You think you know Mardi Gras? How about Cajun Country’s Courir de Mardi Gras?!

Carnival is here again and many of us who have been in the area for a while consider ourselves to be a bit of a Mardi Gras expert.

That’s fair—at least as it pertains to the Greater New Orleans Area. As you may be aware, only two-and-a-half hours west on Interstate 10, there’s a Mardi Gras unlike anything we see in the 504.

Out in Cajun Country—the small towns surrounding Lafayette—Mardi Gras is called Courir de Mardi Gras (which translates to “Fat Tuesday Run”). Their traditions are down from the rural areas of Catholic medieval France. Many of those traditions originated in Celtic Europe and have unexpected ties to Halloween. 

Participants wear masks and costumes to conceal their identity as Courir de Mardi Gras is an opportunity to overturn social conventions by pretending to be something you’re not (a woman instead of a man, for example, or poor instead of wealthy). Costumes are colorful patchworks of different materials because French peasants couldn’t afford new costumes and resorted to using remnants of whatever cloth was laying around. The pointy hats popular for the event were originally a chance for the poor to mock the traditional headwear of wealthy French women.

Being so late in winter, the poor in medieval France would be low on food, and would use the festival to gather in groups and visit the homes of the wealthy—offering to perform and entertain in exchange for food or money, a tradition similar to mummering. Today, Le-Capitaine and his co-captains lead the Mardi Gras (the name for the group of courir participants, and the only instance in which “Gras” has a hard “s” sound) through their town, stopping at houses and begging for food that can be used in the communal gumbo to be made later in the day.

Entertained homeowners often donate a chicken or two, with one catch: the chicken is alive and the Mardi Gras is forced to chase said chicken through muddy yards and fields. Some believe the running takes the place of races held during Mardi Gras in medieval France.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Each town has their own celebration, and each celebration is a little different. Many are open to guests, but the more you want to participate, the more you’ll need to honor these traditions that are truly unique to the world!

As a proud Cajun Country bakery with a Gambino’s shop in Lafayette, we wanted to share some of the towns throwing amazing, one-of-a-kind celebrations each Mardi Gras.

Vermilionville Courir — Preserving Tradition

Head Vermilionville, the cultural arm of Bayou Vermilion District, to experience a traditional Mardi Gras run Sunday, February 23, 2025. The whole family can participate in this interactive event where the Basile Mardi Gras Association shares in the medieval tradition of the Courir de Mardi Gras. Disguised revelers, led by Le Capitaine and singing La Chanson de Mardi Gras will make their way through the historic village begging for the ingredients to make a gumbo.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. with a screening of Pat Mire’s iconic Mardi Gras documentary, “Dance for a Chicken,” which reveals the secrets and history of the rural Mardi Gras run or Courir. At 11 a.m., musician Kevin Rees will demonstrate the use of the “Chanson de Mardi Gras,” with the attendees. 

At 11:30 a.m., the Basile Mardi Gras Association will begin the run through the historic village and will end with the famous chicken chase for children. After the run, grab a delicious lunch at Vermilionville’s restaurant, La Cuisine de Maman, then join the party in the dancehall for live music from the Pine Leaf Boys, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. There will be king cake tasting and a Capuchon (traditional pointy hat) craft for the kids as well.

Choupic — More Beatings than Beads

This small town’s Mardi Gras tradition centers less around beads and more around beatings. In fact, in Chopic you won’t even find horse riding and chasing chickens. Here, it’s all about chasing children and flogging them with willow tree branches (and occasionally the flexible end of a fishing pole).

We know it sounds rough, but the day’s all in good fun and the “flogging” is more of a simulation of past traditions. The whipping can be traced back to the burlap whips used in Brittany — where Acadians were originally from — in Pre-Christian Celtic Europe. In the medieval period, flagellants would walk through the streets whipping themselves and the occasional onlooker to beat the sin out of them.

That’s basically the idea today, except—and we must stress this—nobody gets hurt. In Choupic, unmarried men (usually from 16 through their 20s) secretly organize the run and don’t disclose the location to anyone (though Possum Square seems to be a popular meeting point). They meet early on Mardi Gras morning, and then move from one residential area to the next, chasing after kids. When caught, the kids are made to recite their Catholic prayers before receiving their pre-Lenten flogging.

Again, details of the run aren’t released, so stay alert if you want to get a peak of this ancient (and fun—really, no one gets hurt!) tradition.

Church Point — Among the Best

In 1961, representatives from Mamou and Church Point flipped a coin to see who would have their courir on Mardi Gras Day. Mamou won and, since then, Church Point has celebrated a couple of days before, on Sunday.

It’s actually a two-day event these days. Saturday’s all about the kids. There’s a run for children—excluding alcohol and horses, but maybe not chickens—and then an afternoon parade. You can find details here.

Sunday is…well…is not all about the kids. Only men are allowed to run — though women and children are allowed to participate in the trail ride that follows the runners.

Costumes (required to run), chickens, pigs, gumbo, alcohol, live music…it’s all in Church Point at what many claim is one of the best traditional Mardi Gras around. In many towns you’ll hear the traditional “La Danse de Mardi Gras” sung. The tune is a melody from the Bretons in the northern coast of France, though the lyrics vary by town. The beginning of the Church Point version translates to the following:

“The Mardi Gras come from everywhere around the hub.

Once each year to ask for charity.

An old potato, a potato and some cracklins.”

Elton — Smalltown and Intimate

This small back country town near Eunice hosts their own courir with runners going house to house offering to perform their Danse de Mardi Gras in exchange for chickens for gumbo, or nickels for rice.

Their run takes place on Saturday, March 1, and you can find information about registration, fees and the route in their Facebook group.

Eunice — One of the Biggest!

Eunice’s courir is one of the biggest around with approximately 2,000 participants — both men and women — running on Mardi Gras day. But festivities actually start on Friday, February 28, kicking off five days of live Cajun music and jam sessions, drinks, local food and general reverly. You can find a full schedule of activities on this page.

There are full boucheries (a whole-hog butchering that provides cracklins, boudin, backbone stew and much more) on Sunday morning, plus a highly recommended fais do-do sessions during the evenings.

Tuesday’s the big show. Costumes are required for the run, and the route is 13 miles long! Runners ride on trailers (get there early to get a spot!), travel on horseback, or walk, stopping at farms along the way to offer a dance in exchange for gumbo ingredients and nickels. The group returns to town for a parade by about 3 p.m. and then more music.

If you’d rather watch the courir, rather than take part in it, that’s an option, too. And there’ll be plenty of music to keep you having fun downtown while you wait for the group to return.

Gheens — More Whipping and Close to NOLA

Mardi Gras festivities in Gheens are a lot like the flogging traditions in Choupic, but not quite as secretive. The small town is also just an hour’s drive away from New Orleans, so it might be a little more accessible for those looking for a shorter trip.

The oldest of Gheens’ residents say the tradition existed when they were children, and— because there aren’t written records documenting the early whipping—it’s impossible to say when exactly the rituals began.

Today, teenage boys and young men dress in costume (sometimes scary, sometimes resembling Mardi Gras costumes we’re more familiar with) and are given bells to pin on their clothing. They meet near the Company Canal and the old Gheens family plantation in a field at the back of the town and load into trucks.

The group rides along Hwy-654, tapping their willow whips as a warning to children. The bells jingle, and the young men and younger boys taunt one another until the wagons arrive at a house and the chase begins. Younger children being chased have two choices: they can fall to their knees, yelling “Pardon! Pardon!” for mercy, or they can continue to try to run from the masked attackers (who do not give up easily).

It sounds wild, and it is…but it’s also a lot of fun, and a beloved tradition. 

Later in the morning—by about 11 a.m.—a parade begins, featuring homemade floats that attract visitors from several other towns in the region.

Mamou — One of the Most Famous

Mamou has another of the more popular Mardi Gras runs, made even more famous when the late Anthony Bourdain documented his visit to the town’s Cajun Mardi Gras for an incredible and inspiring episode in his “Parts Unknown” series.

The celebration starts on Saturday with local Cajun bands like Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, but things go up a notch on Monday night with a popular street dance lasting until 11 p.m.

The town’s back up at daybreak the next morning to get ready for the run, which takes off at 8 a.m. from the American Legion Hall on Main Street. Only costumed men are able to participate in the run, though women are allowed to watch. For men who don’t have their own horse, wagons and trailers are usually available to ride on.

While chickens are chased and pranks are played by the runners, a block party revs up downtown near the legendary Fred’s Lounge.

A full schedule is available here.

Mermentau Cove — A Weekend Earlier for Those Wary of Missing NOLA’s Mardi Gras

If you don’t want to leave town during the last weekend leading into Mardi Gras, then Mermentau Cove holds their Courir de Mardi Gras the week before — this year on February 22. The traditional run starts at 8 a.m., making several stops along the back roads to private homes and Istre Cemetery.

The day finishes with a fais do-do and a gumbo, and all are invited to attend! You can find details about the event here.

If you’d like to participate in the run, you’ll need to be costumed, and be a man at least 17 years old (women and children can only attend the fais do-do in the evening). To run, you must attend a meeting in advance which would mean a separate trip out to Cajun Country.

Soileau — Creole All the Way

The small, rural community of Soileau (affectionately referred to as “Metro Soileau”) hosts one of only a few Creole (as opposed to Cajun) Courir de Mardi Gras. The event is held on Lundi Gras, March 3, and starts at Metro Soileau (422 Highway 104, Oberlin, LA).

The day kicks off at 10 a.m. with a traditional run and trail ride (runners on horseback, music, chickens and everything else you could ever want from a courir), followed by a Zydeco dance and a gumbo feast back at Metro Soileau.

It only costs $20 per person, and all the information you need to join is on the event’s Facebook page.

Tee Mamou-Iota — For the Whole Family

The Tee Mamou Mardi Gras Folklife Festival is now in its 37th year, bringing several communities together to celebrate. There’s a children’s Courir de Mardi Gras that begins at 1pm and a parade  at 2:30 p.m. There is also live music and entertainment throughout the morning and afternoon at this free fest, as well as tons of great local food available. (I have no idea what a “Syrup Pie” is, but I want it!)
Contact fest organizers here if you want to learn about running in the event, or if you have any other questions.