Andouille and courtbuillion, cracklins and etouffee, fricassé and mirlitons, words most people do not hear every day. Unless you are in Cajun country. This weekend the aroma of the way of life for the people of South Louisiana will be in full force when the Lydia Cancer Association presents it’s seventh annual Lydia Cajun Food Fest beginning at 5 p.m.Friday.

The Lydia Cancer Association was founded by James Frawley Jr. in 2003 as a 15-member team for the Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Association.

Frawley passed away the next year from cancer, but his legacy lives on.

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Ronald Landry, one of the events organizers, promises a fun-filled, family event which has been named as one of the top events in the area. He said the festival kicks off on Friday afternoon and continues all day on Saturday.

“So far, we have 26 food booths registered,” Landry said. “There will be all kinds of good Cajun food. One booth is cooking shrimp kabobs, another serving soft shell crab po boys. That should be a good one.”

Landry said the activities begin with a motorcycle poker run on Saturday at 8 a.m., with the cancer survivors walk beginning around 9:30 a.m. The opening ceremonies will begin immediately after the walk.

The food booths begin cooking early and the smells are enough to make anyone hungry, Landry said. The cookoff actually begins at 10 a.m. with the awards announced around 4 p.m.

“This is a People’s Choice award,” he said. “We monitor the booth sales throughout the day and the winners are judged by the amount of sales.”

Landry said one of the most moving events is the opening ceremonies at which most all of Frawley’s survivors attend.

Something new for this year’s event will be the Cajun Rides carnival with street fair rides for both young and old. The company has begun to set up the rides and will be ready and running on Friday, Landry said.

All of the bands are providing their performances as a donation to the Lydia Cancer Association, he said.

“Chad LeBlanc and his band, The Bad Boys, have been with us since day one,” Landry said. “These are some really good bands and they are all doing it for free.”

Debra Savoie, a founding member of the Lydia Cancer Association, said she is really excited about this year’s event. She said the musical line-up is first rate. The food will be better than the music, she said. That’s saying a lot about the food, she added.

All proceeds will be used in the association’s work with its James Frawley Jr. Support Center and the American Cancer Association.

“Everyone should come out and enjoy what South Louisiana has to offer,” Savoie said. “From the music to the food, we will have it in Lydia this weekend.”