For the third year in a row, Lafayette's exotic free outdoor music celebration, Festival International de Louisiane, will coincide with the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. In years past, this convergence was seen as a major inconvenience by music lovers, but is now perceived by most as adding to the overall Louisiana music cornucopia, and has locals and out-of-towners alike travelling back and forth between New Orleans and Acadiana.

The free outdoor segment of ...