The sights and sounds of Festival International are very unique to Lafayette. It’s a week that changes the feel of the city.

“The energy and the vibe during festival is incredible can start feeling in on Tuesday.” said Ben Berthelot, president and CEO Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission.

About 48 percent of the sales come from outside of Lafayette Parish, so this festival depends heavily on tourist attendance.

“Hotels fill up and so do restaurants. It’s a trickle down effect. We get good feedback from business owners,” said Scott Feehan, executive director of Festival International.

Festival International is one of the biggest festivals for Lafayette when it comes to economic impact and it bring a lot of people to the Hub City. This festival costs money to put on, officials said.

“It’s important that people continue to support it so it can continue to be a free event,” said Berthelot.

Feehan says the goal of Festival International goes back to what the original founders wanted.

“Goal is not to make this a big pop festival. We have to stay relevant for the community. It has to be sustainable,” he said.