Vermilionville

Les Mains Guidées -- Edible Wild Plants with Mark Suter
2023-05-06 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Bayou Vermilion, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette, 70506, United States
Edible Wild Plants
Come join us for a walk to learn edible wild plants of Southern Louisiana! Proper identification will be covered to safely identify about 50 different wild plants that can provide food. These were used by both Native Americans and early settlers of the area!
Mark Suter is the owner and head instructor of Primitive Texas and Louisiana, a wilderness survival school that conducts outdoor classes in both states. He has been studying and using edible wild plants for over 25 years and is working on publishing a second book on the subject. Wild plants are free, nutritious, and very common!
Les Mains Guidées — Edible Wild Plants with Mark Suter will be held Saturday, May 6 from 1 -3 PM. Cost $35 per person.

Les Mains Guidees -- Herb Green Percussion Workshop --CANCELLED
2023-06-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Vermilionville – Performance Center
Unfortunately, we must cancel this workshop. Hopefully, we can reschedule again later in the summer. Thank you for understanding.
Herb Green will lead an exciting workshop on percussion Saturday, June 3, 10 AM – noon. He will talk about the history and sounds of a range of percussion instruments including the djembe, talking drums, bells and more. From there, the session will move into how these instruments are played and how they fit into the overall soundscape of music. The participants will then work to drum together. The workshop is $35 per person, class limited to 25. If your heart beats to drumbeats, this is an unbeatable experience, sign up today!

Les Mains Guidees Workshop -- Santons de Provence CANCELLED
2023-12-02 10:00 - 15:00 | Vermilionville – Cooking School
Vermilionville is proud to have Kate Ferry return for another Les Mains Guidées Saturday, December 2 making Les Santons de Provence, traditional clay figurines that the Provençal make to place in the Christmas Crèche. This was so much fun last year, we made Santons of the traditional figures, but also some familiar Vermilionville characters, like Louie the Cat and Mr. October, Brady McKellar. Make plans to come!
Kate Ferry is a well-known area artist, designer and illustrator who has made a career of doing award-winning work for Louisiana agencies and clients, while also producing her own works including murals, paintings and other artworks.
The crib is composed of figures called “santons” which formed French villages some centuries ago, the shepherd, the drummer, the village idiot and many others. The first Christmas crib known in France was set up in 1775 in Marseille. Nowadays they are set up around the end of November, or beginning of December and dismantled after Epiphany when the Three Kings join the other figures. The origin of the word “santon” is the Provencal noun “santoun” which means little saint. Santons are traditionally hand made of clay and painted by artisans, and you can have that same experience at our workshop. We will be making Santons with Sculpey, which will then be fired and painted, and placed in the crèche.
Some of the figures we will be making: The Newborn Jesus, Virgin Mary, Father Joseph, donkey, sheep, Three Kings, angels, along with some more familiar Vermilionville figures including The Seamstress/Weaver, The Tribal Chief, The Woodcarver, The Trapper, The Cook, The Breadmaker, The Blacksmith, The Musicians (Fiddler, Accordion Player, Rubboard Player), The Basketmaker, The Quiltmaker, The Storyteller, The Boatbuilder, and more. Each workshop attendee can expect to make and paint at least two or three figurines, to take home or to leave as part of the Vermilionville crèche over the holidays.
The workshop will be held Saturday, December 2, 10 AM – 3 PM, with all supplies and tools provided. Fee $55, tickets available below. There will be a break from 12 noon-1:30 PM in order to fire the figurines.

Les Mains Guidées: Wax Flower Couronne
2025-10-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Bayou Vermilion, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette, 70506, United States
As part of its mission for the preservation of traditional trades and folkcrafts, Vermilionville continues to host monthly workshops allowing our community to learn a craft from the Acadian, Creole and Native American traditions. Topics range from woodcarving to foodways (and many things in between).

For the October Les Mains Guidées, Ivy Broussard – one of our highly experienced craft artisans – will share the methods used for designing and building a wax flower couronne, traditionally used for the decorating of graves for All Saints Day. Guests will learn to form the delicate flowers from paper and wire, how to dip them to preserve the shape, and how to bring these together to form the traditional wreath. During this workshop, Ivy will also share some of the other elements of mourning and All Saints traditions in history.

You can register below and purchase tickets for $30, all needed materials and supplies included!
