Le Vieux Village du Poste des Opelousas (cityofopelousas.com) was created in 1988 and features historical buildings from the region's past. Buildings from across St. Landry Parish have been moved from their original sites to the living museum in the eastern part of the city. During December, the village is transformed with lights and seasonal music and events, including local choirs performing Christmas carols and the annual Opelousas Children's Christmas Parade.
Held on festival grounds in the historic downtown of Opelousas, the Opelousas Spice and Music Festival (opelousasspiceandmusicfestival.com) celebrates Louisiana music and food. Musical performances in Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pot genres entertain guests, while vendors offers Cajun and Creole dishes. The festival is held annually over four days in June, and also includes workshops and pageants.
The Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center (cityofopelousas.com) showcases the town's history from prehistory to the present. The museum includes exhibits on Opelousas' time as the state capital during a brief period during the Civil War. Visitors can also discover the origin of Zydeco music and the region's food, and two rooms house approximately 400 dolls in the Geraldine Smith Welch Doll Collection. The museum is open Monday to Saturday; admission is free.
The first Zydeco Festival (zydeco.org) was held in 1982 on a farmer's field on the outskirts of Opelousas. Born out of an attempt to preserve Creole and Zydeco music, the festival is held each year in September. It features a parade, dancing and live music. In 2010, performers included the Pine Leaf Boys, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band and Grammy Award winner Buckwheat Zydeco. The festival site is northwest of downtown, in the Plaisance community.
