Everyone knows about Louisiana Mardi Gras and its glitz, glam, parades and masquerades. But in Cajun Country, Mardi Gras goes down with a wholly different flourish, one that turns communities into stage shows of wild revelry. Called Courir de Mardi Gras in the rural parishes, you’ll find masked runners and horsemen bedecked in colorful, tattered clothing, cavorting through the countryside on a begging quest for gumbo ingredients. It’s an outrageous celebration—derived from the French medieval Festival of Begging—on the eve of Lenten season’s fasting. In exchange for neighborly generosity, the revelers sing, dance, act a fool, chase chickens and unite the community with an abundance of mirth that reverberates year-round. Join author Dixie Poché and take part in the wild spectacle and otherworldly whimsy of Courir de Mardi Gras.
Dixie Poché is a graduate of the University of Louisiana–Lafayette in journalism. She is a travel and corporate writer in Lafayette and author of three books about the Cajun culture: Classic Eateries of Cajun Country, Louisiana Sweets and The Cajun Pig, all published by American Palate, a division of The History Press. She enjoys doing research at the lunch counter and discovering Louisiana’s hidden gems. She spends time with lots of Cajun cousins hanging out on the front porch.