October Festivals in Louisiana

From Farmerville to Larose, Andouille to Sweet Dough Pie, explore October Festivals in Louisiana

Louisiana is a state filled with many amazing things: music, food, diverse heritage, fishing, hunting, festivals and more. While there are many resources for most of the Louisiana treasures–food influencers, magazines like ours, cultural centers and museums, wildlife and fisheries–there is a lack of a more central resource for festivals across the entire state.

Since we realized this, we started the Louisiana Life Festival Guide, beginning in May. Now, each month we’ll bring you the most comprehensive list of festivals across the state we can find, updated for changes year-to-year.

And we’ve made it easy to see this list before each month begins, with our Louisiana Life Festival Guide newsletter, delivered to your inbox when you sign up for the Louisiana Life newsletter.

From Farmerville to Larose, andouille to sweet dough pie, explore the October festivals in Louisiana below.

October Festivals in Louisiana (2026)

*Editor’s Note: After the original article was published on Sep. 28, some festivals during the first week of  October were canceled or rescheduled due to weather. See below for details. Look for *, which indicates edits.

Abbeville

Louisiana Cattle Festival

• Oct. 2-4
• Downtown Abbeville (100 N. State St.)
• Free admission
• Website

The 76th Louisiana Cattle Festival will feature a pageant, cook-off, branding of the barn event, auctions, live music, cattle show, eating contests and more.

Abita Springs

Abita Fall Festival

• Oct. 2, 4 – 11 p.m.
• Abita Springs Trailhead
• Tickets start at $25
• Website

The Abita Fall Festival is rooted in live music, food, Abita beer and local art.

 

Amite

Tangipahoa Parish Fair

• Sept. 30 – Oct. 4
• Tangipahoa Parish Fairgrounds (12614 Arena Dr.)
• $25 carnival armbands (additional costs for some additional events)
• Website

Organizers share that, first held in 1888, the Tangipahoa Parish Fair is Louisiana’s oldest fair. The fair showcases local culture, preserves local history, promotes economic development and nurtures community pride through agricultural exhibits, music, food, talent showcases, rides and more.

 

Arnaudville

Halloween Art & Nature Festival

• Oct. 31, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• 1050 Andrew Gautreaux Rd.
• Free admission
• Website

Atelier de la Nature, an education center, nature reserve and sculpture park, will host the 2026 Halloween Art & Nature Festival with art, performances, science, strange creatures, Dungeons & Dragons, nocturnal hikes and more for all ages. Costumes are encouraged.

 

Baton Rouge

Greater Baton Rouge State Fair

• Oct. 22-Nov. 1.
• 16072 Airline Hwy.
• $15 admission, free for children under 48 inches
• Website

The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair is a classic state fair with daily attractions, carnival rides, food, livestock events and more.

Louisiana Book Festival

• Oct. 31, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• State Library of Louisiana and Capitol Park (701 N. Fourth St.)
• Free admission
• Website

 

Carencro

C’est Bon Seasoning Festival

• Oct. 30 – Nov. 1
• Pelican Park (110 Softball Dr.)
• Costs vary based on event participation
• Website

In its third year, the C’est Bon Seasoning Festival will have a seasoning showcase and contest, a make-your-own spice booth, Cajun jam session, carnival rides, arts and crafts, a chili hot dog-eating contest and more.

 

Deridder

Beauregard Parish Fair

• Oct. 6-10
• Beauregard Parish Fairgrounds (506 West Dr.)
• $5 admission
• Website

The Beauregard Parish Fair features carnival rides, vendors, a pageant, contests, a parade, food and more.

 

Chackbay

Louisiana Gumbo Festival

• Oct. 9-11
• 326 Hwy. 304
• $35 day ride pass, $70 weekend ride pass
• Website

The Louisiana Gumbo Festival is held each year in Chackbay, the Gumbo Capital of Louisiana. The festival offers a weekend of Cajun food, music, amusement rides, a parade, an auction and more. Organizers share that volunteers cook nearly 500 gallons of gumbo during the festival weekend.

 

Crowley

International Rice Festival

• Oct. 15-18
• Throughout Crowley
• $30 carnival day pass ($25 on Sunday), $54 four-day pass
• Website

Held every third full weekend of October, the International Rice Festival features a rice and Creole cookery contest, carnival rides, fiddle and accordion contests, queen’s contest and ball, parade and more.

 

Crowville

Crowville Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff

• Oct. 17, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• 157 Football Field Rd.
• Admission cost not listed
• Facebook Event

The Crowvill Fall Festival will have arts and crafts, food vendors, live music, entertainment, exhibits, a petting zoo, games and more.

 

Covington

St. Tammany Parish Fair

• Oct. 1-4
• St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds (1304 N. Columbia St.)
• Free on Wed, Thu and Sun. $5 adults and $3 for ages 11 and under Fri-Sat.
• Website

 

Farmerville

Bayou D’Arbonne Folk Festival

• Oct. 24, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• 211 N. Main St.
• Free
• Webpage

Enjoy live bluegrass music, folk crafts, dance, children’s art experiences and food at the Bayou D’Arbonne Folk Festival.

 

Franklin

Harvest Moon Festival

• Oct. 31, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Downtown Franklin’s Historic Main Street
• Free ($10 children’s activity wristbands)
• Webpage

Franklin’s annual Harvest Moon Festival offers live music, food, games, a petting zoo, face painting, a sugarcane expo and more.

 

Grand Coteau

Sweet Dough Pie Festival

• Oct. 31, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Grand Coteau Town Park (231 Burleigh Ln.)
• $5
• Webpage

The Sweet Dough Pie Festival celebrates the history of Grand Coteau and the sweet dough pie with a contest, live bands, various vendors for shopping and, of course, sweet dough pies, like fig, custard, lemon, blackberry and more.

 

Houma

Rougarou Fest

• Oct. 23-25
• 86 Valhi Blvd.
• Free
• Website

The Rougarou Fest celebrates the rich folklore of Southeast Louisiana’s bayous, showcasing live music, cultural activities, children’s activities, Cajun food, the Krewe Ga Rou parade and more.

 

Kenner

Food Truck Festival

• Oct. 25, 12 – 6 p.m.
• Kenner Boat Lunch (153 3rd St.)
• No admission cost listed
• Webpage

The Food Truck Festival brings together a lineup of food trucks and live music for a celebration at Laketown in Kenner, Louisiana.

 

Lafayette

Latin Music Festival

• Oct. 2-3
• Parc International (200 Garfield St.)
• $20-60 admission based on date and time
• Website

Hosted by the Asociación Cultural Latino-Acadiana (ACLA), the Latin Music Festival is the organization’s signature event featuring authentic food, vibrant local art and live entertainment. For 2026, the theme is “Sharing Traditions, Blending Cultures,” with the Grammy-winning Gente de Zona as the headliner.

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles

• Oct. 8-11
• Oct. 9-11 at Girard Park (500 Girard Park Dr.)
  • Oct. 8 “Dry Bones” premiere at Acadiana Center for the Arts (101 West Vermilion St.)
• Free admission
• Website

Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is a Cajun and zydeco music festival with live music, arts and crafts, food vendors, the village des tentes, symposium, special events and more. This year, the Smithsonian Institution selected the festival as one of the folklife events in the US to join their “Festival of Festivals,” a nationwide initiative to highlight festivals that are vital spaces for cultural exchange, civic engagement and dialogue.

South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cookoff

• Oct. 30-31
• Vermilionville (300 Fisher Rd.)
• $35 Friday night and $45 Saturday (no camping), $7o weekend pass with camping (no RV camping sites this year)
• Website

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Blackpot Festival & Cookoff offers two days of live music across three stages on Friday and four stages on Saturday. The cookoff categories are gravy (not a roux base), gumbo, Cook’s Choice (anything cooked in a blackpot), jambalaya and dessert.

 

Lake Charles

Chuck Fest

• Oct. 16-17
• Downtown Lake Charles
• Admission cost not listed
• Website

Chuck Fest exists to enrich and strengthen the cultural heritage and quality of life in Southwest Louisiana by creating unique arts, music, cultural and community experiences that support tourism and regional economic growth.

Southwest Louisiana Veterans Fest

• Oct. 31, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Lake Charles Event Center (900 Lakeshore Dr.)
• Free
• Facebook Page

The Southwest Louisiana Veterans Fest offers veteran services and resources, free food and drinks, a car show, trick-or-treating and live music.

 

LaPlace

St. John the Baptist Parish Andouille Festival

• Oct. 16-18
• St. John Community Center (2900 Hwy. 51)
• $5 admission
• Website

Hosted by St. John the Baptist Parish, the Andouille Festival features live music, arts and crafts, sweets, a 5k run, carnival rides and more.

 

Larose

French Food Festival

• Oct. 23-25
• 307 East 5th St.
• Free admission
• Facebook Page

The French Food Festival offers live music, food, a craft show and more.

 

Longleaf

Louisiana Bluegrass Fall Festival

• Oct. 17, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Southern Forest Heritage Museum (77 Longleaf Rd.)
• $10 per car
• Webpage

The Louisiana Bluegrass Fall Festival offers Bluegrass music, hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecue, jambalaya, vendors, eight museums and more.

 

Madisonville

Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival

• Oct. 17-18
• Maritime Museum Louisiana (133 Mabel Dr.)
• $15 one-day pass, $20 two-day pass and free for ages 12 and under
• Website

Celebrating 35 years, the Wooden Boat Festival gathers over 100 classic boats, hundreds of spectator boats and wooden boat and music enthusiasts.

 

Mandeville

Festival of the Lake

• Oct. 9-11
• Our Lady of the Lake (312 Lafitte St.)
• Free
• Website

The Festival of the Lake offers a free community festival with live music, magic shows, a wine tasting and more.

Northshore Beer Festival

• Oct. 11, 12 – 3 p.m.
  • 10 a.m. for Ultimate VIP ticket holders and 11 a.m. for VIP ticket holders
• Mandeville Trailhead Amphitheater (675 Lafitte St.)
• $50-150
  • $10 addition for designated driver
• Website

The craft beer festival of the Northshore.

Louisiana Wildfowl Festival

• Oct. 24-25
• The Castine Center (63350 Pelican Dr.)
• $5, free for ages 12 and under
• Website

The Louisiana Wildfowl Carvers & Collectors Guild Festival features a head whittling contest, live wildfowl demo, kids’ activities and more.

Widewater Music Festival

• Oct. 31, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Mandeville Lakefront
• Free, $50 VIP
• Website

The Widewater Music Festival is a lakefront celebration featuring live music on multiple stages, artist booths and a selection of food trucks.

 

Melville

Melville Catfish Festival

• Oct. 17, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Melville Civic Center (1105 1st St.)
• No admission cost listed
• Webpage

The Melville Catfish Festival is a reunion and festival for locals and visitors with pageants, a parade, shopping and food vendors, live music, a catfish cook-off and more.

 

Metairie

Que Pasa Festival

• Oct. 10-11
• Lafreniere Park (3000 Downs Blvd.)
• $5, free for children 12 and under
• Website

Que Pasta Fest celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month through music, food, dance and community.

 

Natchez

Saint Augustine Creole & Family Festival

• Oct. 9-11
• 2262 LA-484
• Free
• Facebook Page

The St. Augustine Catholic Church Creole and Family Festival celebrates culture, cuisine, faith, family and friends.

 

Natchitoches

Natchitoches Parish Fair

• Oct. 11-17
• 454 Fairgrounds Rd.
• $25 armbands for carnival rides, beginning Oct. 14
• Facebook Page

The Natchitoches Parish Fair offers carnival rides, a horse show, a vendor market and a livestock show.

Top of the Boot Music Festival

• Oct. 16-17
• Tarlton Drive behind the NSU Soccer Complex
• $65+
• Website

Natchitoches’ two-day country music festival.

 

New Orleans

*National Fried Chicken Festival – Rescheduled

• Original dates: Oct. 2-4. NEW dates: Oct. 9-11
• Lakefront Arena Festival Grounds (6801 Franklin Ave.)
• $21+
• Website

Set along the New Orleans Lakefront, the National Fried Chicken Festival will celebrate its tenth anniversary.

Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival

• Oct. 9-11
• Lafayette Square Park (602 St. Charles Ave.)
• Free with VIP tickets available
• Webpage

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival seeks to further New Orleans’ historic role in making blues and R&B among the most influential sounds in the world by presenting top performers from southern Louisiana and Mississippi, delicious food and unique visual art.

Gentilly Fest

• Oct. 9-11
• Pontchartrain Park (5701 Press Dr.)
• Free
• Website

The Gentilly Festival is a non-profit, community-focused organization featuring live music on three stages, food from a variety of local restaurants and fine arts & crafts for sale from local vendors.

Oktoberfest

• Oct. 9-10, Oct. 16-17, Oct. 23-24
• On Bayou St. John (1700 Moss St.)
• $10, free for children 12 and under
• Website

Oktoberfest, presented by Deutsches Haus, takes place across three weekends every October and features German music, food and drinks, including 20+ different German beers, 9 different wines and over 20+ schnapps, alongside activities.

NOLA Funk Fest

• Oct. 16-18
• Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park (1 Canal St.)
• $25+ (ticket options vary)
• Website

NOLA Funk Fest, a party for The Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience, features symposiums where oral histories, accompanied by musical performances, highlight impactful legacies of Louisiana’s music history.

Praise Fest

• Oct. 16-18
• 500 N. Norman C. Francis Pkwy.
• Free
• Website

Praise Fest is a three-day celebration of Gospel music, faith and community with a mission to unite people through the power of music, inspiration and fellowship in a family-friendly environment.

New Orleans Film Festival

• Oct. 22-27
• New Orleans Film Society (900 Camp St.)
• $75+ (prices vary by options)
• Website

The New Orleans Film Festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking.

Tremé Fall Festival

• Oct. 24
• St. Augustine Catholic Church (1210 Governor Nicholls St.)
• Free
• Website

The Tremé Fall Festival seeks to keep the history and culture of Tremé alive with live music, a second line, a marketplace, food and more.

Freret Street Festival

• Oct. 31, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Between Napoleon and Valmont streets
• Free
• Website

The Freret Street Festival features six blocks containing over 200 local artists and chefs, 46 businesses, three stages and 20 bands.

 

Rayne

Roberts Cove German Fest

• Oct. 3-4
• 7212 Roberts Cove Rd.
• $8 admission for ages 13+
• Website

The Roberts Cove German Fest celebrates the local German community with two days of events, including folk singers, dancers, German bands, sausage making, beer making and more.

 

Shreveport

*Chicken & Blues Festival – Rescheduled until Nov.

• Original dates: Oct. 4, 2 – 10 p.m.
• Louisiana State University Shreveport (1 University Pl.)
• $20 general admission, $10 for children ages 5 to 12
• Website

The Chicken & Blues Festival provides a platform for established and emerging blues artists while celebrating the area’s traditions and local chicken dishes.

Red River Revel

• Oct. 8-11, 15-18
• Festival Plaza (101 Crockett St.)
• Free on Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., $10 per person after 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Free for children ages 12 and under. Multi-day passes available
• Website

Red River Revel is a celebration of the arts that’s taken place since 1976 and features music, activities, food, artists, workshops and more.

Prize Festival

• Oct. 14-18
• 700 Texas St.
• Prices vary by event
• Facebook Event

Prize Festival is Shreveport’s film, food, music, comedy and photography festival and creative competition.

The State Fair of Louisiana

• Oct. 29-Nov. 15
• 3701 Hudson Ave.
• Prices vary
• Website

The State Fair of Louisiana offers a classic carnival experience with rides, food, activities and more.

Belcher Fall Fest

• Oct. 30, 4 – 8 p.m.
• 410 Gray St.
• No admission
• Facebook Event

Celebrate fall at the Belcher Fall Fest with food, vendors, live entertainment, pumpkins and more.

 

Slidell

*Olde Towne Pumpkin Festival – Rescheduled

• Original date: Oct. 3, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. NEW date: Oct. 17
• First United Methodist Church (433 Erlanger Ave.)
• Free
• Webpage

The Olde Towne Pumpkin Festival brings the community together for live entertainment, food, face painting, games and more.

NOLA Zydeco Festival

• Oct. 31 & Nov. 1
• Heritage Park (1701 Bayou Ln.)
• $30+ tickets
• Website

Slidell’s NOLA Zydeco Festival features zydeco performers, a trick-or-trunk car show, a gumbo cook-off, dance lessons and more.

 

Sorrento

 Boucherie and Balloon Festival

• Oct. 16-18
• 9690 Airline Hwy.
• Free admission, donations accepted
• Website

As the primary fundraiser for the Sorrento Lions Club, the Boucherie and Balloon Festival is where all things pig are cooked. The fest offers a range of dishes, food competitions, craft vendors, hot air balloons and more.

 

St. Francisville

Yellow Leaf Art Festival

• Oct. 24 – 25
• St. Francisville
• No admission cost listed
• Webpage

Yellow Leaf Art Festival is a community gathering hosted by Arts for All that brings together 40+ artists and craftspeople for live music and activities.

 

Thibodaux

Acadia Music Fest

• Oct. 17
• Percy Brown Rd.
• $70 admission for ages 13+
• Website

Featuring local musicians, art and southern food, the Acadia Music Fest is Thibodaux’s biggest outdoor music festival, according to organizers.

 

Westlake

*West Fest – Canceled

• Oct. 3, 1 p.m., music starts at 2:30 p.m.
• Pinderosa Park (3104 Westwood Rd.)
• Admission not listed
• Facebook Page

The West Fest offers live music, food, drinks and vendors.

 

West Monroe

Ark-La-Miss Fair

• Oct. 2-11
• Ike Hamilton Exposition Center (501 Mane St.)
• $6, $4 for children ages 4-12
• Facebook Page

The Ark-La-Miss Fair is the annual regional agricultural fair for the Monroe-West Monroe area sponsored by the West Monroe Civitan Club.

Celtic Festival

• Oct. 3, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Lazarre Park (703 Riverfront St.)
• $5
• Facebook Page

The Celtic Day Festival offers Celtic music and entertainment, Celtic-inspired goods, cultural exhibits, artisan and specialty vendors, food trucks, Highland cows and more.