Broussard's holiday calendar this year starts with a fair in its 102nd year and builds to a Christmas-themed drone show that the Chamber is calling its first ever. Alongside both, the city has set a December 31 deadline for something meant to last for generations: engraved bricks for the Veterans Memorial going up on a ridge at St. Julien Park.
That is the shape of the season. The fair and Noël à Broussard happen once and are over. The Veterans Memorial walkway is permanent, and the bricks going into it are being ordered now. Most of the new spots that opened around town this year are already part of the weekly routine. The rest of the calendar follows that order.
November 21 Starts at Arceneaux Park, Early
The 102nd Broussard Community Fair returns this fall. St. Cecilia Catholic School's calendar lists it across the weekend of November 21 and 22, in the school's gym and cafeteria spaces. The school is the best place to check for hours and the day-by-day lineup as the weekend gets closer.
The fair opens with a run. The Broussard Community Fair 5K and 1 Mile Run is set for Saturday, November 21, at Arceneaux Park, 835 E. Main Street. Here's the morning timeline:
- 6:30 a.m. Check-in
- 7:15 a.m. One-mile start
- 7:30 a.m. 5K start
The race page describes the run as the fair's 22nd annual kickoff and a fundraiser for parish and community causes. Put another way, the run started around the fair's 80th year and has now been part of it for two decades. With a 7:15 start on a late-November Saturday, you can finish the mile, get home, and still have most of the day for the fair.
December 5 Adds a Christmas Drone Show
Two weeks later, the season moves to City Hall. Noël à Broussard, presented by the Broussard Chamber of Commerce, runs Saturday, December 5, from 2 to 7 p.m. in downtown Broussard.
The Chamber's event page includes a line that sets this year apart. Alongside the Christmas parade and the lighting of the City Christmas Tree, the afternoon will include what the Chamber calls its "first ever Christmas themed Drone Light Show."
Per Lafayette Travel's event listing, the afternoon runs like this:
| Time | What's happening |
|---|---|
| 2:00 p.m. | Festivities begin near City Hall |
| 3:00 p.m. | Christmas parade |
| 4:30 p.m. | Christmas caroling |
| 5:45 p.m. | Drone light show |
| Right after | City Christmas Tree lighting |
Papa Noël's Market, kids' activities and real snow fill the hours around the parade. The Chamber page also has links to enter a float, become a market vendor or advertise. It says registration details are still to come, so families and businesses planning a float should keep checking that page.
The order of the evening matters for planning. The drone show is set for 5:45, just after sunset in early December, and the tree lighting follows it. If you want both, plan to stay past the parade and through caroling. The parade crowd and the drone show crowd will likely be the same people standing in the same spot for nearly three hours, so dress warmly and bring folding chairs.
December 31 Is the Date That Lasts
On October 13, the City of Broussard announced an engraved brick campaign for the Broussard Veterans Memorial, which is under construction at the Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park. Residents and businesses can buy bricks that become part of the memorial's engraved walkway. Orders can be placed online at cityofbroussard.com or on a paper form at Broussard City Hall. To help ensure placement, the city asks for orders by December 31, 2026.
"Our veterans deserve to be honored and remembered," Mayor Ray Bourque said in the city's announcement. "An engraved brick is a small but meaningful way to express our gratitude and ensure that the legacy of those who served continues to be remembered."
The city's description shows what the brick will be part of. The memorial will sit on an elevated ridge on the north side of the sports complex, overlooking a 3.7-acre retention pond. Plans include historical plaques, multiple flags, bench seating, the brick walkway and an open lawn for group events. Construction is scheduled to finish by early 2027. Families who donate can also have their names on a memorial donation plaque. Money raised from the bricks goes toward maintaining the memorial.
So the timeline is a little unusual. The order deadline comes before the memorial is finished, and a brick ordered over the holidays will be set into a walkway most people won't walk until next year. City Hall is also where Noël à Broussard begins, so December 5 is a convenient day to pick up a paper form in person.
The Same Park Is Getting Its Courts
The memorial isn't the only thing being built at St. Julien Park. In March, KLFY covered the groundbreaking for the memorial and a new court facility at the Broussard Sports Complex, 701 St. Nazaire Road. Developing Lafayette described the BSC Court Resort as 24 pickleball courts, 16 of them covered, with a concession stand, a pro shop and an observation deck. The courts don't have an announced opening date yet. Holiday doubles on covered courts will have to wait for a later season.
What Changed Along Albertson Parkway and Ambassador Caffery
Between the fair, the parade and the memorial, the everyday map of Broussard has shifted this year as well. Several of the changes are already open. Blazin' Hot Chicken took over the former Wendy's on Albertson Parkway, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe moved into the former Taco Bell at 1209 Albertson Parkway.
| Spot | Where | Status as of late October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tractor Supply Co. | 6806 Ambassador Caffery Parkway | Open |
| Shade Tree Café by D.R.E.A.M.S. | 219 South Eola Road | Open for lunch |
| Blazin' Hot Chicken | 1240 Albertson Parkway | Operating |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | 1209 Albertson Parkway | Operating |
| Dunkin' | Inside Walmart, 123 St. Nazaire Road | Listed as open 24 hours |
Shade Tree Café is the one most closely tied to the rest of this season. The Broussard Economic Development Corporation describes its mission as providing paid employment and hands-on job training for individuals with special needs. When it welcomed the café on October 19, BEDC encouraged the community to stop by, have lunch and meet the team. Lunch there is a good fit for the weeks when the town's attention is on community fundraisers anyway.
The Dunkin' is more of a convenience. A 24-hour listing inside the Walmart on St. Nazaire Road means coffee before a 6:30 a.m. race check-in is on the way to Arceneaux Park.
Two Ambassador Caffery projects are still on the way:
- Fish Box Sushi is coming to 6922 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Suite 103, in the Caffery Row Retail Center. It will be the brand's second Acadiana location, after the original at 530 Settlers Trace Boulevard in Lafayette. Developing Lafayette reported in July that no official opening date had been announced. Its estimate was a possible opening before the end of the year.
- King's Seafood is planned for 6921 Ambassador Caffery Parkway at South Bernard Road. In March, Developing Lafayette reported that site work had begun, with no confirmed opening date.
Both restaurants are across the parkway from each other near Caffery Row. If either opens before the holidays, it will be a new option for the stretch near Tractor Supply.
Three Dates for the Fridge
- Saturday, November 21: Community Fair 5K check-in at Arceneaux Park at 6:30 a.m. The 102nd fair runs that weekend at St. Cecilia.
- Saturday, December 5: Noël à Broussard downtown from 2 to 7 p.m., with the drone show at 5:45 and the tree lighting right after.
- Thursday, December 31: Requested deadline for engraved brick orders for the Broussard Veterans Memorial, online or at City Hall.
Brick orders go through cityofbroussard.com or a paper form at Broussard City Hall, and the memorial is scheduled to be finished by early 2027.
If you're planning a holiday open house or getting your home ready for guests between the fair and Noël, styling a space so it feels warm and finished for the season is one of my favorite parts of the work. Reach out to Jessica Broussard and let's make your home ready for December 5 and the days around it. Build With Me.
