As 8 a.m. approached on a spring Saturday, a crowd of 70 to 80 patiently waited outside the front door of a cafe in the hamlet of Breaux Bridge in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun country. Inside, Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters were finishing their sound-check as bartenders filled cups with Bloody Mary and mimosa mixers.

As the door opened, the distinctive sounds of accordion and washboard announced that another zydeco breakfast had begun in this town along Bayou Teche.

The dance floor began to fill with the first accordion runs and was packed by the start of the second tune. Many of the dancers had begun lining up outside as early as 6:30 a.m.

Eggs, zydeco and dancing are a year-round Saturday morning tradition in Breaux Bridge, but on this particular morning in late April last year, the crowd also included a smattering of partyers from the Festival International de Louisiane in nearby Lafayette, including a group from the French-speaking Caribbean island of Martinique.