What season is it? In Louisiana it's time for crawfish, snowballs and festivals
What better way to enjoy this season than with a snowball and crawfish on a hot summer day? While the rest of the nation celebrates, four seasons of the year —spring, summer, fall, and winter— Louisiana has its own seasons.
Louisiana's seasons include crawfish, snowball, festival and tailgating. The diversity is evident in Louisiana’s food, and you can also see it in the state’s various seasons that are recognized in the state.
Crawfish season
Whether you enjoy boiled crawfish, crawfish étouffée, or crawfish bread celebrate National Crawfish Day today with the most popular crustacean in Louisiana. Frozen Louisiana crawfish tail meat is available year-round, but crawfish season is like no other and usually peaks in March and May.
The Louisiana Legislature declaredBreaux Bridge the Crawfish Capital of the World in 1959. As the nation’s second-largest seafood supplier, Louisiana distributes an incredible supply of seafood to restaurants and homes according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.
In addition, Louisiana’s seafood industry is one of the state’s largest employers. Harvesting crawfish from rivers, bayous, swamps, and lakes provides a significant number of jobs for Louisiana residents and are significant sources of wild crawfish.
Did you know farm-raised and wild-caught crawfish crops generally complement each other? The Louisiana wild farm and fisheries say that farm-raised crawfish are available late fall through mid-spring, and wild-caught crawfish dominate the market from mid-spring to early summer which is considered the peak of crawfish season.
The Breaux Bridge annual crawfish festival this year is May 5th- May 7th, and consists of crawfish fried, boiled and cooked into an étouffée, bisque, boudin, pie or jambalaya, along with other Cajun favorites. Find out more at bbcrawfest.com
Snowball season
Before the summer break begins, snowball season in Louisiana kicks off. Everyone has their favorite flavor of the customizable sweet treat served in a Styrofoam cup. Different from a snowcone, which is more coarse and crunchy the snow-ball consists of fine, fluffy, shaved ice.
Snowballs originated in New Orleans in the 1930s, when George Ortolano and Ernest Hansen used the first electric ice-shaving machines. Since then, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed the fruits of Ortolano and Hansen's labor. The customizable sweet made with shaved ice and flavored sweet syrup is most popular in the summer, and can be made with any flavored syrup offered and topped or stuffed with several add-ons.
Flavors range from stand to stand and usually include standard flavors like green apple, wedding cake, and pina colada to more exotic flavors such as nectar, strawberry cheesecake, and cotton candy. They usually come in small, medium and large costing between $2-$6.
Some stands even serve them stuffed with ice cream or topped with sweetened condensed milk, and also offer hotdogs, chips, and nachos. Olde Time Grocery in Lafayette, Tims Southern Snow in Shreveport, and ISIS Snowballs & More in Crowley, are just a few in the surrounding area.
Festival season
Louisiana is home to some of the country’s biggest and best festivals. Each festival is dedicated to bringing food, music, culture, and family fun all together for an experience like no other.
Louisiana can properly claim the title "Festival Capital of the World," with more than 400 festivals scheduled annually according to Louisianatravel.com . Whether it’s summer, spring or fall festivals are a visual form of a Louisiana’s traditional music, dance, and foods. It is known that one of the state's first festivals dates back to the 1600’s and is known as Mardi Gras.
Each city in Louisiana will have something unique to offer through a traditional showcasing of a festival celebration. In Lafayette festivals year-round range from boudin, crawfish festival, to sugarcane, zydeco and Festival international de Louisiane. Hundreds of performing and visual artists from all around the world bring people to the multiple stages across downtown Lafayette. The largest free festival attracts locals and visitors to enjoy five days of music and eat amazing food. If you’d like to check out Festival International this year head downtown on April 26 - 30.
You can be sure to find a festival just for you. If you aren’t sure where to go, search your travel dates and location to find a festival near you at Louisianatravel.com/festivals
Tailgating season
In Louisiana, we can't mention food without mentioning football. Whether it’s the New Orleans Saints fans cheering their beloved team, or alumni rooting for their favorite college teams, Louisiana knows how to party and eat. Tailgating consists of eating, drinking, and cheering on our favorite teams while enjoying the tradition of eating jambalaya, Raising Cane's tailgate trays, boiled crawfish, boudin, hamburgers, chili, gumbo and much more.
Louisiana tailgating season also known as football season around the world is a fall and winter activity that lasts about four hours or as long as five to six hours for games scheduled later in the evening. During tailgating people gather to support their favorite teams at a neighborhood bar, a house gathering, or the stadium parking lot.
Just about every college across the state tailgates. Learn Louisiana tailgating tips and how to pack for your tailgate experience before the season begins.
These seasons reflect the vast culture, diversity, and wildlife-rich environment in the state. By offering a pageantry of traditions that is unique to visitors and locals alike, it's no accident that Louisiana is known for the phrase "laissez les bons temps rouler," — let the good times roll.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana kicks-off crawfish, snowball, festival and tailgating seasons
