Festivals Acadiens et Créoles Partners with Smithsonian for Expanded Cultural Celebration
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in Lafayette, Louisiana, is collaborating with the Smithsonian Institution for its annual event. This partnership is part of the Smithsonian's 'Festival of Festivals' initiative, which highlights 34 folklife events nationwide as part of America's 250th-anniversary celebration. A team from the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage will attend the festival to document and experience Cajun and Creole culture, including its music, food, art, and language. The festival will also relaunch its original stage, Scène '76, which will feature collaborations between regional musicians and guest performers like Haitian American cellist Leyla McCalla and Indigenous fiddler Nokosee Fields, connecting South Louisiana's musical traditions with other American styles. This collaboration provides financial and technical support, allowing for expanded programming that explores the diverse musical influences on Cajun and Creole music, such as Irish music, Appalachian folk, old-time ...
