New Iberia
Around New Iberia
Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Town and around · Louisiana · 67k people
New Iberia
Locals say Iberia Parish · “Sugar City”, “Queen City of the Teche”
Where the bayou runs with spice and sweetness
Tabasco RedBayou GreenMardi Gras Gold
Welcome to Iberia Parish, where the bayous run slow and the boudin runs fast. Come for the sugarcane, stay for the crawfish boils, and don't forget to say 'cher' to your neighbor.
Clubs for New Iberia
No clubs for New Iberia yet.
The room
One room for everyone around New Iberia. 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 New Iberia. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Avery Island Salt dome home of Tabasco sauce and Jungle Gardens.
- Shadows-on-the-Teche Antebellum plantation home on the bayou.
- Bayou Teche Winding waterway that runs through the parish.
- Lake Martin Cypress swamp known for birdwatching and alligators.
- Cypress Island Preserve Nature preserve with boardwalk trails through the swamp.
- Iberia Parish Courthouse Historic government building in New Iberia.
- Outdoors Fish for bass in Bayou Teche
- Outdoors Kayak through Lake Martin swamp
- With kids Visit Jungle Gardens on Avery Island
- With kids Tour the Tabasco factory
- Evenings Catch live Cajun music at a local bar
- Evenings Dance at a fais-do-do
- Locals love Boudin shops
- Locals love Crawfish ponds
Through the year
- Delcambre Shrimp Festival August Celebrates the shrimp harvest with food, music, and a parade.
- Louisiana Sugarcane Festival September Honors the sugarcane industry with parades, contests, and a fair.
- Boudin and Cracklin Festival October A tasty celebration of local favorites in Jeanerette.
- Iberia Parish Fair Fall Classic county fair with rides, livestock, and local food.
Humid subtropical with hot, muggy summers and mild winters. Best: Spring and fall are the best times to be out.
Talk like a local
- “Fais-do-do”
- A Cajun dance party.
- “Lagniappe”
- A little something extra, like a bonus.
- “Cher”
- Term of endearment, like 'dear'.
- “Makin' groceries”
- Going grocery shopping.
Getaways
- Lafayette Lively city with music, food, and festivals.
- Morgan City Gateway to the Atchafalaya and shrimp capital.
- Baton Rouge State capital with LSU and historic sites.
- Houma Bayou country with Cajun culture and swamp tours.
Local flavour
Rooting for LSU Tigers (NCAA Division I), New Orleans Saints (NFL), New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (NCAA Division I)
Eat and drink
- Boudin Cajun sausage, a local staple
- Cracklins Fried pork skin, often sold at roadside stands
- Gumbo Hearty soup with okra and filé
- Étouffée Smothered seafood, typically crawfish
- Crawfish boils Seasonal communal feasts
- Tabasco sauce Produced on Avery Island, used on almost everything
Where people go
- Bayous and swamps Waterways like Bayou Teche, lined with cypress and Spanish moss
- Sugar cane fields Vast fields that turn golden before harvest
- Avery Island Home of the Tabasco factory and Jungle Gardens
- Boudin shops Roadside stops selling fresh boudin and cracklins
- Crawfish ponds Where the season's catch is raised and boiled
Heritage and traditions
Iberia Parish is proud of its deep Cajun and Creole roots, its sugar cane heritage, and the spicy, welcoming culture that made Tabasco a household name.
This time of year in New Iberia
- Sugar cane harvest fall Cane fields are burned and harvested from October to December.
Say it like a local: “Mais” — But, used as an exclamation.
Festivals
- Mardi Gras February/March Local krewes parade through town with Cajun flair.
- Blessing of the Fleet April Boats are blessed for a safe shrimp season in Delcambre.
Landmarks with a story
- St. Peter's Catholic Church Historic Catholic church in New Iberia, a center of the Cajun Catholic community.
- The Jeanerette Museum Local museum in Jeanerette showcasing sugar cane and shrimp history.
- New Iberia Historic District Antebellum homes and Creole cottages along the Bayou Teche.
Food traditions
- Cane syrup A sweet legacy of the sugar cane fields, cane syrup is drizzled on biscuits and used in baking.
- Fresh Gulf shrimp Delcambre's shrimping fleet brings in Gulf shrimp, a local staple for boils and etouffee.
- Gumbo z'herbes A Lenten tradition, this green gumbo made with greens is a local favorite.
Music and arts
- Cajun music Fiddle and accordion-driven dance music with roots in Acadian culture.
- Zydeco The Creole-influenced cousin of Cajun music, with its own local following.
- Swamp pop A blend of rock, R&B, and Cajun sounds that filled dance halls.
- Accordion making Local craftsmen build the diatonic accordions central to Cajun music.
A little history
- mid-1700s Acadian settlement
- 1800s Sugar cane boom
- 1863 Battle of Bayou Teche
- 1868 Tabasco's creation
- Game day Friday night lights
- Game day Duck hunting
- Outdoors Stroll the historic district and admire the Creole cottages
- Outdoors Canoe the Bayou Teche under the moss-draped oaks
- With kids Visit the Jeanerette Museum
- With kids Attend the Delcambre Shrimp Festival
Locals speak a mix of English and Cajun French, with a distinctive drawl and French phrases sprinkled in. Common expressions include 'cher' for dear, 'mais' for but, and 'laissez les bons temps rouler' for let the good times roll.
Only here
- The Tabasco factory on Avery Island is the only place in the world where the original Tabasco sauce is made.
- The salt dome on Avery Island is one of the few places where you can see a salt mine.
- The Bayou Teche is one of the few bayous that flows through a town with a historic district.
- The sugar cane harvest season fills the air with the smell of burning cane fields.
New here? A few tips
- Learn a few Cajun French phrases like 'cher' and 'mais' to fit in.
- Be prepared for humid summers and hurricane season.
- Try boudin and cracklins at a local meat market.
- Don't be surprised if people wave and chat with strangers.
- Get used to the smell of sugar cane burning in the fall.
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Part of Lafayette area
Nearby
Every areaLafayetteLouisianaWhere the music is live and the boudin is hot.OpelousasLouisianaWhere the bayou sings and the crawfish boilMorgan CityLouisianaCajun culture, fresh off the boat.Baton RougeLouisianaWhere the Mississippi bends and the crawfish boil.Houma–ThibodauxLouisianaCajun soul on the bayouVille PlatteLouisianaWhere the prairies meet the pinesLake CharlesLouisianaCajun heart, lake soul.HammondLouisianaSmall‑town charm, big strawberry flavor.
New Iberia, 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.