Louisiana Festivals

[smurfe]

We have the Jambalaya Festival here in Gonzales the end of May every year around Memorial Day. It is a fantastic festival. I also really enjoy the Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula and the Crawfish Festival in Beau Bridge. I used to like the Oyster Festival in Amite but haven't been to it in a few years as it fell on a weekend I worked for like 5 years in a row.

Jambalaya Festival

[vonZwicky]

Originally Posted by steveo

... My favorite for a different type is Festival International de Lousianne in Lafayette April every year...

I'll second that. Festival International is the best Fest in the contiguous 48, IMOHO.

[vonZwicky]

Also, the Blackpot Festival in Lafayette (blackpotfestival.com), which happens late October / early November every year. Festivities include LOTS of good food, cook offs, live music, and onsite camping, all in beautiful Acadian Village, which is more or less a re-creation of a typical early Louisiana settlement. If I'm not mistaken, most of the buildings are indeed vintage, but most were moved to the site from other locations in the state.

[pjewell]

In Luling, we have the Alligator Festival. Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish Its a lot of fun and one of the few places to to all fried alligator or alligator hamburgers.

[jerryodom]

Germanfest in Robert's Cove was an outstanding Oktoberfest style festival. +1 on the jambalaya festival b/c it's my hometown.

[DROK]

Are there any upcoming festivals?

[vonZwicky]

Originally Posted by DROK

Are there any upcoming festivals?

Now that the Holidays are over, we are coming into the Grandaddy of all festivals- Mardi Gras! It's not just one day, but a complete "Carnival Season." It's not exclusive to New Orleans... It's region-wide. Just about every town in South Louisiana has some form of celebration for this, starting about now and leading up to Fat Tuesday (which happens to be on March 8th this year).

New Orleans does the best job of keeping the spirit alive throughout the season... but some of my best Mardi Gras day experiences have been in rural towns in Southwest Louisiana. Sign up for the Mardi Gras Run in Eunice, LA. Go chase some chickens, and bring your horse, if you have one.

[jfallin]

peach festaval in ruston

[Darkshine]

For Mardi Gras, my friends and I usually hit up Spanishtown in Baton Rouge, much safer than New Orleans in my opinion.

[79BlackPearl]

Redbud Festival for you "extreme" north Louisiana folks...about 20 minutes from the Texas line in Vivian, LA.