Live the good lifein Acadiana

*Metro-area includes: Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, and Vermilion Parishes.

2 GIGSPER SECOND

Citywide Fiber- Optic System

$75,000Louisiana’s homestead exemption means less

money spent on taxes for your home andmore money that stays in your pocket.

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

5th LOWEST

IN TOTAL TAX BURDENLouisiana’s total individual tax burden ranks as one of the country’s best.

8th LOWEST INPROPERTYTAXES

Louisiana is one of the most affordable states in the country to own a home.

650,000+

Downtown Living

Classic Main Streets

Country Living

Acadiana Living

TOTAL COSTOF LIVINGRelative to the average of all other metropolitan/non-metropolitan areas that comprise the Cost of Living Index (average equals 100)

Population within nine parishes (counties)

Welcome Home

Acadiana /ə-kā′dē-ä′na/ n. a constellation of communities, offering everything from urban living to country retreats. Sitting at the

crossroads of I-10 and I-49 and served by the Lafayette Regional Airport, our region is easy to navigate. Ask why people call this place

home, and you will begin to understand.

Acadiana offers work-life balance, with an accent on life.

Acadiana is a dinner table with friends. A corner of the country that breathes with its passions and captivates the imagination. It’s a

people with deep roots in the new world French experience. It’s music with an overture of accordion and a southern melody. It’s food

filled with stories of heritage and hope.

A cornucopia of cultural curiosities

found nowhere else on the planet.

This may well be thelast cohesive cultural enclave in the United

States, having preserved…its own language, its

own music, a celebrated cuisine and a proud and

welcoming temperament that is immediately

evident.

Let Our Culture Shape Your Lifestyle

EXPLORE OUR REGION

ACADIA | EVANGELINE | IBERIA | JEFF DAVISLAFAYETTE | ST. LANDRY | ST. MARTIN | ST. MARY | VERMILION

Education

Here you will find Blue Ribbon Schools of

Excellence, more than 80 “A” and “B” rated

schools, charter and magnet-style options,

exceptional private schools, a nationally

recognized university, and thriving community

colleges. In addition, many districts support

Schools of Choice and/or gifted programs

with specialized academies that allow

families to select the right fit for their child.

Many public schools also provide language

immersion programs.

Outdoors

Welcome to a sportsman’s paradise for

outdoor adventure. Home to both the

Atchafalaya Basin (the largest wetland in

the U.S.) and the Bayou Teche (Louisiana’s

largest bayou), Acadiana is nationally

recognized for its outdoor activities. Explore

parks and quaint downtowns, walk through

Lafayette’s 100-acre urban park, or visit

the South’s largest health club with over

195,000 square feet of amenities.

Shopping

Here, you can choose from top-flight

shopping hubs featuring national brands,

big box retailers, hip boutiques, farmers

markets, and shops with a distinctly local

flare. Whether you’re an antique hunter in

search of the perfect piece or a connoisseur

of classic American Main Streets, you will feel

right at home shopping in Acadiana.

Healthcare

As a regional medical center, Acadiana offers

first-class comprehensive healthcare with ever

expanding specialized medical services and

state-of-the-art facilities. The cutting-edge high-

speed fiber optic network has supported a

medical sector boom in Lafayette, with Lafayette

General Health, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional

Medical Center, and Women’s and Children’s

Hospital anchoring the region’s healthcare and

hospital options.

It’s easy to define Acadiana by food, music, and culture, but it’s the people that call

Acadiana home that sets it apart.

“Tastiest Townin the South”– Southern Living

Hike. Hunt. Fish. Paddle.

Acadia // Evangeline // Iberia // Jeff Davis // Lafayette // St. Landry // St. Martin // St. Mary // Vermilion

Walk around Acadiana and you’ll find live music, murals, galleries, and theatergoers. Whether you’re creatively inclined or simply appreciate art, you will be inspired.

Enjoy our flourishing symphony and ballet or stop by one of our historic live performance venues for Broadway shows, productions, and national performers.

⊲ Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA)

⊲ Acadian Cultural Center

⊲ Acadian Village

⊲ Alexandre Mouton House

⊲ Avery Island, home of TABASCO

⊲ Children’s Museum of Acadiana

⊲ George Rodrigue Studios

⊲ International Petroleum Museum & Exposition

⊲ Jean Lafitte National Historical Park Acadian Cultural Center

⊲ Lafayette Science Museum

⊲ Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum

⊲ Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site

⊲ NUNU Arts and Culture Collective

⊲ Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum

⊲ Shadows-on-the-Teche

⊲ Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park

⊲ Washington Museum & Tourist Center

⊲ Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum

⊲ Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA)

⊲ Cite des Arts

⊲ Grand Opera House of the South

⊲ Heymann Performing Arts Center

⊲ Iberia Performing Arts League

⊲ Performing Arts Society of Acadiana

ARTS ANDCULTURE

Fall in love with our distinctive mix of Cajun, Creole and Zydeco music at a multitude of community events with live performances and free concerts year-round.

For a good time, two-step to live entertainment seven nights a week from both local and award-winning national artists at various venues across the region.

⊲ Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA)

⊲ Bach Lunch

⊲ Blue Moon Saloon

⊲ Café des Amis – Zydeco Breakfast

⊲ Downtown Alive

⊲ Grand Opera House of the South

⊲ The Grouse Room

⊲ Heymann Performing Arts Center

⊲ Liberty Theatre

⊲ Mercredi Show

⊲ NUNU Arts and Culture Collective

⊲ Pont Breaux’s Cajun Restaurant

⊲ Randol’s Restaurant

⊲ Rhythms on the River

⊲ Warehouse 535

⊲ Whiskey River Landing

⊲ Vermilionville

⊲ LafayetteTravel.com

A C A D I A N A I S H O M E T O D O W N T O W N

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F R E E W E E K L Y C O N C E R T S E R I E S

⊲ Avery Island – Tabasco Tour Explore the Tabasco Museum, factory, and finish with a culinary tour of Cajun cuisine. Enjoy 170-acre garden with semitropical foliage and abundant wildlife.

⊲ Children’s Museum of AcadianaHands-on participatory museum with interactive exhibits, special services, performances, and workshops.

⊲ Downtown LafayetteActivities year-round include Movies in the Parc, ArtWalk, Downtown Alive.

⊲ Lafayette Science Museum and Planetarium Hands-on experience for all ages with exhibits and installations that enlighten and educate.

⊲ Louisiana State Arboretum – Chicot State Park600-acres of natural growth with 6 hiking trails and a large NatureCenter.

⊲ Nature Station – Acadiana Park150-acres with a 6 mile trail system, kayak launch, educationalprograms, and abundant wildlife.

⊲ Nutty Scientists of AcadianaInnovative and interactive programs related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

⊲ Red’sOver 195,000 sq. feet of activities including 5 pools, with a lazy river, splash pad, and water slide. Numerous youth camps, basketball, tennis, and more.

⊲ VermilionvilleLiving history museum and folklife park with 19 attractions and 7 restored original homes. Cultural excursions include lessons on dancing, cooking, and boat tours.

⊲ Zoo of AcadianaOver 750 animals from 130 species in a 45-acre park with walking paths, a petting zoo, and playground.

KIDSACTIVITIES

Acadia // Evangeline // Iberia // Jeff Davis // Lafayette // St. Landry // St. Martin // St. Mary // Vermilion

Whether you are enjoying sun-filled swamps, soaring birds, colorful sunsets, or a myriad of outdoor activities, Louisiana State Parks offer you and your family the perfect place to experience the natural beauty of our State.

Pack your sleeping bag, pitch a tent, or park your RV, and enjoy a relaxing overnight stay at one of Louisiana’s spacious campgrounds.

⊲ America’s WETLAND Birding Trail – Atchafalaya Loop, Lacassine Loop, St. Mary Loop, Vermilion Loop

Our birding trails offers nature-lovers a unique view of a vast number of birds, including many species native to the region and about 450 species that migrate to or through the area each year.

⊲ Chicot State ParkCovering more than 6,400 acres of rolling hills and water, experience and enjoy all of the natural resources with numerous hiking and cycling trails, primitive campgrounds, or fishing spots.

⊲ Cypremort Point State ParkA half-mile stretch of man-made beach provides the perfect getaway for relaxing, picnicking, fishing, crabbing, sailing, water skiing, and much more. The 185-acre park, also holds an abundance of wildlife, perfect for nature enthusiasts.

⊲ Lake Fausse Pointe State ParkFormerly the home site of the Chitimacha Indians, the 6,000-acre site offers a perfect point to explore the natural and cultural heritage of South Louisiana. Enjoy fishing, boating, and canoeing, as well as hiking trails.

⊲ Louisiana State Arboretum State Preservation Area Established in 1961 as the first state-supported arboretum in the US, the Louisiana State Arboretum’s more than 300-acres is home to many plant and animal species indigenous to the State, along with beautiful nature trails.

⊲ Palmetto Island State ParkFor outdoor enthusiasts, Palmetto Island State Park offers visitors access to the Vermilion River for fishing and boating, while the interior lagoons provide canoers and kayakers an up-close look at the native plant and animal life.

⊲ Louisiana State Parks – Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism

⊲ Acadiana Park Nature Station

⊲ Chicot State Park

⊲ Cypremort Point State Park

⊲ Lake Fausee Pointe State Park

⊲ Palmetto Island State Park

OUTDOOR LIVING

Explore Louisiana’s water trails on your next paddling or fishing adventure. Observe wildlife up close, enjoy the peaceful waters of the wetlands, or cruise a moderate-to-strenuous kayaking trail for an adventure you won’t forget.

From lightly traveled, paved paths to challenging, off-road terrains, you’re sure to find a unique biking trail in Louisiana that best suits you.

⊲ Acadiana Park Nature Station

⊲ Atchafalaya Basin

⊲ Bayou Fuselier

⊲ Bayou Vermilion District

⊲ Bayou Teche

⊲ Lake Fausse Pointe State Park and Canoe Trail

⊲ Henderson Swamp

⊲ Lake Martin

⊲ Atchafalaya Swamp Base

⊲ Bayou Vermilion Paddle Trail app

⊲ Lafayette Travel

⊲ Pack and Paddle

⊲ Acadiana Park Mountain Bike Trails⊲ BikeLouisiana.com ⊲ BikeLafayette.org⊲ Cajun Cyclists Bicycle Club

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What are people saying about Acadiana?

Happiest City – Lafayette residents are the happiest in the U.S. according to a study published by

the National Bureau of Economic Research. Researchers measured life satisfaction of each city’s residents

based on data collected from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey.

First National Water Trail in Louisiana – The Bayou Teche has been added to the National

Water Trails System by the National Park Service, a first for Louisiana and 17th in the U.S. The Bayou Teche

has 13 established access points for paddle trips as short as 7 miles and as long as 135.

Best Cities for Jobs – Lafayette is ranked 27th in the 2014 Best Cities for Jobs by Forbes. Lafayette

ranked fifth in mid-sized communities.

Best College Town – Travel & Leisure named Lafayette the 17th Best College Town in America. Towns

were nominated via social media, then voted on in 55 categories. Lafayette beat out more than 700 towns to

secure its spot on the list. According to the magazine, if there was a “most well-rounded” category, Lafayette

would have swept the competition.

Historic and Hip – ConventionSouth cited Lafayette, home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

in its “South’s Historic College Towns with Hip Group Appeal” list. After researching news articles and talking

with local tourism bureaus, the magazine editors picked one city in each of the 15 states it covers.

Fastest Internet – Lafayette was named as having the fastest home Internet in the world, according

to the Open Technology Institute’s report, “2014 Speed Leaders for Home Broadband.” Lafayette’s Gig

connection, with equal upload and download speeds, puts the Hub City on par with world cities like Seoul,

Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

Most Beautiful Towns and Small Cities – Acadiana is home to four of Louisiana’s top 10

beautiful towns and small cities according to the Culture Trip. Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, Henderson, and

Opelousas.

Top 100 Farmers Market in the Country – The Daily Meal named the Delcambre Seafood and

Farmers Market one of the best farmers markets in the country to get fresh local produce.

804 E. St. Mary Blvd. | Lafayette, LA 70503 | 337.233.2705 | OneAcadiana.org

JUST A GLIMPSEWe’ve selected these materials just for you, but Acadiana has so much more to offer – just ask!

EXPLORE OUR REGION

ACADIA | EVANGELINE | IBERIA | JEFF DAVISLAFAYETTE | ST. LANDRY | ST. MARTIN | ST. MARY | VERMILION