Festival International de Louisiane celebrated 40 years this year, a big anniversary with a lot of accomplishments behind it.
The festival was born from challenging times. Lafayette was in an economic downtown in the 1980s after losing oil-and-gas jobs, and the community needed a way to distinguish and celebrate the things that make Acadiana special.
For the founders, that was the region’s French culture, uniquely geared toward the rest of the Francophone world. People like Herman Mhire, and a team of supporters, felt Lafayette had what it took to welcome musicians and visitors from across the globe — while showing off the music, language, food and artistry that sets southwest Louisiana apart…