Festivals by Month
This list includes many but not all
festivals*
Please remember to check the date time and place of the festival before traveling
LA Fest assumes no responsibility for any changes made to festival dates or any
inconvenience caused
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January
Battle of New Orleans Celebration - 8th-10th - Chalmette. Chalmette National Historical Park. (504)589-4428
Creole Heritage Day - 23rd - Natchitoches. Theme: Celebrating our French Heritage. History, music, the arts and cuisine celebrate the Creole culture. St. Augustine Catholic Church, La. Hwy. 493, across the river from Melrose Plantation (318) 352-2123Krewe of Bilge Mardi Gras Boat Parade - 30th - Slidell. Oak Harbor Marina. (800)634-9443
LA Fur & Wildlife Festival 7th-9th - Cameron. (318)775-7393
February
Boudin & Cracklin Festival - 6th-7th - Carencro. Fairgrounds. (318)896-3378
La Grande Boucherie - 14th - St Martinville. (318)394-1914 Butchering of the hog, food,
live music, family games
Lundi Gras 15th
Mardi Gras 16thTee Mamou-Iota Mardi Gras Folklife Festival - 16th - Iota. French/English event, Cajun/Zydeco music, dancing, Cajun food, crafts.
March
Antiques Festival 26th-28th - Jackson. Downtown. (225)634-7155
Black Heritage Festival of LA (New Orleans) 6th-7th Celebrating contributions of African-Americans to Louisiana culture. Simultaneous events at the Audubon Zoo, New Orleans Museum of Art and the Louisiana State Museum (504) 827-0112
Black Heritage Festival (Lake Charles) 20th-21st Culture, education and entertainment for the family (318)497-0026
Eunice World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-off - 28th ~ 100 teams competing at the Northwest Community Center Pavilion. French-speaking translators available. (318) 457-7389 (800) 222-2342
Festival du Courtableau 20th-21st - Washington. Downtown. Stories, food, music & flower show. (318)826-3626
Los Islenos Festival - 20th-21st - St. Bernard. Celebrates St. Bernard Parish 1700s settlers from Canary Islands with crafts, food, Islenos' music (504) 682-2713
LA Crawfish Festival - 25th-28th - Chalmette. Food, games, rides, music & live entertainment at the St. Bernard Civic Center. (504) 271-3836
LA Nursery Festival 19th-21st - Forest Hill. Downtown. (318)748-6642
Louisiana Sportsman's Festival - 13th - St. Joseph. Held to promote hunting and fishing, etc. in Sportsman's Paradise (Northeast Louisiana) (318) 766-3709
Oak Alley Plantation Spring Arts & Crafts Festival - 20th-21st - Vacherie. >140 artists and craftspeople, food and entertainment. Hwy. 18. (225) 265-2151 (800) 442-5539
Oyster Festival 19th-21st - Amite. Tangipahoa Parish Fairgrounds. Food, entertainment, rides, oyster shucking & eating contests, parade. (504)748-5161Plantation Day 6th - Baton Rouge. Daily life at Magnolia Mound Plantation. (225)343-4955
Rabbit Festival - 19th-21st - Iowa. Rabbit dishes and Cajun French bands (318) 382-3535
Tennessee Williams Literary Festival 24th-28th - New Orleans. (504)581-1144
April
Blessing of the Fleet 18th Chauvin. Religious celebration begins the shrimp season. (504) 594-5859
Cajun Food & Fun Festival - 25th-26th - Welsh. Cajun food, fun and games on the grounds of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church. (318) 734-3446
Catfish Festival - 10th - Winnsboro, Franklin Parish. >300 booths, 4 entertainment stages, French storytelling, art show, antique car show, Cajun music. (318) 435-7607Celebration of Herbs & Gardens - 24th - Sunset. Features vendors with herbal & garden products, speakers, children's activities. Admission & parking free.
CFMA Cajun Music Festival - 18th - Eunice. Cajun music, traditions and food. Northwest Pavilion, Samuel Dr. (318) 457-3543
Etouffee Festival - 16th-18th - Arnaudville. French guided tours, carnival, Cajun food, music, arts and crafts. (318) 754-5912
French Quarter Festival - 9th-11th -New Orleans. Free. Celebrating the food and music of New Orleans: 13 stages in the French Quarter, "world's largest jazz brunch", fireworks over the Mississippi River, patio tours, children's activities. (504) 522-5730
Festival International - 20th-25th - Lafayette. Free. Largest Francophone celebration in U.S. Celebrating southern Louisiana and French speaking cultural cousins around the world...music, art, theatre, dance, cinema and cuisine. (318) 232-8086
Italian Festival - 23rd-25th - Independence. Celebrating Italian heritage and culture.. food, entertainment and fun, parade on the 24th at 10am. (225) 878-1902
Jazz/Rhythm & Blues Festival - 3rd - Natchitoches. Theme: Salute to the Saxophone, created by a Frenchman. Music on 4 stages at Cane River Lake, downtown Natchitoches. $5 admission, under 12 free. (318) 352-4559 (800) 259-1714
Magnolia Mound Market Days Festival - 10th-11th Baton Rouge. Theme: "Our French Colonial Heritage" Portrays the lifestyle of a French planter in Colonial Louisiana. Cooking demonstrations, music and dance. (225) 343-4955
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - 23rd-25th World renowned celebration of New Orleans jazz. (504) 522-4786
Poke Salot Festival - 16th-17th - Oak Grove, West Carroll. Named in honor of Tony Jo White who wrote and recorded "Poke Salad Annie" and "Rainy Night in Georgia" Poke salad cook-off, food, music, parade and 5k run. (318) 428-2161
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival 9th-11th Held in downtown Ponchatoula, "America's Antique City" Food, music, arts & crafts, fun. (800) 542-7520Thibodaux Firemen's Fair 29th - May 2nd - Thibodaux. Thibodaux Fireman's Fair Grounds, Tiger Dr. Food, drinks, rides, games, live music, parade on Sunday. (504) 446-FAIR
May
Annual Poke Salad Festival 7th-8th - Blanchard. Parade, carnival, food, crafts, games, children's activities. (318)929-8219
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival April 30th-May 2nd Cajun cooking demonstrations, food, Cajun & Zydeco music, Cajun dance contest. (318) 332-6655
Cochon de Lait Festival 6th-8th - Mansura. Roasted pig, food, contest, live music, street dancing, arts & crafts, children's games. (318)964-2887
Contraband Days - April 27th-May 2nd & 6th-9th -Lake Charles. French pirate Jean Lafitte and buccaneers "take over" city and proclaim fun for 13 days >100 events. (318) 436-5508
Fest For All 15th-16th - Baton Rouge. Bloomfest, celebration of the arts and flora of LA, food, music, more. (225)383-1825; (800) LA ROUGE
Great LA Gumbo Cook-off Festival 1st- Oakdale. Featuring 40 great seafood & chicken gumbos. (318)335-1556
Jambalaya Festival 28th-30th - Sorrento. Food, live music, stage shows, arts & crafts, 40 cooks compete for title of "World Jambalaya Cooking Champion." (225)622-1998; (225)647-9556
Marion Mayhaw Festival 7th-8th - Marion. Street dance, crafts, food, quilt show. (318)292-4715
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival April 29th-May 2nd. Two weekends of music: Cajun, Zydeco, rock & roll, jazz, gospel; 70 food booths. (504)522-4786
Tomato Festival 1st-3rd - Chalmette. Food, live entertainment, music, rides, games. (504)271-2953
June
Cajun Music Festival 5th-6th - Mamou. Traditional Cajun music, Queen's contest for 65 and older, competitions. (318)599-2339Centennial Celebration 26th - Grand Cane. 10 am to 10 pm. Booths, crafts, games, contests, drama presentation & fireworks. (318)675-7016
Church Point Buggy Festival 4th-6th - Church Point. Buggy & horse-drawn carriage parade, Cajun dancing, food, promoting Cajun French music-- accordion contest, children's French-speaking contest. (318)684-2739
Gheens Bon Mange Festival 4th-6th - Gheens. Food, live entertainment, rides, pageants. (504)532-6755
Juneteenth Celebrations 19th - Opelousas-- Celebrating African-American culture and history (318)948-9884. 20th - Donaldsonville-- Cultural programs, food, fun, entertainment (225)473-4814; (225)473-9630
Kentwood Dairy Festival 5th Showing French influence on community and dairy industry, talent contest, Queen's Pageant. (225)229-6400
LA Blueberry Festival 26th - Mansfield. Street dance, pancake breakfast, crafts, parade, rides, & music (318)872-1310
LA Corn Festival 11th-13th - Bunkie. Live music, street dancing, food, corn cooking, shucking & eating, contests, rides. (318)346-2575
LA Peach Festival 1st-14th - Ruston. Celebrating the peach harvest, peach cookery contest, street dances, parade, arts & crafts, rodeo, mountain bike races. (318)255-2031
Le Festival de la Viande Boucanee 29th-31st - Ville Platte. Smoked meat festival, working smokehouse, celebrity chefs culinary demonstrations, world championship cook-off, local artisans. (318)363-6700
Melrose Arts & Crafts Festival 12th-13th - Melrose Plantation. 150 exhibitors: handcrafted items, baskets, pottery, dolls, toys, more. (318)352-8072; (800)259-1714
July
CFMA Cajun Music & Food Festival - 17th-18th -Lake Charles. Sponsored by the Cajun French Music Association of Louisiana Lake Charles Chapter to promote and preserve Cajun music and culture. Continuous live Cajun music, Cajun food, music and dance contests, arts and crafts and a Cajun French Mass. (800)456-7952
LA Catfish Festival 11th-12th - Des Allemands. St Gertrude Catholic Church grounds, LA 631 Games, rides continuous live entertainment, 5k race, catfish dishes, cooking & eating contest. Free (504)758-7542
Watermelon Festival 30th-31st - Farmerville. downtown Farmerville, Bienville Trace Scenic Byway, LA Hwy 2 Parade, street dance, pageant, treasure hunt, food, music, family fun, watermelon auction, eating contest, seed-spitting, French cooking, more (318)368-3390 (318)368-3947
Watermelon Festival (Franklinton 9th-11th) (504)839-7855 Features Washington Parish melons, games, contests, food & crafts
August
Delcambre Shrimp Festival 19th-22nd -Delcambre. corner, Main & Richard Sts A Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event - Shrimp boats docked & decorated to honor the Shrimp Festival, food, rides, Royalty Contest, fais-do-do (street dance) shrimp cookoff, water fights, Fisherman's Mass & Blessing of the Boats (318)685-2653
Gueydan Duck Festival 26th-29th - Gueydan. LA 14, east of town Live entertainment, carnival, duck & goose calling, dog trials, cooking contest, parade, pageant, skeet shoot & carving contest (318)536-9328Jean Lafitte Seafood Festival 2nd-3rd - Lafitte. Seafood, entertainment, exhibits. (504)689-2208
St Helena Forest Festival 23rd - Greensburg. Celebrates the local forest industry (225)229-7525
South Lafourche Seafood Festival 6th-8th - Galliano. Food, entertainment, rides, pageants, dance contest & hot pepper eating contest. (504)632-4633
September
Bayou Blues & Zydeco Festival 12th - Lake Charles. Burton Coliseum- McNeese State University Music, food & dancing Zydeco music sung in French & English, heritage stage for interviews with musicians & craftspeople (318)475-5123 (800)456-7952
Cajun Heritage and Folklife Festival 11th-12th - Cut Off. Cut Off Youth Center, W 79th St. LA state waterfowl carving & miniature-boat building championship competitions, Cajun food, crafts (504)537-5444
Celtic Nations Festival 18th-19th - New Orleans. Marconi Meadow in City Park To promote celtic culture in LA - Pipe bands, musicians, dancers, athletes, celtic canines, food, crafts (504)529-1391Creole Zydeco Festival 5th - St. Martinville. Adam Carlson Memorial Park held under a large pavillion. Live zydeco music, dancing, creole food, arts & crafts, and games for children. (318)394-4635
Festival Acadiens 17th-19th - Lafayette. Celebrates everything Cajun - authentic Cajun & Creole food, music, crafts (800)543-5340 (Canada) (800)346-1958 (US)
Good Ole Days Festival 18th - Marthaville. Local cuisine, entertainment, arts & crafts, historic exhibits of early Marthaville (318)929-2077
LA Chicken Festival 24th-25th - Dubach. Food, contests, T-shirts, native crafts, music, bilingual signs, menus & schedules (318)777-3321
LA Sugar Cane Festival 23rd-26th - New Iberia. Free - to commemorate Louisiana sugar cane industry - carnival rides, art, flower & photography shows, Queen Sugar coronation, royalty parade, fais-do-do, boat parade, fireworks, children's parade, junior livestock auction (318)369-9323
LA Folklife Festival 11th-12th - Monroe. A festival of Louisiana's culture, heritage & music
5 entertainment stages, craft demonstrations, food (318)329-2375
LA Shrimp Festival 17th-19th - Meraux. Archbishop Hannan High School, 2501 Archbishop Hannan Blvd. (504)279-1921 family-style festival, live entertainment, games, rides, shrimp dishes
LA Shrimp & Petroleum Festival 2nd-6th - Morgan City. The state's oldest chartered harvest festival - live Cajun & Zyde-cajun music, Cajun food, shrimp cookoff, arts & crafts, fireworks on the river, & Blessing of the Fleet (504)385-0703
Rayne Frog Festival 3rd-5th - Rayne. Food & activities. (318)783-075
Red River Rally 3rd-6th - Shreveport. (318)227-2559 Louisiana's largest hot air balloon rally Features an appearance of a replica of the first manned hot air balloon, built by Frenchmen Joseph & Etienne Montgolfier, hot air balloon races, aerobatic airshow, carnival & family fun festival, music, food, entertainment
Southwest LA Zydeco Music Festival 4th - Plaisance. Hwy. 167 (318)942-2392 17th Annual Festival
Wooden Boat Festival 25th-26th - Madisonville. Largest gathering of watercraft in the South -historic, antique, classic, contemporary, wooden, sail, rowing & steam water craft, kid's workshop, Marine Flea Market, live entertainment, cooking (504)845-9200
October
Boucherie Festival 8th-10th - Sorrento. Cracklin' Cooking World Champion contest, parade, rides, pageant, dancing & Cajun food. (225)647-9966
French Food Festival 29th-31st - Larose. (504)693-7355 Under 200-ft tent--20 local specialty dishes, live music, dancing, cooking, boat building demonstrations, midway rides, Cajun dance contest
Gumbo Festival 9th-10th - Bridge City. (504)436-4712 Salutes French heritage - Gumbo cooking contest, 5k run, live cajun, country, zydeco, jazz, blues, & rock music, games, rides, fais-do-do
LA Cattle Festival 1st-3rd - Abbeville. (318)893-6328 51st Louisiana Cattle Festival Cajun French music band competition, French storytelling contest, entertainment
LA Cotton Festival 6th-10th - Ville Platte. (318)363-2193 authentic Acadian-French music, street dance, carnival, food, & ancient game of Le Tournoi, French signs & music
LA Yambilee 27th-31st - Opelousas. (800)210-5298 (318)948-8848 One of the state's oldest festivals, Tony Chachere was instrumental in starting this festival in 1946
Oyster Festival 16th-17th - Violet. (504)277-1827 rides, food, live entertainment, music & games
Rice Festival 15th-16th - Crowley. (318)783-3747 entertainment, dances, parades, live stock show, cooking contest
St John Parish Andouille Festival 29th-31st - LaPlace. (225)652-9569 French/Cajun food, music, costumes, can-can dancers, rides, crafts & pageants
St Martinville Pepper Festival 17th - St. Martinville (318)394-6397 Music, food, Acadian crafts, hot peppers
Zydeco & Blues Festival 2nd-3rd - Mamou. (318)468-2370 Blues, zydeco music, turtle, alligator Creole dishes, family fun, French signs
November
Cracklin' Festival 11th-14th - Port Barre. (318)585-6251 14th annual Cracklin' festival Parade, rides, music, cracklin' cooking, craftsDestrahan Plantation Fall Festival 13th-14th - Destrehan. (504)764-9315 Arts & crafts, music, dancing, Cajun/Creole food, antique village in authentic mule barn, plantation house tours
Donaldsonville Sunshine Festival 5th-7th - Donaldsonville. (225)473-4814 Family fun, midway games, rides, food, crafts, live music, dance teams, beauty pageant, seafood cookoff, political hot & spicy cookoff with local politicians participating
Fall Harvest Festival 26th - Oakdale. (318)335-1729 Hayride under the Lights
Louisiana Gumbo Festival 6th - Ville Platte. (318)363-5010 Gumbo cookoff, arts & crafts, Cajun concert with LA artists, dancing
LA Pecan Festival 5th-7th - Colfax. (318)627-5196 Established in 1969 to promote the growth of the pecan industry in Grant Parish & LA - Arts & crafts, food, live music, children's day, parade & hot air ballooning
LA Swine Festival 5th-7th - Basile. (318)432-5251 Queen & King contest, Cajun food, live bands, dancing
Le Festival du Vin Nouveau 18th - New Orleans. (504)526-2062 Wine & food tasting extravaganza - New Beaujolais wines from France, specialties prepared by 15 noted New Orleans chefs, silent auction of rare wines, weekend getaways, exotic escapes, dining delights, furs, art, antiques, other items
December
7th Annual Christmas Festival of Lights & Parade 11th - Homer. (318)927-9675
Corney Creek Country Christmas Festival 3rd - Bernice. (318)285-9071 (318)285-9333 Parade, music, carols, pictures with Santa, food, sidewalk sales, decorating contest, tree lighting, French brochures
Festival of the Bonfires 10th-12th - Lutcher. (225)869-4303 (800)367-7856 Food, crafts, Cajun music, jambalaya cookoffs, Christmas tree forest, one bonfire lit each night at 7pm
Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights 4th - Natchitoches. (318)352-6894 (800)259-1714 Fun run/walk, parade, food, entertainment, arts & crafts, fireworks over the river at dusk, official turning on of Christmas lights
St Lucy Festival of Lights 13th - St. Martinville. (318)394-4229 food, crafts, boat parades, choir singers, Santa, live nativity, lighting of the holiday lightsMadewood Christmas Heritage Festival 11th - Napoleonville. Madewood Antebellum Plantation (225)369-7151
*Source: Louisiana Office of Tourism
