Fall at Moncus Park: Over 80 Programs, Events & Pop-Ups

Moncus Park Expands Free Programming Across Fitness, Nature, and Culture This Fall

LAFAYETTE, LA (September 1, 2026): Moncus Park will offer nearly 90 free public events this fall, its largest programming season since opening, park officials announced this week. The lineup spans fitness classes, environmental education, cultural demonstrations, and community gatherings, and organizers say it reflects a steady rise in park attendance over the past year. Programs run nearly every day of the week from September through November and are free and open to the public.

“Our community keeps showing up, and we’re going to keep showing up right back,” said JP MacFadyen, Executive Director of Moncus Park. “We’re listening, we’re growing, and Moncus Park is only getting better from here.”

Fitness

Mom Walks and Mommy & Me, sponsored by Lafayette Pediatric Dentistry, give parents and caregivers free ways to stay active with their kids this fall:
• Mom Walks | Every Wednesday | 9:30 to 10:30 AM
• Mommy and Me | Sept. 18 | 9:30 to 10:00 AM

Environmental

Environmental programming, funded by the MJ Sindler Family Fund for Culture & Media, returns with 10 offerings this fall, its fullest lineup to date:
• Conservation Club | Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 3 | 5:30 to 7:00 PM
• Nature Walks led by Acadiana Native Plant Project | Sept. 8 and Oct. 13 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• Bird Walk and Survey led by Acadiana Master Naturalists | Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Nov. 17 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• The Buzz on Bugs led by local entomologist| March 24 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• Prairie Seed Collection in the Cajun Prairie | Sept. 29 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• Accordion Building Demonstration with Martin Accordions | Oct. 5 | 5:30 to 7:00 PM
• Basket Weaving Demonstration with Coushatta basket maker Lucia Alfaro | Oct. 22 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• Trail Trek | Oct. 27 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• Louisiana Grass Roots Screening, a documentary on Southwest Louisiana’s coastal prairie | Nov. 10 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• Night Hike | Nov. 24 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM

Community

Also This Fall

Food Truck Friday: Fall Edition returns for seven Fridays this October and November, running 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and Nov. 6, 13, 20. The event features local food trucks, seating, and yard games.

Movies at Moncus, presented by Home Bank, opens its fall season Sept. 12 with a screening of “Inside Out” (2015). Two additional screenings are planned for Oct. 17 and Nov. 21, with titles to be announced. Parking for Movies at Moncus is $10 per vehicle, a fundraiser supporting the park.

The season doesn’t end there. Moncus Park will ring in the holidays with its full lineup of annual traditions, Christmas in the Park and Teddy Bear Tea among them, and welcome two brand-new additions to the calendar: The Champions Course 5K and the 2026 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships.

VISITING MONCUS PARK

All programs listed are free to attend. Standard park parking rates of $2 per hour apply, except during Movies at Moncus, when parking is $10 per vehicle as a fundraiser supporting the park. Parking is free every Monday through the Moncus Mondays program. The Lafayette Farmers & Artisans Market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. A full calendar is available at moncuspark.org.

ABOUT MONCUS PARK

Moncus Park cultivates connection to enrich lives and strengthen community through nature. Across 100 acres of restored trails, gardens, wetlands, and open greenspace in the heart of Lafayette, the Park provides a place where people of all ages can explore, gather, and grow. As Acadiana’s first nonprofit park conservancy, Moncus Park independently operates and maintains this landscape without dedicated tax funding, sustaining its mission through fundraising and self-generated revenue. Each year, the Park offers more than 150 free programs that advance environmental stewardship, wellness, and community belonging. Learn more at www.moncuspark.org.