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Louisiana Festival Calendar
Crawfish, Mardi Gras runs, fiddles, bonfires on the levee, and a 5,000-egg omelette. Here’s where to be, month by month, from now through the end of 2027.
Before you drive: dates were checked against official festival and tourism sources in November 2026. Where a festival hasn’t announced 2027 dates yet, we tell you when it usually happens. Always confirm with the festival before you go.
HOLIDAY SEASON 2026
November – December
Natchitoches Christmas Festival
Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027 · 100th year
Natchitoches, on the Cane River
Louisiana’s oldest town lights up the riverfront with over 300,000 lights and more than 100 set pieces every night, plus music and fireworks on Saturdays. It started in 1927 as a one-day event.
Festival of the Bonfires
Mid-December (2025: Dec 12–14)
Lutcher, St. James Parish
A preview of the famous bonfires built along the Mississippi River levee to light the way for Papa Noël, with food, music, and a ceremonial bonfire lighting. On Christmas Eve, the real ones burn up and down the river.
CARNIVAL 2027
February
Mardi Gras
Fat Tuesday: February 9, 2027
Statewide, biggest in New Orleans
Carnival season opens January 6 and builds for weeks of parades, king cake, and balls until Fat Tuesday. Ash Wednesday follows on February 10.
Courir de Mardi Gras
The Friday before Mardi Gras through Fat Tuesday
Eunice, Cajun Prairie
The country Mardi Gras: riders on horseback in handmade wire masks and tall hats chase a live chicken for the community gumbo, with street dances, jam sessions, and a boucherie along the way.
SPRING 2027 · FESTIVAL SEASON
April
French Quarter Festival
April 8–11, 2027
French Quarter, New Orleans
Four days of Louisiana music on stages all over the Quarter and along the river, with food from local restaurants.
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
April 9–11, 2027
Memorial Park, Ponchatoula
Tangipahoa Parish strawberry season at its sweetest: berries by the flat, strawberry everything, music, and a small-town parade.
Festival International de Louisiane
Late April (2026: Apr 22–26) · 2027 dates TBA
Downtown Lafayette
Lafayette’s streets fill with Francophone music from Louisiana and around the world. One of the best weeks of the year in Acadiana.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
April 22–25 & April 29 – May 2, 2027
Fair Grounds, New Orleans
Two weekends of jazz, gospel, blues, Cajun, zydeco, and brass bands, plus some of the best festival food anywhere.
CRAWFISH SEASON
May
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
Early May (2026: May 1–3) · 2027 dates TBA
Parc Hardy, Breaux Bridge
The Crawfish Capital of the World throws its party: boiled crawfish, étouffée, Cajun and zydeco bands, and a lot of dancing.
Jambalaya Festival
Memorial Day weekend · 2027 dates TBA
Gonzales, “Jambalaya Capital of the World”
Cooks stir giant cast-iron pots of jambalaya in a contest to be crowned world champion, with music all weekend.
SUMMER INTO FALL 2027
August – September
Satchmo SummerFest
Early August · 2027 dates TBA
New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint
A free weekend celebrating Louis Armstrong, with traditional jazz, talks, and a jazz mass.
Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
Labor Day weekend (2026: Sept 3–7) · 2027 dates TBA
Downtown Morgan City
Five days honoring the two industries that built the Atchafalaya’s edge, with the blessing of the fleet, music, and plenty of shrimp.
FALL 2027 · CAJUN COUNTRY
October – November
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles
October 8–10, 2027 · Free
Girard Park, Lafayette
Running since 1974: three days of Cajun and Creole music, dancing, food, and crafts. If you go to one festival in Acadiana, make it this one.
International Rice Festival
October · 2027 dates TBA
Downtown Crowley
The Rice Capital of America celebrates harvest season with parades, music, cooking contests, and family-and-friends small-town fun.
Giant Omelette Celebration
Early November · Free
Magdalen Square, Abbeville
Over 5,000 eggs cooked in a 12-foot skillet over a wood fire on Sunday afternoon, with Cajun music, food, and crafts all weekend.
Know a festival we missed?
Every little town in Louisiana has a festival worth the drive. Tell us about yours and we’ll add it to the calendar.
