A cell of severe thunderstorms threatened to cancel the third day of Festival International de Louisiane’s 2015 celebration. The rain ended around 3:30 p.m., allowing for food vendors and crews to continue their setups in the streets of Lafayette.
Though the weather made things a bit soggy, arts and crafts booths were up and ready to peddle their goods for curious crowds. Located in the Marché des Arts, jewelry appeared to be the dominant item being sold by artists.
Musicians came to any one of the festivals six stages from all corners of the world — Canada, parts of Africa and some American states. One of the larger stages, Scène Stabil Drill International, featured the largest acts.
First up was Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyante, a world music duo. Kouyante hails from Guinea while Driscoll is based out of England. The act’s distinctive feature is that both musicians speak a different language — Kouyante, only French, and Driscoll, only English.
In Lafayette’s closed roads, swarms of people flowed in and out of the downtown area. Hungry patrons were kept full with a combination of various vendors and some Lafayette restaurants staying open to serve a festival-specific menu, like that of the popular Antlers Restaurant & Bar on Jefferson Street.
Sunny Duval of Quebec brought a down-home spirit to the Scène Chevron Héritage stage. Shortly after the start of his set, many couples were dancing on the drying cement, creating their own dance floor for others to watch.
One thing that seems notable about the 2015 festival, as compared to previous years, is an overall sense that food has had a larger role in drawing crowds than the musical acts. The reasoning comes from the fact Festival International is free to the public, and there are very few truly well known names on this year’s bill.
Finishing up was Louisiana favorite GIVERS, the biggest and likely most anticipated act of the day. Taking the Scène Stabil Drill International stage at 9:45 p.m., the Lafayette indie group tested the mettle of Festival International’s crowds with the idea of a late-night concert. The show ended around 11 p.m., closing the third day long after the sun had set on Lafayette.

Gallery • 18 Photos

Emily Brauner

A small festival goer gets her face painted on Friday, April 24, 2015 at Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette.