Festivals & Events

Music & Cultural Festivals

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, known more commonly as Jazz Fest, unfolds every year during the last weekend of April and the first weekend in May. The festival features daily and nightly performances spanning a variety of genres including rock, gospel, hip-hop and salsa. Past lineups have included Elton John, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz and Pearl Jam.

Also in New Orleans, French Quarter Festival showcases local performers throughout the French Quarter. The weekend starts with a parade and continues with free concerts on more than 20 stages. Get groovy with free dance lessons or sample New Orleans fare and sip local beers at culinary booths scattered throughout the grounds. And ESSENCE Festival of Culture® celebrates community and creativity with live music, curated conversations and inspiring activations at Caesars Superdome. See headliners like Babyface, Jill Scott and Patti LaBelle, and listen to roundtable discussions with tastemakers like Keke Palmer and Tamar Braxton.

In Shreveport, the Red River Revel Arts Festival spotlights dozens of musicians across two weekends in early fall. The Revel also hosts more than 80 artists of every kind, and local chefs and street vendors serve traditional fair food (think funnel cakes) and regional delicacies (think Natchitoches meat pies). 

Festival International de Louisiane — the largest international music festival in the country — transforms downtown Lafayette into a global cultural extravaganza. Taste authentic Cajun and Creole fare, as well as Indian, Hawaiian, Cuban, Greek, Vietnamese and Venezuelan cuisine. Stroll through the arts and crafts market, and enjoy music from Mexico, France, Morocco, Jamaica and Ukraine, among other countries.

Food Festivals

Crawfish — Louisiana’s favorite little crustacean — stirs up plenty of admiration and celebration throughout the state. Visit anytime from February to mid-May, and you’re bound to stumble upon a crawfish festival (or two) in nearly every corner of Louisiana. The Louisiana Crawfish Festival is set in one of the most seafood-centric regions of the state: Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish. Attendees can snack on crawfish served just about any which way and watch onstage entertainment. The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival advertises 30 bands across three stages over three days — essentially a large-scale Cajun party. You can sign up for Cajun dance lessons, a Cajun cooking demonstration, a crawfish étouffée cook-off and a crawfish-eating contest, if you’re up for a real challenge.

Explore more crawfish festivals in Louisiana.

Our food festivals don’t stop at crawfish. The International Rice Festival is held in Crowley, once known as the Rice Capital of the World. Visitors can look forward to a rice-eating contest, carnival, pageant and parade. The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival shines a spotlight on Louisiana’s sweetest berry every April. Expect carnival rides, live music, a parade and a strawberry-eating contest, with festival booths serving strawberry shortcake, deep-fried strawberries and strawberry daiquiris. Ruston’s claim to fame is the Louisiana Peach Festival. Enjoy local musical acts, a peachy parade through downtown Ruston, theater performances, art exhibitions, a rodeo and plenty of peach-inspired food and drink.

On Labor Day weekend, the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City brings together two quintessentially Louisiana industries. You’ll find shrimp in every preparation imaginable, from crispy popcorn shrimp baskets to decadent bacon-wrapped shrimp. Activities include a 5K run, parade, coronation and ball, plus the time-honored tradition of the Blessing of the Fleet. 

Still hungry? In Scott, the Boudin Festival honors one of the state’s favorite snacks. Sample authentic boudin (a spicy pork and rice mixture stuffed into casing) from local vendors, participate in Cajun dance contests or test your palate with a boudin-eating contest. Have you ever seen — or tasted — a 5,000-egg omelet? During fall, the annual Giant Omelette Celebration in Abbeville gives visitors a chance. The incredible, edible egg is honored with live music, a formal procession, an egg-cracking contest and, of course, a giant omelet!

Seasonal Festivals

Traveling to Louisiana in the spring? You’re in luck — nearly every weekend brings a new round of exceptional events and festivities! You simply can’t miss the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but the Baton Rouge Blues Festival is just as exciting. It’s one of the oldest blues festivals in the country, honoring Louisiana’s homegrown musicians. Lafayette brings global artists to Cajun country during the Festival International de Louisiane, and Rayne celebrates an unsung amphibian hero during the Annual Frog Festival. Book lovers will adore the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, which has been supporting writers, actors, musicians and other artists for decades.

Spend the summer at one of Louisiana’s sugary-sweet celebrations. The Louisiana Peach Festival kicks off in early June, and the Beauregard Watermelon Festival provides melon-themed events and activities in late June. The Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival aims to preserve traditional zydeco and Creole music, and Satchmo SummerFest in New Orleans celebrates the life of one of the greatest Louisiana musicians — Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong.

Fall in Louisiana means gumbo, football and even more fantastic festivals. New Orleans plays host to both Beignet Fest and the Fried Chicken Festival. The Zwolle Tamale Festival shines a light on these delicious spicy snacks, with live entertainment, tamale-making demonstrations, tamale-eating contests and street dancing. The Madisonville Boat Festival brings more than a hundred classic boats to the beautiful Tchefuncte River, giving these historic treasures new life. And in Houma, Rougarou Fest celebrates the local legend of the rougarou, a mythical werewolf-like creature that’s been spooking kids for generations.

There’s nowhere like Natchitoches for Christmas. In fact, the oldest town in Louisiana has been called the City of Lights since each year, the riverfront is transformed with more than 300,000 Christmas lights. The Natchitoches Christmas Festival gives the Christmas lights an upgrade with a holiday market, Festival of Lights parade and fireworks over Cane River Lake. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the biggest festival in Louisiana?

The biggest festival in Louisiana is Mardi Gras. Everywhere else, it’s just a Tuesday, but in Louisiana, it’s the biggest party of the year. The largest celebration of Mardi Gras occurs in New Orleans, but nearly every community in the state has its own kind of festivities.

How many festivals take place in Louisiana every year?

More than 400 festivals take place in Louisiana every year. We are considered the Festival Capital of the World, after all! Louisiana hosts hundreds each year, from music festivals like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to food events like the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival.

What are famous festivals in Louisiana?

The most famous festival in Louisiana is undoubtedly Mardi Gras. Throughout Carnival season, Louisianians celebrate with elaborate balls, colorful parades and lots of delicious king cake. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is held during the last weekend of April and the first weekend in May, attracting thousands to see performers like Elton John, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Luke Combs and Pearl Jam. Also in New Orleans, ESSENCE Festival of Culture celebrates community with live music, curated conversations and inspiring activations at Caesars Superdome.

What are some food festivals in Louisiana besides crawfish and oyster festivals?

While we sure do love our seafood, Louisiana hosts plenty of non-aquatic events! The International Rice Festival in Crowley has highlighted this important crop since 1937, and the Louisiana Peach Festival in Ruston has been celebrating the stone fruit since 1951. In Scott, Boudin Festival honors one of Louisiana’s favorite snacks, and in Abbeville, chefs cook up a 5,000-egg omelet during the Giant Omelette Celebration.