2 Best Nightlife in Side Trips from New Orleans, Louisiana

For nearly 40 years, on Friday evenings from mid-March through June and from September through November, dancing crowds converge on downtown Lafayette, where bands play an open-air stage. A happy hour starts at 5 pm, there are local food vendors throughout the evening, and there's even a Kids Zone full of family-friendly activities.

The biggest bash in this neck of the woods is in February or March (depending on when Lent occurs). About a dozen parades take to the streets over a couple of weeks, culminating on "Fat Tuesday," and a festive atmosphere fills the city.