pm - 3:00 pm Paul Daigle & Cajun Gold
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
 

Performing at South Second St. & Walnut Ave.

12 Noon - 3:00 pm Ronnie Matthews & Throwdown
 

Performing at Nicks on Second St.

11:00 am - 2:00 pm   Donnie Broussard and Louisiana Stars
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Geno Delafosse and French Rocking Boogie
with special guest:
Kyle Huval
 

Refreshments Sold. PLEASE - No Ice Chests Allowed


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