Passing through Lafayette in the springtime, you’re apt to catch a whiff of crawfish and cayenne wafting up from the boiling pot in somebody’s crowded backyard. But even if you didn’t get an invitation to the party, you can still partake of the seasonal ritual of boiled crawfish.
Pay a visit to any of Lafayette’s drive-thru crawfish shops and order a sack for your friends and family. As a rule, you’re supposed to estimate roughly five pounds of boiled crawfish for each adult in your group, plus some vegetables. But it doesn’t hurt to order a little extra: in Acadiana, you never want to have anyone walk away hungry from your table. Besides, even if you do end up with more than you can eat, leftover crawfish is not a bad thing to have on hand.
Once you have your sack of boiled crawfish, don’t let them get cold— head for Girard Park in the heart of Lafayette, just off the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Especially lovely in the spring, Girard Park offers an abundance of shady oaks, picnic tables, and playgrounds for the kids. Just find a comfortable spot where you can enjoy your sack of steaming crawfish with your friends.
Along with a cooler full of drinks, you’ll want to bring some newspapers to spread on the table, a roll or two of paper towels, some wet wipes, and, depending on the time of day, some mosquito repellant.
However, if you want to capture the spirit of an authentic Acadiana crawfish boil, what’s most important is that you bring people who know how to enjoy themselves no matter where they are.