Visit the Official Web Site for the City of Church Point.

Church Point, with a population of about 4,800 people, is a small rural town with a long tradition. The first homesteads were established by the D'Aigle brothers in 1843. The Jesuit missionaries constructed the first chapel on the banks of a bend in Bayou Plaquemine, a location that became identified as "La Chapelle de la pointe de Plaquemine Brulee"--or, in the anglicized version, Church Point (translated back into French: Pointe de l'Eglise). Although the area is dotted with oil wells, Church Point is primarily a town whose economy centers on farming: rice, soybeans, corn, milo, sugar cane, and crawfish. While looking toward a bright future, Church Point is also a town that believes in preserving its heritage.

Like other towns in the region, life in Church Point centers on the family. A number of residents work in larger communities but choose to live in a town where traditional values play a central role in everyday life. Though no major highways pass through Church Point, Interstate 49 is only 15 miles away, while Interstate 10 is just 10 miles distant.

Tourist Information

General Information. Church Point claims the title of "Cajun Music Capital of the World," based on "having the greatest number of professional Cajun musicians of any place on earth." Cajun traditions are carried on through several special events. For information, contact the Church Point Chamber of Commerce, P. O. Box 218, Church Point, LA 70525; phone (337) 684-3030, fax: (337) 684-6891; or the Acadia Parish Tourist Commission, 401 Tower Road (Hwy. 1111, north of I-10 from Crowley Exit 80), P.O. Box 1342, Crowley, LA 70527; phone (337) 783-2108, fax: (337) 783-2142 or toll free (877) 783-2109. Also check out  the Acadia Parish Tourist Commission's website.

Courir de Mardi Gras. Church Point's Mardi Gras courir takes place on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. The men don costumes and masks and roam the area on horseback, stopping at homes to perform dances and comic antics in return for the gift of a chicken, a guinea, a pig, or another ingredient for a gumbo. During 2000, the Mardi Gras riders and many flatbed trailers with Mardi Gras revelers paraded down Main Street about 9 a.m. The schedule of events is similar each year. Riders gather at the Saddle Tramp Riding Club (1036 E. Ebey Street on the Lewisburg Highway) at 7 a.m. the Sunday preceding Mardi Gras. The courir leaves about 8:30. The courir returns to town about 1:30 to 2 p.m. for a parade. Gumbo, boudin, and other traditional foods are available to the public beginning about 11 a.m. at the Saddle Tramp Clubhouse. After the courir, everyone gathers back at the Clubhouse for gumbo and a fais do-do. The Church Point Courir de Mardi Gras is presented in more detail on a separate page.

The Buggy Festival. Held the first weekend in June (Thursday and Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday), the Buggy Festival includes a Sunday parade in which many townspeople ride in buggies or other horse-drawn vehicles. At the festival site in the town park, Cajun musicians, like Wayne Toups, shown at right, perform continuously on the festival stage, and Cajun cuisine is on sale throughout the weekend. There are also other events, including a trail ride, a Cajun French accordion contest, and a French speaking contest. Click here for digital pictures of Steve Riley and Hunter Hayes performing at the 1999 Buggy Festival. Click here for pictures of Bruce Daigrepont performing at the 2000 Buggy Festival.

Cajun Day. This event, held on the second Sunday in November, includes all things Cajun, especially music and food. Activities include a children's French speaking contest, Cajun Queen contest, and accordion/fiddle competitions.   Each year, the festival honors a Cajun musician. Call (337) 684-2739 for details.

Cajun Music Jam Sessions. Cajun musicians have gathered frequently in Church Point for jam sessions, including a series of Thursdays sessions held at the Saddle Tramp Riding Club, 1036 E. Ebey Street.  The band stand is behind wooden rails at one end of the club house where veteran fiddlers, accordionists, guitarists and others joined with young musicians to play traditional Cajun music. The club house jam session replaced one previously held during warm months at  Le Park du Vieux Dépôt. Check with the Church Point Chamber of Commerce for current information on jam sessions. Pictured at left at a jam session in August 2000 is Elton "Bee" Cormier, leader of the Church Point Playboys from 1962 to 1992. A number of the musicians who played with Cormier went on to become leaders in Cajun music themselves. In the top picture, Thomas Matte is on accordion. Matte, in his early nineties, is the grandfather of Reggie Matte, an alumnus of the Playboys now with the band Jambalaya. Click here for more pictures of the jam session.

Other Places of Interest. A number of places of interest are open to sightseeing on a daily basis: Le Park du Vieux Dépôt, site of the old railroad depot and loading platform; Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, established in 1927 by African American Catholics; the gravesite (located in nearby Richard) of Charlene Richard, a proposed Cajun Saint; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church and Cemetery.

Economic Development

The largest private employer in the town is Church Point Wholesale Grocery, which does business throughout the region. Like citizens throughout Acadiana, the people of Church Point have a strong work ethic. Information on utilities, transportation, current workforce availability, and related topics is available from the Church Point Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 218, Church Point, LA 70525; (337) 684-3030, and from the Mayor's Office of Community Development, City Hall, 102 Church Blvd., Church Point, LA 70525; (337) 684-5692. For a business profile of Acadia Parish, visit the site of the Louisiana Electronic Assistance Program.

Return to Central Acadiana Gateway Main Page

Updated May 1999