Marquis de La Fayette - A Year of Celebration - 04/09/2007

This year is filled with great celebration in Lafayette, the heart of French Louisiana, as the city commemorates the 250^th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de La Fayette.

La Fayette was a hero of the American Revolution; a Frenchman who believed so strongly in liberty that he volunteered and fought alongside American patriots to free our country. La Fayette, who stood for courage, responsibility and honor, was beloved by the people of America in his time. His legacy to Lafayette, La. is the French culture, which has inspired Cajun and Creole traditions.

All year-long, Lafayette will feature special events and exhibits in celebration of the true spirit of La Fayette. Starting with the opening ceremony in January, food, music, art, history, culture and fun will be in the limelight.

At Festival International de Louisiane in April, bands and street performances from U.S. towns named after La Fayette will be highlighted. In September, the month of La Fayette’s birth, the Lafayette Natural History Museum will present a gala opening of their Marquis de La Fayette Exhibition, which runs through December. The following evening will feature a concert by the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra with soloists from the Symphony Orchestra of Poitiers, France, one of Lafayette’s sister cities.

The Natural History Museum’s exhibit focuses on the birth of democracy in America and France as experience through one man’s life journey – the Marquis de La Fayette. In addition to artifacts relating to Lafayette and hist time periosn, it will also emphasize La Fayette’s birthplace at Chavaniac and the Marquisat de Lagneac, as well as the frigate L’Hermione, in which the Marquis sailed on his second trip to the United States in March 1780 in support of the American insurgents.The exhibit will also explore La Fayette’s pivotal role in the success of the American Revolutionary War and his lifelong friendship with General George Washington.

Later in the year, the Acadiana Center for the Arts will feature the Marquis de La Fayette International Quilt Exhibition, which will display original themed quilts from Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary and various locations in the United States. These original needlework creations will center upon the theme, “The Marquis de La Fayette: Hero of Two Worlds,” adding an artistic dimension and international flavor to the year’s celebrations.

For more information on the 2007 Marquis de La Fayette celebration, visit www.MarquisdeLaFayette2007.com, or call the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission at 1-800-346-1958.