2025 Fall Festival Guide

It might be scorching hot right now, impeding your desire to do any outside activity besides swimming. Autumn days and nights will begin with a promise of slightly lower temperatures and humidity. Take the opportunity to attend one or a few famous Louisiana festivals. There is a festival for every interest, with some really great ones right here in SWLA. 

Highland Jazz and Blues Festival – Sept. 13, Shreveport

A free funky “party in the park” featuring local and national jazz and blues artists. Highland is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Shreveport. highlandjazzandblues.org 

Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival – Sept. 19-20

The festival celebrates the famous Natchitoches meat pie with a variety of homemade pies, musical entertainment, meat pie eating contest, a Cane River Run (hosted by the Independent Motorcycle Riders of Natchitoches), kids’ activities and a brew fest. meatpiefestival.com 

Alligator Festival – Sept. 25-28, Luling

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish, this festival raises funds for college scholarships. Enjoy the usual rides, music, arts and crafts, and, of course, food, including alligator cooked in more ways than you can imagine.  alligatorfestival.org  

Louisiana Sugarcane Festival – Sept. 25-28, New Iberia

Celebrate the Louisiana sugar cane industry with parades, carnival, live Cajun and Zydeco music, car show, sugar cookery and art displays. 

facebook.com/LouisianaSugarCaneFestival 

Red River Revel Arts Festival – Sept. 25-28 and Oct. 2-5, Shreveport

Features over 80 artists utilizing various mediums, music of every genre, a children’s area and food, such as funnel cakes and seafood macaroni, in downtown Shreveport. redriverrevel.com  

Gretna Heritage Festival – Oct. 3-5  

This music-intensive festival covers 20 city blocks and supports businesses and organizations within the city. Entertainers include Sam Hunt, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave., Collective Soul and more. Explore the Italian Village, relax at The Club Backstage, drink some German beer, and shop the arts and crafts area.  gretnafest.com.  

Louisiana Cotton Festival – Oct. 8-12, Ville Platte

In Evangeline Parish, cotton dots the fields, and the community celebrates their crop with the annual festival.  louisianacottonfestival.com   

Zwolle Tamale Fiesta – Oct. 9-11

The town of Zwolle celebrates its rich Spanish and Indian heritage with a three-day fiesta. The featured festival food—hot tamales, of course! Eat them or enter the tamale making contest.  zwolletamalefiesta.com  

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles – Oct. 10-12, Lafayette

Celebrates all things Cajun—the history, the music, the food, the language . . . enjoy a fais-do-do, the official cutting of the boudin, arts and crafts, and more. This free festival is held in Girard Park and includes live bands, along with two dozen food vendors in the Bayou Food Festival and artists at the Louisiana Craft Fair. festivalsacadiens.com 

Crowley International Rice Festival  – Oct. 16-19

Festival goers can participate in activities such as the classic car show, the Crowley High 5k run/walk and a fiddle and accordion contest. The Rice Festival Queen’s contest, the rice eating contest and a frog derby are always must-see events.  The festival has two parades during the weekend. The Children’s Parade is featured on Friday afternoon and the Grand Parade takes the streets on Saturday afternoon. ricefestival.com  

Boucherie & Balloon Fest – Oct. 17-19, Sorrento

Sponsored by the Sorrento Lions Club, enjoy hot air balloons, jambalaya and cracklin’ cook-offs, live music and shopping from local vendors. boucheriefestival.com 

Andouille Festival – Oct. 17-19, LaPlace

Pass a good time and celebrate this traditional Louisiana sausage. This year’s festival will include the 50th annual Andouille Run/Walk, a second line parade and music. andouillefestival.com  

Rougarou Festival – Oct. 17-19, Houma

Only in Louisiana will you find a festival dedicated to this monstrous mythical legend. During the Krewe Ga Rou parade, you’ll see zombies, witches, ghouls and a Rougarou Time Warp dance. Dress up in your scariest attire, join the parade, enter the Costume Contest and pardon a nutria. rougaroufest.org  

Ragley Heritage and Timber Festival – Oct. 18

Includes presentations on history, pioneers, the formation of the town and founding families. explorelouisiana.com/events/culinary-events/ragley-heritage-timber-festival 

Wooden Boat Festival

Oct. 18-19, Madisonville

Hosted by The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, you’ll see a wide variety of classic wooden boats. A pre-festival gala, Maritime Mania, is held at the museum on the Friday before the festival. On festival days enjoy a boat-building contest, arts and crafts, live entertainment at the Water Street riverfront stage and the Children’s Village at Madisonville Ball Park, 1007 Pine St. woodenboatfest.org 

Thibodeauxville Fall Fest – Nov. 8

The Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce sponsors this annual event. Experience arts and crafts, music, a car show and fabulous food.  Enjoy a Louisiana inspired cook-off and a duck race where hundreds of yellow rubber ducks float down Bayou Lafourche. facebook.com/thibodeauxville 

St. Francisville Food & Wine Festival – Nov. 8-9

The annual St. Francisville Food & Wine Festival is a weekend-long celebration of the culinary culture of Louisiana and Mississippi. Featuring acclaimed chefs, creative wine pairings, cocktail and spirit tastings, craft beer and live entertainment in one of Louisiana’s most beautiful and historic small towns. Enjoy a jazz brunch at the St. Francisville Inn, a winemaker dinner at the Magnolia Café, a champagne and BBQ event in historic downtown and a grand tasting at the Myrtles. stfrancisvillefoodandwine.com 

Port Barre Cracklin Fest – Nov. 13-16

This Lion’s Club fundraiser provides all the usual festival events—pageantry, a parade, carnival rides and games, food, music and a cracklin cook-off. There are professional and amateur categories and prizes for both taste and booth presentation. cracklinfest.com  

Beignet Fest – Nov. 15, New Orleans

Enjoy a variety of beignets including sweet and savory, classic powdered sugar, and seafood and cheese. There will be musical performances, a beer garden, an art market and a kid’s village. Proceeds benefit nonprofits dedicated to helping children with autism. neworleans.com/event/beignet-fest/3203

Oak Street Po-boy Festival – Nov. 16, New Orleans

Celebrate Louisiana’s favorite sandwich at this annual Po-boy festival. There will be food and beverage vendors, multiple stages with live music, an art market, and a po-boy competition. poboyfest.com  

Natchitoches Christmas Festival – Nov. 23

The city hosts a day-long celebration with food, music, fireworks, and the unveiling of over 300,000 lights that adorn darling downtown Natchitoches. Lights are on display through Jan. 6. natchitocheschristmas.com

Louisiana Renaissance Fest – Nov.-Dec., Hammond

This medieval festival takes place every weekend in November and the first weekend in December. A festival, theme park, theatre, holiday shopping destination and educational experience are all rolled into one great adventure. Offers 600 artisans, entertainers and educational demonstrations. renfest.net

Gumbo Festivals:  

Louisiana Gumbo Festival of Chackbay – Oct. 10-12

Nearly 500 gallons of gumbo is made over the course of the festival. There will also be live music, a parade and amusement park rides. lagumbofest.org  

World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off – Oct. 11-12, New Iberia

Experience the “power of roux” at this 35th annual event hosted by the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce. Gumbo will be separated by categories—amateur chicken and sausage, amateur seafood, amateur Mélange, professional seafood and professional non-seafood. iberiachamber.org/gumbo-cookoff

Local Festivals:  

White Linen Night: A Downtown Gallery Promenade – Sept. 6, 5:00-9:00 p.m., Lake Charles

A collaboration between the City of Lake Charles and the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA, enjoy an elegant evening of art, music and mingling in downtown Lake Charles. Slip into your freshest white linen and promenade through local galleries, sip a cocktail, shop unique works by regional artists and soak in the charm of downtown—glowing after dark. 

Cal-Cam Fair – Sept. 4-7, 401 Arena Road, Sulphur

Four days of pure festival fun. This is one of the few remaining “Old Time Country Fairs” in the state, where almost anything baked, grown, or crafted can be entered, judged and awarded prizes. You’ll also find a livestock show, carnival rides, a beauty pageant, musical entertainment and wildlife exhibits. calcamfair.org 

South Coast Book Festival – Sept. 13, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.,

Lake Charles Event Center, 900 Lakeshore Dr.

Formerly the Southwest Louisiana Family Book Festival, the South Coast Book Festival will present an author market space, workshops, kid’s zone, and more. literarcyswla.org 

LA Food and Wine Festival – Sept. 18-21, Lake Charles

The Louisiana Food & Wine Festival is a culinary and beverage celebration, presented by SOWELA and hosted by Visit Lake Charles. The festival is a showcase of culinary, beverage, and musical talent that highlights Louisiana’s unique culture and heritage, celebrity guest chefs, local chefs, celebrity winemakers/proprietors, artisans, farmers, musicians, local craft spirits and beers, along with renowned wine, spirits and beer brands from around the world. Louisianafoodandwinefestival.com 

First International Culture Festival – Sept. 20, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Lake Charles Event Center 

Enjoy international cuisine, live music, traditional dances from around the work, cultural workshop and activities, and meet people from different cultures. Internationalclubswla.com 

Lake Charles Film Festival – Oct. 4, Brimstone Museum Annex, 900 S. Huntington St., Sulphur

The Lake Charles Film Festival offers a weekend of food, music, independent film screenings, an award ceremony for top films and scripts in various categories, seminars, premieres and networking.   

Rouge et Blanc – Oct. 11, 4:00-7:00 p.m, McNeese State University, 4205 Ryan St. 

Rouge et Blanc is an event series and celebration of food and wine hosted annually by Banners at McNeese State University. This event is the flagship fundraiser for Banners, an arts and cultural program that serves the five-parish area in Southwest Louisiana. Many wine experts and renowned area chefs volunteer to share their expertise with attendees. banners.org  

Chuck Fest Lake Charles – Oct. 18, noon–11:15 p.m

This annual event celebrates the culture of SWLA through food, drink, music and art in downtown Lake Charles. chuckfest.org 

Mistletoe & Moss – Nov. 14-16, Lake Charles Event Center

The Junior League of Lake Charles hosts Mistletoe and Moss holiday market annually. It is a one-stop shop for getting your Christmas shopping done.  jllc.net/mistletoe-moss 

Flea Fest

Nov. 15-16, Burton Coliseum, 7001 Gulf Hwy.

 This big happy flea market event is held on nearly four covered acres at Burton Coliseum. With over 300 vendors, it’s a bargain hunter’s dream. Antiques, toys, handcrafted items, furniture, jewelry . . . you never know what you’ll find! Food vendors and a petting zoo also onsite.  

Smoke & Barrel – Nov. 22, 1:00–5:00 p.m., Calcasieu Parish Courthouse Lawn, 1000 Ryan St. Lake Charles

 The annual Smoke & Barrel celebration will have two distinct admission areas and feature live musical entertainment. The ticketed VIP area hosts a tasting with over 150 bourbons, scotches and whiskeys and a BBQ tasting featuring creative dishes from some of the top pit-masters in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas. The general admission area offers BBQ for sale along with batched whiskey cocktails and other beverages for purchase. An amateur BBQ competition will add to the excitement of the day. smokeandbarrel.org