Since it was founded in 1990 by the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District, Vermillionville near New Orleans, LA has become a top-notch park. When you're in Vermillionville, you'll feel like you're in a downtown French city. Everywhere you go, you'll find a touch of a French accent. It's not only a folklife park but also a Cajun and Creole heritage. It'll give you a look and taste at what the Acadiana life was like from 1765 to 1890.
The residential part is set out like a small village you would have seen years ago with the eighteen buildings, six of them being homes restored to their original look. They've tastefully decorated in a musical style or with traditional crafts. Beautiful homes are not the only point of interest in Vermillionville, however. It's a truly beautiful place to spend a relaxing day. You can browse through their gift shop or feed your appreciation for art in the art gallery. Both of these shops are loaded with Creole and Cajun items that you won't want to leave without. The best part is that most of the items are made by the local craftspeople.
You'll love the dining options at the local restaurant, La Cuisine De Maman (Mama's Kitchen). The building is designed to look like an old plantation house so you may not realize it's a restaurant at first. It's large enough to hold 60 people in the two dining rooms, yet small enough to provide a cozy atmosphere. Their main dishes, of course, are the traditional Cajun/Creole cuisine, with their specialty being chicken and sausage gumbo. In addition to being their finest restaurant, they also do all the local catering.
After dinner on the weekends, you can count on listening to some great music with live bands as well as exciting Cajun/Creole jam sessions.
