ACADIA PARISH
Parish Offices
505 Northeast Court Circle
Crowley 337-788-8800
https://www.louisiana.gov/local-louisiana/acadia-parish
Chamber of Commerce
532 SE Court Circle
Crowley 337-788-0177
https://acadiaparishchamber.org
Historic Acadia Parish was first home to the Attakapas Native Americans and later settled by French Acadians who introduced a rich heritage that lives on today. Strongly agricultural, the parish combines rice, soybean, and crawfish production with mining, manufacturing, warehousing, trade, construction, healthcare, and service industries. Acadia Parish makes up the entire Crowley statistical area, which in turn is encompassed within the greater Lafayette-Acadiana statistical area. The parish is home to seven municipalities and a number of unincorporated communities, each one offering a distinctive residential environment. Quick commutes to regional destinations are ensured by Interstate 10 and 49.
Services
Educational opportunities in Acadia Parish begin with responsive local school districts, along with a number of private and parochial schools that cater to parents who prefer to explore alternative learning environments. Crowley is home to the Acadian Campus of South Louisiana Community College, a state and national leader in career and technical education. SLCC has earned a number of distinctions and accolades that include a national ranking of 11 for associate degree awards and the only college in Louisiana to offer a Midwifery Associate Degree and a technical diploma in Non-Destructive Testing. With more than 35 degree and certification programs, SLCC plays a key role in advancing the parish economy with relevant training and program development geared toward business and industry. Those who are interested in a four-year degree may want to begin at Louisiana State University at Eunice, with two-year programs in 100 areas and transfer agreements with every state-supported university. One of the premier choices for a four-year doctoral research institution is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, covering 1,300 acres with a 145-acre main campus and specialized learning centers. The second-largest university in the state, UL Lafayette enrolls nearly 18,000 students in bachelor’s and graduate degree programs including doctorates.
Healthcare services are anchored by the 140-bed American Legion Hospital, providing quality, patient-centered care for more than a century. Associated with more than 450 skilled professionals, the hospital provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services including 24-hour emergency care and many specialties as well as the Cancer Center of Acadiana. Crowley is also home to Acadia Women’s Health, focused on obstetrics, gynecology, hormone replacement therapy, and cosmetic procedures. The small town of Church Point is home to Acadia-St. Landry Hospital, a rural community hospital serving residents of Acadia and St. Landry parishes since 1967. The City of Eunice offers Acadian Medical Center campus of Mercy Regional Medical Center, both recognized among the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission. Should the need for highly advanced care arise, the City of Lafayette offers major medical facilities like Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center with an all-new 183-bed hospital, the Heart Hospital of Lafayette, and the only burn unit in Southwest Louisiana. The largest full-service acute-care hospital in Acadiana with the highest level of trauma care is part of Lafayette General Health, which encompasses the 377-bed Lafayette General Medical Center, Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, and University Hospital & Clinics—the latter being a primary graduate medical education facility and the region’s charity hospital.
Lifestyle
Rural Acadia Parish offers country pleasures, intimate communities, and a relaxed lifestyle in close proximity to the vibrant urban amenities in metropolitan Lafayette. Newcomers will soon discover the emphasis on rice in this agricultural region, enthusiastically celebrated each year at the famous International Rice Festival in Crowley. With two parades, rice cooking and eating contests, and dawn to midnight entertainment, the event is one of the oldest and largest in Louisiana. Chef de Riz is the coveted title earned by the overall winner of the Rice & Creole Cookery Contest. The City of Crowley is the focal point of entertainment, healthcare, education, culture, and commerce. Such large-volume rice mills line Crowley’s Mill Street that the city has earned the title of “Rice Capital of America.” Along with unique shopping and dining experiences in its charming historic district, Crowley features the 1940 Art Deco architectural jewel of Rice Theater that hosts events from Cajun and Zydeco music to Cajun comics and other live entertainment. The building is also home to the Rice Interpretive Center, the History of Crowley Museum, and the J.D. Miller Recording Studio Museum—a step back in time to the days when J.D. Miller recorded legendary artists. The Grand Opera House of the South provides a state-of-the-art performing arts venue, restored to its former glory with a $4.5 million renovation in 2008. Other local treasures include the German Heritage Museum in Roberts Cove—a rural community rich in German culture—Crystal Rice Heritage Farm, the Agricultural Museum, and the 15-mile Rice Trail through the local agricultural industry.
Acadia Parish welcomes new residents to an outstanding quality of life, a wonderful sense of heritage and history, and some of the most affordable real estate in the nation. Just 20 miles from the urban amenities of Lafayette, this rural retreat is a serene and welcoming place to call home. The mild climate encourages four-season outdoor enjoyment, while regional parks and preserves offer a scenic backdrop for hunting, fishing, hiking, birding, cycling, and camping. Local recreational facilities include public parks, tennis courts, fitness centers, Crowley Recreational Complex, the jogging track at Mobley Field, and the golf course at Bayou Bend Country Club. A short commute away, golfers can access 13 famous courses along the Audubon Golf Trail, designed by greats like Arnold Palmer and Hal Sutton. The Acadia Parish Rice Arena hosts livestock shows, team and calf roping, clinics, benefits, auctions, rodeos, barrel racings, and many other agricultural events. For the best of country living within an easy commute from metropolitan Lafayette, few locales have more to offer than historic Acadia Parish.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Church Point
Town Offices
337-684-5692
https://www.churchpoint-la.com
Chamber of Commerce
337-788-0177
https://acadiaparishchamber.org
Characterized as a rural bedroom community, Church Point is located in north Acadia Parish just 20 minutes from expanded urban amenities in more developed cities like Crowley, Opelousas, and Lafayette. This historic town along the banks of picturesque Bayou Plaquemine Brulee melds the rich heritage of the French, English, and African ancestors who first made the community their home. The cooperative, small-town spirit that prevails in Church Point is evidenced by the $125,000 project in 1998 that revitalized an old park and created Buggy Town Playground totally through volunteer efforts. The Buggy Festival is another example of civic innovation and pride, an annual event that raises funds for the local Acadia St. Landry Hospital, civic organizations, and city projects. Church Point residents actually used buggies as a mode of transportation into the early 1950s, earning the town the title of Buggy Capital of the World. St. Jude Hospital is the recipient of receipts from another wildly popular event in Church Point, Cajun Woodstock, a two-day extravaganza of live music and great food.
Crowley, Esterwood, Morse
Crowley City Offices
337-788-4100
https://www.crowley-la.com
Esterwood Village Offices
337-783-0464
Morse Village Offices
337-783-7555
Chamber of Commerce
337-788-0177
https://acadiaparishchamber.org
“Where life is rice and easy” is the odd but appropriate slogan for the City of Crowley, the center of government, commerce, and healthcare for Acadia Parish. Crowley offers a charming historic downtown district that invites local residents and visitors from rural communities to shop and dine in quaint and grand old buildings that line a broad boulevard. Lined with majestic oaks, Crowley is designated as a Tree City USA and a Main Street City, a reflection of the dedication of civic leaders and residents to preserve the community’s rich architectural and cultural heritage. More than 200 homes, churches, and commercial buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, some dating back to the 18th century and many that were restored with original color themes and trim. The impressive collection of Victorian homes with Queen Anne architectural elements is a unique Crowley feature. The city springs to life each year at the International Rice Festival, a celebration of the traditional crop that still represents a major economic mainstay. Just a short drive from Crowley, the rural communities of Esterwood and Morse provide small-town intimacy and beautiful residential settings.
Eunice
City Offices
337 457-7389
https://www.eunice-la.com
Chamber of Commerce
337-457-2565
https://www.eunicechamber.com
Spanning Acadia and St. Landry parishes, the City of Eunice is the self-proclaimed “Heart of Acadiana!” Newcomers will discover a vibrant small city with great food, wonderful music, friendly neighbors and loyal friends in the middle of Louisiana’s Cajun Country. One of the highlights in Eunice is the beautifully restored 1924 Liberty Center for the Performing Arts, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and hosting cultural events including the internationally famous “Rendez-Vous des Cajuns” performances of Cajun and Zydeco music and humorists. The crawfish industry thrives in this area, celebrated in the World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off. One of Louisiana’s historical treasures is located in Eunice, the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center for the multi-site Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Eunice has all the youthful appeal of a lively small college town, home to Louisiana State University Eunice—one of the nation’s top community colleges. LSU Eunice features the championship Bayou Bengals baseball team and Bayou Bengals women’s basketball and softball teams. The city is also home to an outstanding regional healthcare facility, Acadia Medical Center
Iota
Town Offices
337-779-2597
Chamber of Commerce
337-788-0177
https://acadiaparishchamber.org
Residents of rural Iota are proud of the family friendly atmosphere and appreciate the area’s responsive schools. Iota is a small and intimate town where neighbors become friends and community support is more than an abstract concept. Just 30 miles west of the urban amenities and regional employment centers in Lafayette, this country retreat attracts thousands of visitors and tourists to its traditional Tee Mamou-Iota Mardi Gras Folklife festival each year. Featuring authentic Cajun food, crafts, and music, the celebration includes the ritual of Courir de Mardi Gras. Riders disguised in colorful costumes and tall conical caps wander through the countryside speaking only Cajun French and begging for gumbo ingredients. The resulting gumbo dish forms the centerpiece of a community supper, at which time the riders reveal their true identities. Life in Iota is enhanced by the well-developed amenities in Crowley and other regional urban centers.
Rayne
City Offices
337-334-3121
https://www.rayne.org
Chamber of Commerce
337-334-2332
https://www.rayne.org
The self-proclaimed “prairie town” of Rayne is a rural community that boasts two uncommon distinctions: Frog Capital of the World and Louisiana’s City of Murals. The latter began as a cooperative project between the city government and local residents who formed the Rayne Beautification Board. The result is a colorful, whimsical cityscape like no other that stimulates the senses and the imagination. The annual Frog Festival is a major event, drawing as many as 50,000 visitors to the streets of Rayne for frog racing and jumping contests, great music and food, carnival rides, and special attractions. Of course, the featured cuisine includes frog legs along with local Cajun specialties. The 20,000-square-foot Civic Center is a focal point of community life with a city-owned RV park on the grounds to accommodate year-round visitors. Just 14 miles from Lafayette, Rayne is known for small-town friendliness. Local business highlights include one of America’s only remaining five and dime stores and Rayne Guest Home, a premier skilled nursing facility that serves a regional population.
