Houma–Thibodaux
Around Houma–Thibodaux
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Metro area · Louisiana · 199k people
Houma–Thibodaux
Locals say Bayou Region · “Hub City”
Houma · Bayou Cane · Thibodaux
Cajun soul on the bayou
Nicholls State RedBayou Green
Welcome to the Bayou Region! Whether you're here for the food, the fishing, or the festivals, you'll find a warm community and plenty of good times. Come share a plate of gumbo and pass a good time with us.
Clubs for Houma–Thibodaux
No clubs for Houma–Thibodaux yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Houma–Thibodaux. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Houma–Thibodaux. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Southdown Plantation 19th-century plantation house with local history exhibits.
- Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center Hosts concerts, conventions, and sporting events.
- Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center Exhibits on Acadian and wetlands culture.
- Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge Birding and nature trails along the bayou.
- Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area Popular for fishing, hunting, and boating.
- Nicholls State University Home of the Colonels and community events.
- Outdoors Fishing in the bayous and marshes
- Outdoors Swamp boat tours through the wetlands
- With kids Visit the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center
- With kids Tour Southdown Plantation
- Evenings Dance to live Cajun and zydeco music at a dance hall
- Evenings Grab a daiquiri at a drive-thru daiquiri shop
- Locals love Cajun dance halls
- Locals love Boudin shops
Through the year
- Thibodaux Firemen's Fair April Annual fair with rides, food, and live music.
- Terrebonne Parish Livestock Show and Rodeo March Rodeo and livestock show.
- Louisiana Gumbo Festival October Gumbo cook-off and festival.
- Houma Downtown Live After 5 Summer Weekly outdoor concert series.
- Thibodauxville Fall Festival October Arts, crafts, and food festival.
Subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Best: Spring and fall are the best times to be out.
Talk like a local
- “Cher”
- Term of endearment, like 'dear'
- “Mais”
- Used for emphasis, like 'but' or 'well'
- “Lagniappe”
- A little something extra
- “Fais-do-do”
- A Cajun dance party
Getaways
- New Orleans Big city food, music, and culture.
- Morgan City Shrimp and petroleum festival, riverfront.
- Baton Rouge State capital, LSU campus, and museums.
- Lafayette Cajun music and food, festivals.
Local flavour
Teams
- Nicholls State Colonels NCAA Division I
Also rooting for New Orleans Saints (NFL), New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), LSU Tigers (NCAA)
Eat and drink
- Gumbo A rich stew with okra, seafood, and andouille sausage
- Crawfish étouffée Crawfish smothered in a roux-based sauce, served over rice
- Boudin A sausage made with pork, rice, and Cajun spices
- Cracklins Fried pork skins, often spicy
- Fried shrimp po'boy Shrimp on French bread with lettuce, tomato, and remoulade
- Alligator sauce piquante Alligator meat in a spicy tomato-based sauce
Where people go
- Bayous and swamps The defining waterways, home to alligators, herons, and cypress
- Sugar cane fields Vast fields that feed the region's sugar mills
- Seafood markets Fresh shrimp, oysters, and crabs straight from the Gulf
- Cajun dance halls Venues for live zydeco and Cajun music, often with dance floors
- Drive-thru daiquiri shops A Louisiana staple, offering frozen cocktails to-go
- Boudin shops Stores specializing in fresh boudin and cracklins
- Fishing camps Rustic cabins along the bayou for weekend angling
Heritage and traditions
The Bayou Region is proud of its deep Cajun and Creole heritage, where French is still spoken on the bayous, and the culture is celebrated through music, food, and the Catholic faith.
This time of year in Houma–Thibodaux
- Sugar cane harvest Fall Fields are burned and harvested, with mills running day and night.
- Terrebonne Folklife Festival October Celebrates Cajun music, dance, crafts, and food at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.
Say it like a local: “C'est bon” — It's good.
Festivals
- Blessing of the Fleet May A procession of decorated shrimp boats receives a blessing for a safe and bountiful season.
- Terrebonne Folklife Festival October Celebrates Cajun music, dance, crafts, and food at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.
Landmarks with a story
- St. Francis de Sales Cathedral The cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, a landmark in downtown Houma.
- St. Joseph Co-Cathedral A historic church with a distinctive steeple in the heart of Thibodaux.
- E.D. White Historic Site Home of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward Douglass White, now a museum.
- Laurel Valley Plantation A 19th-century sugar plantation with many original buildings, offering a glimpse into the sugar industry.
- Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum Dedicated to the region's fishing and seafood industry, with exhibits on shrimping and oystering.
- Chauvin Sculpture Garden A whimsical folk art environment created by local artist Kenny Hill, now maintained by the state.
Food traditions
- Boucherie A community pig butchering where neighbors share the meat and make boudin, cracklins, and other specialties.
- Crawfish boils Springtime gatherings where crawfish are boiled with potatoes, corn, and spices, then dumped on picnic tables.
- King cake A Mardi Gras tradition of a sweet, cinnamon-filled cake with a hidden baby; whoever finds it hosts the next party.
- Andouille sausage A smoked sausage with German and French roots, essential in gumbo and jambalaya.
Music and arts
- Cajun music Accordion and fiddle tunes with a French influence, played at fais-do-do dances and festivals.
- Zydeco A Creole music style with blues and R&B roots, popular in the region's dance halls.
- Fais-do-do A community dance party, a staple of Cajun social life where families gather to dance.
- Folk art The Chauvin Sculpture Garden is a prime example of local outsider art, attracting visitors from around the world.
A little history
- 1760s Acadian settlers arrived after being exiled from Nova Scotia, establishing the Cajun culture.
- 1800s Sugar cane became the dominant crop, with many plantations along Bayou Lafourche.
- 1860s The Civil War disrupted the sugar economy; the area saw occupation by Union forces.
- 1930s The oil and gas industry began to develop, transforming the local economy.
- 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought devastation, but the community rebuilt.
Rivalries
- Nicholls State vs. McNeese State Southland Conference football rivalry.
- Nicholls State vs. Southeastern Louisiana Southland Conference football rivalry.
- Game day Friday night lights
- Game day Nicholls State tailgating
- Outdoors Canoeing or kayaking in the bayous
- Outdoors Alligator spotting on a swamp tour
- With kids Attending the Blessing of the Fleet
- With kids Visiting the Chauvin Sculpture Garden
Residents speak a Cajun-influenced English with a distinctive accent and French phrases. Many locals are bilingual in Cajun French, and you'll hear words like 'cher' and 'lagniappe' in everyday conversation.
Only here
- Drive-thru daiquiri shops are a legal and beloved local convenience.
- The Cajun Navy, a volunteer rescue group, was born here during Hurricane Katrina.
- The region's waterways are so extensive that many residents commute by boat.
- The name 'Terrebonne' means 'good earth' in French, reflecting the fertile soil.
New here? A few tips
- Learn a few Cajun French phrases like 'cher' and 'lagniappe' to connect with locals.
- Be ready for high humidity and frequent thunderstorms, especially in summer.
- Try the local boudin and cracklins from a gas station or meat market—it's a way of life.
- Understand that drive-thru daiquiri shops are legal; make sure the driver's cup is sealed.
- During hurricane season, have a plan and stock up on supplies.
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Nearby
Every areaMorgan CityLouisianaCajun culture, fresh off the boat.New OrleansLouisianaWhere life moves to a jazz beatHammondLouisianaSmall‑town charm, big strawberry flavor.Baton RougeLouisianaWhere the Mississippi bends and the crawfish boil.New IberiaLouisianaWhere the bayou runs with spice and sweetnessNorthshoreLouisianaLake breezes, piney woods, and good food.LafayetteLouisianaWhere the music is live and the boudin is hot.PicayuneMississippiWhere the pines meet the Pearl
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.