Good morning, Lafayette.

The annual Tinsel & Treasures Holiday Market by the Junior League is underway at the Cajundome with a record 150 vendors offering holiday decor, gifts, gourmet foods, and more.

Events include a Friday Ladies’ Night fashion show (5 to 8 p.m.) and a Saturday raffle drawing (2:45 p.m.).

Trader Joe’s in Lafayette opened its new 9,192 sqft store at 1710 Camellia Blvd. on Sept.

17 and drew long lines — locals have shared their grocery hauls on social media as they now shop closer to home.

Leading Edge Manufacturing, based in Youngsville and Broussard, will expand operations by the end of 2026 to add 20 jobs and indirectly create 30 additional roles with a full night shift boosting production capacity.

The expansion is supported by LED's FastStart program (a workforce growth initiative).

Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos from Shreveport is set to open near River Ranch next spring.

The restaurant has applied for a permit to update a 2,800 sqft former Super Chix space with an expanded kitchen, bar and booth seating.

Musicians Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves will celebrate John Coltrane’s legacy with a jazz tribute event in Lafayette later this week.

The performance will highlight Coltrane’s influential music and is expected to draw local jazz fans.

The Louisiana Music Museum project enters phase two as local leaders plan community input sessions & design reviews to expand the facility.

Meetings are scheduled next week at the current site for feedback on the museum's future improvements.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a nationally known women’s health expert, will receive UL Lafayette’s 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award on Wednesday, Sept.

30 during Homecoming. Earlier that day, she will host a Lunch & Learn to share her journey from geology to medicine and her work to improve women’s health.

A beehive estimated to house 65,000 bees was found hanging from a camellia tree between Foster and Girard halls at UL Lafayette and was relocated by beekeeper Rachael Clayton to a managed colony in Judice.

University biologists said the discovery reflects a thriving campus ecosystem that supports abundant pollinator activity.

Lafayette Consolidated Government got a $6,000 grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful and the Lieutenant Governor's office to add welcome signs, public art, and native plant landscaping along East University Avenue between Evangeline Thruway and General Mouton Avenue.

The project will finish by year-end 2026.

Lafayette City Court and South Louisiana Community College have partnered to let Judge Roya Boustany sentence eligible defendants to workforce training instead of fines or community service; the program offers certification courses—from forklift operation to CDL training—that begin Saturday (the college will track enrollment and completion to assess recidivism).