Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival
Sept. 24 – 28 | Various Locations | hisugar.org
Check out this year’s 73rd annual Sugar Cane Festival. The festival celebrates the contributions of the sugar industry in 23 sugar producing parishes with ceremonies, parties, parades, royalty, exhibits, dancing in the streets, and a 5k run.
Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival
Sept. 26 – 27 | Cassidy Park | bogalusablues.com
Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival is here yet again to maintain and support the blues and the gumbo of music that is their heritage. Enjoy a diverse lineup of musical guest, a family-friendly environment, heritage education, and delicious Louisiana food.
Deutsches Haus Oktoberfest
Sept. 26 – Oct. 31 | Deutsches Haus | deutscheshaus.org
From the last weekend of September to every weekend during October, you can enjoy a piece of Germany in the heart of New Orleans. Oktoberfest celebrates with live music, traditional German folk dancing, cold German beer and a parade.
Great Southern Fall Bluegrass Festival
Sept. 26 – 27 | Great Southern RV Park |greatsouthernbluegrassevent.com
It’s back again; the Great Southern Fall Bluegrass Festival is ready to entertain. The festival features bluegrass acts including Bluegrass Martins, Leipers Fork, Driscoll Mountain Boys, and more.
West Louisiana Forestry Festival and Fair
Sept. 27 – Oct. 5 | Vernon Parish Fairgrounds
facebook.com/forestryfestival
Browse through it all and the agricultural entries that were made/grown by Vernon Parish residents within the past year at this 108th annual festival. A variety of food favorites will be available at food booths sponsored by local civic organizations.
Tangipahoa Parish Fair
Oct. 1 – 5 | Tangipahoa Fair Grounds
louisianatravel.com/la-events/tangipahoa-parish-fair
Celebrate the oldest fair in the state of Louisiana with the culture of Tangipahoa including carnival rides, live music, dance competitions and a parade. As an added bonus there will be a livestock show, beauty pageant and gumbo cook-off.
Gretna Heritage Festival
Oct. 3 – 5 | Downtown Gretna | gretnafest.com
A festival that truly has everything! Enjoy carnival rides and games, authentic Italian food and drinks, German beer garden, 150 dishes from over a dozen vendors, and over 75 local and international acts.
Robeline Heritage Festival
Oct. 3 – 4 | El Camino Real, Highway 6 | robelineheritage.org
The 23rd annual festival will feature food, arts and crafts, a hayride, wiener roast and games. Not to mention gospel and live performances from The Bowlings & The Dunaways, Shake, Rattle, & Roll, and Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs.
Tour du Teche
Oct. 3 – 5 | Port Barre public boat launch | tourduteche.com
Join the fifth annual race for canoes, kayaks and pirogues that stretch 135 miles from Port Barre to Berwick. The Tour Du Teche is waiting for you to race at this fun filled event.
Blues in Da Parish
Oct. 4 | Docville Farm, St. Bernard | bluesparish.com
Come out and join the in 2nd annual Blues in Da Parish festival. Enjoy free and wonderful evening of music, food and fun featuring seven nonstop hours of Louisiana’s best blues musicians.
Angola Rodeo
Oct. 5 (every Sunday in October | Angola | angolarodeo.com
The longest running prison rodeo in the nation provides a professional production that proves beneficial to the internal inmate economy. Join this event as it awards the prison population at Louisiana State Penitentiary with an opportunity for positive behavior changes.
Sugar Fest
Oct. 5 | West Baton Rouge Museum
westbatonrougemuseum.com
The 19th annual festival honors the sugar cane reaping with live Louisiana music, food, craft demonstrations, sugar grinding, wagon rides, a petting zoo, sweets cooking contests and much more. Come out and be a part of a one of kind festival.
Que Pasa Fest
Oct. 7 – 11 | Greater New Orleans various locations quepasafest.com
Join in the Hispanic Heritage month and celebration with six days of food, dancing, and music performances from Amanda Shaw, Ashe Son, Patrice Fisher & Arpa, Henry Diggins, and many more.
Atchafalaya Catfish Festival
Oct. 9 – 11 | Melville Civic Center Grounds
Catfish: fried, grilled, blackened, and more is the headliner of the 12th annual festival. Enjoy three days of live music, food, carnival rides and a parade downtown at 10 a.m.
Bucktown Seafood Festival
Oct. 10 – 12 | St. Louis King of France School | slkfschool.com
This festival will feature live bands, class performances from the St. Louis King of France School, rides and, the main attraction – seafood. Enjoy all the excitement and entertainment from The Topcats, The Bucktown All-Stars, Groovy 7.
Festivals Acadiens et Creoles
Oct. 10 – 12 | Girard Park, Lafayette festivalsacadiensetcreoles.com
This annual festival pays homage to south Louisiana cultures with 5 stages of live Cajun and zydeco music, original cuisine, cooking demonstrations, Louisiana crafts and kids’ activities.
Louisiana Seafood Festival
Oct.10 – 12 | City Park Festival Grounds louisianaseafoodfestival.com
This weekend features a free, family-friendly event of live entertainment, celebrity chef cooking presentations, local arts and crafts and world-renowned cuisine from head New Orleans restaurants and caterers.
Wooden Boat Festival
Oct.10 – 12 | Tchefuncte River, Madisonville | woodenboatfest.org
Join the Wooden Boat Festival in its 25th year of celebrating wooden and classic boats. Featuring LA seafood, live music, a Children’s Village, and a beer garden, every family member is sure to have a good time.
World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off
Oct.10 – 12 | Main Street, Iberia Parish
iberiachamber.org/gumbo-cookoff
Food and live music will kick off the 25th annual Iberia gumbo competition, but the cook-off itself takes place on Sunday starting at 6:00 a.m. Witness the crowning of a new gumbo champion.
Gentilly Fest
Oct. 10 – 12 | Pontchartrain Park Playground | gentillyfest.com
Gentilly Fest honors all things “Gentilly,” with heavenly food and live music from a mixture of local restaurants and caterers, fine arts and crafts for sale. Come out and bring the kids for face painting, pony rides and so much more.
11th Annual Voice of the Wetlands (VOW) Festival
Oct. 10 – 12 | Southdown Plantation, 1208 Museum Drive, Houma | voiceofthewetlands.org
This festival embodiess the traditions of the bayou community fairs – a weekend long celebration with the perfect mix of music, food, and dance. It provides a remarkable social atmosphere that serves to save the history, culture and geography of a unique American place.
World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off
Oct. 10 – 12 | 100 W. Main Street, New Iberia |
iberiachamber.org/gumbo-cookoff
Enjoy the kickoff weekend as you listen to bands all day; indulge in downtown shopping deals, museum tours and forty-plus food booths. Sunday’s full attention goes to the gumbo! Ninety or more teams will be competing for bragging rights to the best gumbo in the world.
Fall for Art
Oct. 11 | Downtown Covington | sttammanyartassociation.org
Come out and see as more than 40 galleries present works by local artists in this street festival, which includes live music, kids’ activities, food and more.
Fall Garden Show
Oct. 11 – 12 | New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Park neworleanscitypark.com/botanical-garden
The Fall Garden Show invites everyone to explore horticultural exhibits and enjoy educational classes and family-friendly activities. The festival includes plant and garden product sales, the Children’s Discovery Zone, Art Market, and live music.
Japan Fest
Oct. 11 | New Orleans Museum of Art | noma.org
The Japanese drumming ensemble “Kaminari Taiko” returns to the New Orleans Japan Festival. Enjoy energizing performances, art making activities, tours, and have the chance to participate in the classic Japanese Tea Ceremony!
St. Augustine Church Fair
Oct. 11 – 12 | 2262 Highway 484, Natchez | diocesealex.org
St. Augustine specials like meat pies, hot tamales, Creole gumbo and roast turkey dinners are the main attraction of this annual festival, but do not miss 5K – 1 mile run on Cane River Lake. Also enjoy the live entertainment, games, cultural exhibits, a cake walk and arts and crafts.
Celebracion Latina
Oct. 12 | Audubon Zoo | auduboninstitute.org
This festival offers a real taste of the Latin American culture with live music, children’s activities and original Latin cuisine made and sold by local restaurants. Regional artisans will sell hand made crafts, and health and education organizations will offer wellness education.
Capital One Art for Art’s Sake
Oct. 14 | Various Locations, New Orleans | cacao.org
The Contemporary Arts Center entertains this citywide event that kicks off the opening of the visual arts season in New Orleans. The event takes place at a variety of art galleries within the city, including music, gallery exhibits, food and drinks.
New Orleans Film Festival
Oct. 16 – 23 | Various cinemas | neworleansfilmsociety.org
It’s the 25th annual festival that recognizes and honors filmmakers for their outstanding talent. Priding itself on being a discovery festival where overlooked films can find a home, this event offers video screenings and panels featuring your favorite filmmakers.
