Let all your troubles fade away this week in Lafayette. Check out the Festival International this week in downtown Lafayette. Probably the best festival in Louisiana, celebrating music from all over the world. Get your Site Map below!

Festival International de Louisiane, Lafayette's annual visual and performing arts festival that celebrates the French cultural heritage of south Louisiana, starts April 21, and continues through Sunday, April 25

The free five-day festival in downtown Lafayette features six music stages, food court areas, street musicians and animators, arts and crafts boutiques, art galleries, beverage stands, cultural workshops, international and cooking demonstrations.

For more information visit http://www.festivalinternational.com

Get the 2010 SITE Map to the Festival HERE!

April 21

Scene Bacardi

• 6:30 p.m: High Performance
• 8:15 p.m.: Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band

April 22
Scene Popeyes

• 6 p.m.: Grupo Fantasma
• 7:15 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies
• 8 p.m.: Sonny Landreth
• 9:45 p.m.: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Scene Bacardi

• 6:15 p.m.: Donna the Buffalo
• 7:45 p.m.: Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba
• 9:30 p.m.: Les Breastfeeders

April 23
Scene Popeyes

• 6:15 p.m.: Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba
• 8 p.m.: La Excelencia
• 9:45 p.m.: King Sunny Adé

Scene Bacardi

• 5:45 p.m.: Taj Weekes & Adowa
• 7:30 p.m.: Radio Radio
• 9:15 p.m.: Los de Abajo

Scene TV5MONDE

• 5:30 p.m.: Donna the Buffalo
• 7:15 p.m.: Fishtank Ensemble
• 9 p.m.: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

Scene Chevron

• 6 p.m.: La Virée
• 7:45 p.m.: Feufollet
• 9:30 p.m.: Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie

April 24
Scene Popeyes

• Noon: UL Lafayette World Percussion Ensemble
• 1:45 p.m.: Chiwoniso
• 3:30 p.m.: Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs
• 5:30 p.m.: LA Regional EE Festival Winner w/ Andre Hayward
• 6:30 p.m.: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
• 8:15 p.m.: Los de Abajo
• 10:15 p.m.: Steel Pulse

Scene Bacardi

• 12:15 p.m.: Fishtank Ensemble
• 2 p.m.: Bluerunners w/ Joseph Edgar
• 4 p.m.: Henry Gray & The Cats
• 5:45 p.m.: Nation Beat
• 7:45 p.m.: Lúnasa
• 9:30 p.m.: Mucca Pazza

Scene TV5MONDE

• 11:30 a.m.: Morikeba Kouyate & the Kora Konnection
• 1 p.m.: Babik
• 2:45 p.m.: Kinobe
• 4:30 p.m.: De Temps Antan
• 6:15 p.m.: Radio Radio
• 8 p.m.: GIVERS
• 9:45 p.m.: Les Breastfeeders

Scene Chevron

• 8 a.m.: Courir du Festival 5k Run
• 9 a.m.: La Virée
• 12:15 p.m.: Louisiana Folk Roots Presents: Michael Juan Nunez & Mark Meaux
• 2 p.m.: Louisiana Folk Roots Presents: Quebec/Louisiane connection
• 3:45 p.m.: Irish Pub Stories & Songs w/ Celjun & Lúnasa
• 5:30 p.m.: Louisiana Folk Roots Presents: International Fiddle Summit
• 7:15 p.m.: BonSoir, Catin
• 9 p.m.: Zydeco Force Reunion

KADN/Fox 15 Scene des Jeunes

• 11:30 a.m.: Natasha Richard
• 1:30 p.m.: Morikeba Kouyate
• 3 p.m.: Melissa Stevenson & the Dill Pickle Band
• 4:30 p.m.: La Promenade

LUS Pavillon de Cuisine

• 1:15 p.m.: Spoken Word
• 3 p.m.: Amir Gwirtzman
• 5 p.m.: Joseph Edgar
• 6 p.m.: Spoken Word
• 7:45 p.m.: Joseph Edgar

April 25
Scene Popeyes

• Noon: Donna Angelle & the Zydeco Possé
• 1:45 p.m.: Lúnasa
• 3:45 p.m.: La Excelencia
• 5:30 p.m.: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Scene Bacardi

• Noon: Kinobe
• 1:45 p.m.: La Virée
• 3:30 p.m.: Taj Weekes & Adowa
• 5:15 p.m.: Nation Beat

Scene TV5MONDE

• 11:45 a.m.: Morikeba Kouyate & the Kora Konnection
• 1:15 p.m.: Babik
• 3 p.m.: Chiwoniso
• 5 p.m.: Mucca Pazza

Scene Chevron

• 11 a.m.: French Mass
• 12:15 p.m.: Progressive Baptist Church Gospel Choir
• 1:45 p.m.: De Temps Antan
• 3:15 p.m.: DL Menard w/ special guests
• 5 p.m.: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas

KADN/Fox 15 Scene des Jeunes

• 11:30 a.m.: Natasha Richard
• 1:30 p.m.: Morikeba Kouyate
• 3:15 p.m.: Kinobe

LUS Pavillon de Cuisine

• 1:15 p.m.: Spoken Word
• 3:15 p.m.: Joseph Edgar
• 5 p.m.: Spoken Word

Here Comes the Biggest Sales Tax You've Ever Seen

By Andrea Tantaros - FOXNews.com

The Obama administration is creating a crisis so that they can solve it with a mechanism that will serve as the catalyst for future spending on their massive government programs. And even though our president said he wouldn't raise taxes on 95% of Americans while he was on the campaign trail, get ready for the "VAT" -- a move that would raise taxes on everyone.

A new and ugly phrase has recently made its way into the vernacular in this country: the Value Added Tax or VAT tax

A VAT is a sales tax imposed on every level of a product's path from production to consumption. It already exists in Europe and many other struggling countries around the world. It's a sneaky sucker, too, since it's essentially built in ahead of time and doesn't show up on a receipt like a sales tax would. If a VAT were in place that iPad you just bought would be $600 instead of $500.

A VAT would pull in massive revenues. Just think: a 10% VAT would produce 1 trillion in revenues. Cash register sounds go off in the minds of every leftist that hears it.

Obama and the Democrats are spending SO much that they'll be forced to invoke a VAT. They are creating a crisis so that they can solve it with a mechanism that will serve as the catalyst for future spending on their massive government programs. And even though our president said he wouldn't raise taxes on 95% of Americans while he was on the campaign trail, this move would raise taxes on everyone.

Here's how it'll go down. This week, we heard former Fed Chairman Paul Volker float the VAT trial balloon just this week in a speech at the New York Historical Society, saying it was "not a toxic idea." Then, on Thursday, current Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake mentioned it in a speech -- but only after he said we are on an unsustainable course with our record high deficits.

When questioned thus far about a possible VAT for America the White House has been quiet, only mildly denying that it's an imminent option. But doesn't mean it won't be under consideration in a few months.

What Obama will say is that he is putting together a commission to find a way to pay down our country's maxed out credit card.

Expect that commission to recommend the VAT tax after the 2010 midterm elections. By then, we'll be on the verge of Greece-like catastrophe and we'll have no choice but to impose a VAT. But only one that will, coincidentally, go into effect after the 2012 presidential election.

Worse yet - a VAT tax will create a lobbyist feeding frenzy just like the sales tax did.

Right now, special interests across the country - that's everyone from insurers to car makers to potato growers to soda companies -- are wondering if they'll be exempt from the tax or included. Believe me, they'll spend millions to ensure they aren't. It'll be a special interest circus. Just watch.

The Obama administration was supposed to keep lobbyists away from government, not lure them in with their socialist revenue raising tricks.

Further, we are a nation of consumers. It's what we do best. Unlike Germany and Japan who rely largely on exports to run their economies, 70% of our economy is fueled by consumer-based spending. It would be insanity to punish American consumers with a tax that's bound to impair that beacon of growth.

This is a sobering moment. Literally and figuratively. Not only does it mark the end to every reason our ancestors left their countries to seek a better life in a free and prosperous society, the good folks in Washington will also be taxing our liquor even more leaving us with nothing to numb the pain.

Andrea Tantaros is a FoxNews.com contributor and conservative columnist. Follow her on Twitter @andreatantaros. 

As the author of H Res 615, a resolution calling on Members of Congress to enroll in the public Health Care plan, I have an important update.

Due to an overwhelming response from Americans across the country to my office, the health bill recently signed into law will indeed force members of Congress to abandon their federal health benefits and enroll in the newly created exchanges.

While we have won the first round, we may have not won the war. There is a move afoot to "fix" the language of this provision.

That's why it is important for me to communicate with you and provide you with information as it is available to me.

A great way to do this is to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/repfleming.

Please sign up today....let's be sure this provision isn't undone! www.twitter.com/repfleming

Together, we can make sure the people's voice is heard.

Sincerely,

JOHN FLEMING, M.D.
Member of Congress