The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales will march into Downtown Lafayette this Wednesday, February 5th to help Schilling Distributing celebrate its 75th Anniversary serving Acadiana.
The eight-horse hitch will be harnessed to the iconic turn-of-the-century beer wagon for an appearance and photo opportunities, including a parade that will start and end at Parc Sans Souci and roll down Jefferson Street making ceremonial beer deliveries to bars and restaurants along the way.
The hitch is expected to arrive Downtown shortly after 4pm, with the parade scheduled to start at 5pm. There will be photo opportunities while the hitch prepares for its parade on Polk Street near Parc Sans Souci, and along Jefferson Street between Lee Avenue and East Cypress Street.
Among the hitch riders will be Ragin’ Cajuns Head Softball Coach Alyson Habetz and her staff, whose season starts this Thursday at Lamson Park. Schilling Distributing and Bud Light are proud to be official sponsors of Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics.
The event is open to the public at no cost and will include a live performance by the Adam Leger Band at Parc Sans Souci while the parade is going on. Schilling Distributing will be raising money for Folds of Honor, which awards scholarships to the children and spouses of America’s fallen or disabled service-members and first responders.
The Clydesdales’ appearance in Acadiana is one of hundreds made annually by the traveling hitches. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800’s.
Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show. Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser Clydesdales are an enduring symbol of Budweiser’s heritage, tradition and commitment to quality. The hitch team’s upcoming visit to Acadiana is one of hundreds of appearances it will make in 2025, never failing to draw a crowd wherever they go.
This year marks the 91st anniversary of the Budweiser Clydesdales, which made their first appearance on behalf of Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933, when they delivered a case of Budweiser to the White House in celebration of the repeal of prohibition of beer.
