MARDI GRAS PARADE – LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA” THE HAPPIEST CITY IN AMERICA!

 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16 – Our Vintage Travelers will experience a Mardi Gras Experience like none other as we travel to Lafayette, Louisiana for memorable parades and a “Cajun Country” Tour! Our luxury motorcoach will depart from the Toulouse Building parking lot in Jackson at 7:30 a.m., and make our way to Louisiana. We will have time for a rest stop en route. 

As we arrive in Lafayette, our group will transfer to one of Lafayette’s popular lunch spots to enjoy your choice of Po-Boy Sandwich, gumbo, gourmet hamburgers and more, on your own today. Following our lunch, we will load our motorcoach and transfer to a special treat – an afternoon at Martin’s Accordions! For over 30 years Martin Accordions has built all hand-made, single row, diatonic accordions for musicians around the world. Professionals and beginners alike rely on their squeezeboxes night after night to provide the sweet, rich sound that Cajun and Zydeco is known for. We will get an up-close look at how these beauties are made, and then enjoy a “mini concert” by Martin’s talented staff – music to make us all appreciate this unique culture that is celebrated all over Louisiana! After our tour and performance, we will load our bus and transfer to our hotel and check-in. After time to freshen up, we will transfer to dinner included at one of Lafayette’s favorite restaurants – Boutin’s! Enjoy your choice of their signature dish, Catfish Boutin, Grilled Angus Steak, or Cajun Chicken Alfredo, all served with stuffed potato, side salad, and bread pudding with praline sauce – all included in our tour this evening! After our dinner, everyone who would like to enjoy the Lundy Gras Evening Parades – we will drop our group off and make the short walk to the parade route, complete with your own customized tailgate chair to keep! Tonight, the fun is just beginning as we all can enjoy the beautiful evening parades! There are so many great Krewes to see and catch so many Mardi Gras throws to catch! Enjoy seeing the Krewe of: Xanadu, Victoria, Troubadorus, Apollo, Olympus and Mystic Krewe of Majesty! After we have all gotten our fill for the night, we will load up and make the short return to our hotel for a restful night’s sleep. (D) 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 – Enjoy a deluxe hot breakfast included at our hotel this morning. Following breakfast, we will transfer to the downtown area where the popular areas to shop and sight see are this morning. We will see why Lafayette is voted “the happiest city in America!” This morning, our group will enjoy the highlight of our tour, as we enjoy Fat Tuesday - Mardi Gras together! We will transfer to a reserved area, just for us and fellow senior adult and family groups, to experience a “rockin’ party” located along one of the largest Mardi Gras parades in the South! We will enjoy our own section to sit in along the parade route, with own chairs and risers to enjoy the parade in comfort. At lunch time we will enjoy a delicious catered lunch for our group with so many Louisiana favorites to savor! We will have an up-close view of all the beautiful floats, colorful costumes, and catch more than our share of beads, trinkets, and give-a-ways from the many Krewe members going by! No one will leave empty handed! We will start with “King Gabriel’s” Parade, then the Mardi Gras Festival Parade! 

After a full day of colorful parades, floats and revelry, we will l load our motorcoach and depart Lafayette, as we make our way homeward. We will have rest stops en route, and a snack break if needed, and will arrive back at Toulouse Building parking lot by 7:30 p.m, full of memories from our Mardi Gras Tour in Lafayette! (B,L) 

Download Full Brochure, Cost, and Reservation Form Here.

Final Payment Due January 16, 2026

• Click here to make your payments to Trek.

• Checks made out to Trek Travel Programs, PO Box 488, Madison, MS 39130. Include the trip you are paying for in the memo of checks.