Black tie optional.
Dancing shoes? Mandatory.
An elegant evening of music, food, dancing, and artful surprises.
November 7, 2026 • 6:30pm
An AcA Signature Event
The Pelican Ball is an AcA’s annual gala celebrating the leading supporters of art & culture in Acadiana and all are welcome to join on November 7, 2026!
The perfect date night, each Pelican Ball ticket includes food, an open bar, and live music.
A live auction during the night will provide the only opportunity to acquire a Pelicans on Parade for your business or small-scale pelican for your home.
Your Ticket Supports
This annual gala is one of AcA’s signature fundraisers. Each ticket supports AcA programs that bring national acts of music & dance, thrilling theater productions, and cutting-edge visual arts exhibitions to Lafayette.
Your support also helps expand AcA’s community programs, which include professional development for practicing artists and Arts in Education experiences for more than 80 schools across the region, impacting 43,000 students per year.
Design a Pelican
CALLING ALL ARTISTS
You’ve seen them around town, and now’s your chance to design one yourself! Apply now for the chance to make a new Pelican on Parade for this year’s Pelican Ball auction.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
Only artists living or working in the eight-parish Acadiana region are eligible, including Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Vermilion parishes.
KEY DATES
- July 1, 2026 – Applications open
- July 10, 2026 – Applications close at 11:59pm
- July 24, 2026 – Selected artists notified
- July 31, 2026 – Deadline to collect blank pelican from AcA
- September 23, 2026 – Completed pelicans returned to AcA
- November 7, 2026 – Pelican Ball
Pelican Design Templates
Pelicans on Parade Design Guidelines
About the Pelican Ball
We honor these individuals, and we celebrate our thriving culture in the best way we know how: with a night full of food, music, and artful surprises amidst the core ‘flock’ of Acadiana’s cultural community.
Why a Pelican?
In 2000, Acadiana Center for the Arts worked with artist David Fox and students at public elementary schools served by AcA’s arts education programs to design the first “Pelicans on Parade.” In 2021, AcA re-introduced the Pelicans on Parade as part of an annual fundraiser, the Pelican Ball, where new, unique pelicans are auctioned off as part of the benefit for arts education in Acadiana.
Download the original Pelican Field Guide from way back when! This document has images of all of the original Pelicans on Parade and lots of historic info on the project.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Patron
- Reserved Seating
- 2 Tickets
- VIP Reception Invitation
- Acknowledgement on event program
Benefactor
- Reserved seating
- 4 tickets
- VIP Reception Invitation
- Acknowledgement on event program
Presenting Sponsor
- Reserved seating
- 6 tickets
- VIP Reception invitation
- Acknowledgement on event program
Contact Corinne Sprague, AcA Development Director, to secure your sponsorship by emailing Corinne@AcadianaCenterfortheArts.org or calling 337-940-0364.