Festivals are an integral part of Louisiana culture. There is a festival for almost anything and everything. If we’re honest, I haven’t been to a ton of the festivals but I hope to visit more throughout my lifetime. I have visited some of the local ones near the places I’ve lived in the state! I will break down which festivals you should visit in each season and what part of the state they are in. Keep in mind, there are SO many that I just won’t be able to fit in this one post, so I’ll highlight some popular ones. The dates are relative and change each year, so check the state’s website for exact dates!
Spring Festivals (March- May)
State Fair of Louisiana: (April-May)
- This fair features a 4-acre zoo, carnival rides, unique fair food, live music, the LRCA rodeo finals, and more!
- Shreveport, Louisiana
Baton Rouge Oyster Festival: (May)
- Celebrate one of the things Louisiana is famous for- Oysters! The event is free and open to the public.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Lincoln Parish Park Festival: (May)
- Honestly in all the years of living in the small town of Ruston, I had no clue this was a thing! This family event features games, arts & crafts, food trucks, a corn hole tournament and is located in the beautiful Lincoln Parish Park.
- Ruston, Louisiana
Summer Festivals (June- August)
Louisiana Peach Festival: (June)
- A personal favorite which includes hours of live music, food vendors, family activities, an arts market, peach inspired treats, and much more!!
- Ruston, Louisiana
Beauregard Watermelon Festival: (June)
- Spend the weekend eating all the watermelon you can imagine! There are watermelon games for all and live Louisiana Swamp Pop music.
- DeRidder, Louisiana
Jambalaya Festival: (August)
- This is one of the local festivals in my parish (and I’ve never been???). I have tasted the award-winning, tasty jambalaya the festival association makes for the annual Christmas parades though!!
- Jambalaya is one of my favorite foods and the festival is held right in the Jambalaya capital of the world. This family-friendly festival has live music, food, cooking contests, carnival rides and more. Cooks compete for the World Title and there is so much fun, they give three days to get it all in!
- Gonzales, Louisiana (Jambalaya Capital of the World)
Delcambre Shrimp Festival: (August)
- This festival hosts a shrimp cook-off to honor one of the beloved crustaceans in Louisiana. The shrimping industry is huge part of Louisiana so it only makes sense to have a whole festival in its honor! There is food, fun, and fais-do-do (cajun dance party)!
- Delcambre, Louisiana
Fall Festivals (September- November)
Louisiana Sugarcane Festival (September)
- Another typical Louisiana festival full of food, music, and fun. This festival celebrates one of Louisiana’s most important crops: sugar cane.
- New Iberia, Louisiana
French Quarter Festival: (September-October)
- The annual French Quarter Fest is FREE! It’s the largest showcase of Louisiana food, music, and culture throughout the historic French Quarter.
- New Orleans, Louisiana
Giant Omelette Celebration: (November)
- A unique and almost unheard of festival takes place in south Louisiana. This family-friendly festival includes an art show, Cajun food, egg games, music, and more!
- Abbeville, Louisiana
Winter Festivals (December-February)
Louisiana Renaissance Festival: (November-December)
- Each year this festival welcomes visitors to the 16th century with artisans, entertainers, and educational demonstrators. This festival features handmade crafts, food, and fun!
- Hammond, Louisiana
Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights: (November-January)
- This festival, which began as a one day festival, runs for six weeks during the Christmas season. Many people from Louisiana drive to Natchitoches for the beautiful lights and to get into the Christmas season!
- Natchitoches, Louisiana
Festival of the Bonfires: (December)
- In a small town, about 40 minutes from New Orleans (but also 30 minutes from where I’m from), there is a tradition that came from Cajun settlers and is still around today- the lighting of massive bonfires along the Mississippi River levee. There is great food, live entertainment, and much more!
- Lutcher, Louisiana
Which festival would you want to go too? After making this list I am wanting to make visiting more festivals in Louisiana a priority!! The culture in Louisiana is one of my favorites, its so authentic and different from anything around it.