May Festivals in Louisiana

From Mansura to Baton Rouge, Crawfish to Frogs–and More. Your Guide to May Festivals Across the State
Alyssa Schiaffino,
Image from the 2025 Washington Parish Balloon Festival showing four air balloons in frame, two on the ground and the two in the middle in the air right at the tree line. The air balloons surround the festival grounds with people walking, tents and a ferris wheel
Photo from facebook.com/WPBalloonFest

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.

Even AI (we tested it) skips areas of The Boot with great fests, so we thought we’d change things.

Each month, starting with May 2026, we will 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 Mansura to Baton Rouge, crawfish to frogs–and more, your guide to May festivals in Louisiana is listed below.

May Festivals in Louisiana (2026)

Alexandria 

Alex River Fête

Set on the banks of the Red River in Downtown Alexandria, Alex River Fête celebrates the arts, culture and heritage of Central Louisiana. The three-day festival encompasses arts programs, street performers, craft displays and sales, food vendors, children’s activities and live music. The festival begins with the Fête kickoff and Dinner on the Bricks and continues Friday and Saturday.

Holi Fest

This colorful event will benefit the Children’s Advocacy Network, helping to heal and champion abused and neglected children throughout Central Louisiana. Festivities include a color walk/run, live music and dance, kids’ activities and Indian cuisine. 

Bastrop

Morehouse May Madness

Morehouse May Madness activities include an art exhibit, a pet contest, a motorcycle exhibit, a classic car exhibit, great music, a kid zone, a cutest baby contest, farmers market activities and more.

Baton Rouge

Fae Fest 

  • May 9, 12 – 3 p.m. (NOTE: Rescheduled to 1 – 4 p.m.)
  • Forest Community Park (13900 S. Harrells Ferry Rd.)
  • Free admission 
  • brec.org

Fae Fest offers themed zones, meet-and-greets with fairies and dragons, games, crafts and live shows for all ages. Costumes are welcome.

Baton Rouge Soul Food Fest

  • May 23-24
  • East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library (7711 Goodwood Blvd.)
  • Free admission
  • More details

The family-friendly Baton Rouge Soul Food Fest features blues, soul, R&B, gospel and Christian music. Other highlights include the Vendor’s Village, a judged Soul Food Cooking Contest, the new Mustard Greens and Cornbread Eating Competition and live music.

Breaux Bridge

Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival 

  • May 1-3
  • Parc Hardy (1290 Rees St.)
  • Friday $10, Saturday $15, Sunday $5, weekend pass $25
  • bbcrawfest.com

The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival offers live Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop music with 30 bands across three different stages throughout the weekend. Beyond music, the fest has crawfish prepared fried, boiled and in dishes like étouffée, bisque, boudin, pie and more. Enjoy dance contests and lessons, a crawfish cook-off and eating contest and more.

DeRidder

Beauregard Watermelon Festival

The Beauregard Watermelon Festival features live entertainment, indoor and outdoor vendor markets, a pageant, singing competition, 5k, mutton bustin’, dog derby and more. The Sugartown Watermelons harvest takes place on June 27. 

Folsom

Folsom Scenic Rivers Art Festival

Folsom Scenic Rivers Art Festival offers local art, live tunes by the Silver Lining Band, a vendor market, bites from Far Horizons Art Gallery food truck and a mobile bar.

Franklinton

Washington Parish Balloon Festival

  • May 29-31
  • Washington Parish Fairgrounds (100 Main St.)
  • $6-$152.50, single-day, weekend and VIP passes available
  • wpballoonfest.com

The Washington Parish Balloon Festival brings live music, competition flights, tethered rides, balloon glow evenings, Barbarian Games Summer Raid and a Friday night rodeo. 

Gonzales

Gonzales Jambalaya Festival

  • May 21-24
  • Lamar Dixon Expo Center (9039 S St. Landry Ave.)
  • Thursday free, Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $5, $15 weekend pass
    • Children 12 and under are free 
    • Free parking 
  • jambalayafestival.net 

The Jambalaya Festival is a four-day event with carnival rides, live music, a pageant, RV camping and the main event, a jambalaya cook-off. Kids, ages 12-17, can participate in the Jr. Cooking Contest. 

Houma

Louisiana Blackberry Festival

  • May 16, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
  • Wetlands Discovery Event Center (86 Valhi Blvd.)
  • Admission cost not listed
  • Facebook

The Louisiana Blackberry Festival is the annual signature fundraiser for MacDonell United Methodist Children’s Services. Supporting young adults in the community who need a safe, nurturing place to grow, the festival features live music, blackberry treats and drinks, raffle items, kids’ activities and more.

Jean Lafitte

Jean Lafitte Seafood Festival

  • May 29-31
  • Jean Lafitte Auditorium and Grounds (4953 City Park Dr.)
  • $10 Friday and Sunday, $20 Saturday (Tickets can only be purchased at the gate)
  • lafitteseafoodfest.com

Set alongside the scenic Wetland Trace, a boardwalk through a 41-acre cypress swamp adjacent to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, the Jean Lafitte Seafood Festival invites guests to enjoy food, entertainment, kayak experiences, carnival rides, a nature trail and arts and crafts vendors.

Lafayette

Zydeco Extravaganza

Founded in May 1987, Zydeco Extravaganza was created to help revive and celebrate Creole culture in St. Landry Parish and the surrounding region. Each year, the event features its crowd-favorite amateur accordion contest, authentic Creole food and art vendors.

Lake Providence

Lake Providence Levee Festival

The Lake Providence Levee Festival features live music, local food and art, a 5k run and bike race, kids’ area and more. 

Leesville

MayFest Music Festival

The goal of MayFest is to build community spirit and showcase Vernon Parish and its rich history and traditions through live music, a car show and more. 

Mandeville

Mandeville Food Truck Festival

The 5th Annual Mandeville Food Truck Festival brings food trucks, craft vendors, a bounce house for the kids, a DJ and adult beverages.

Pride Northshore Market, Parade & Block Party

Pride Northshore is Southeast Louisiana’s all-ages celebration of Pride Month, bringing together LGBTQ+ individuals, families, allies, local businesses and community partners from across the Northshore and beyond. Parade begins at 4 p.m. at Mandeville Trailhead (675 Lafitte St.).

Mansura

Cochon de Lait Festival

Hosted in what’s known as the Cochon de Lait Capital of the World, the Cochon de Lait Festival is a 3-day event featuring a carnival, petting zoo, zydeco dancing contest, 5k, parade, hog calling, pig chase and more. 

Minden

Scottish Tartan Festival

  • May 2, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  • Miller Quarters Park (198 Gleason St.)
  • $15 adults, $5 ages 6-11, free ages 5 and under
  • scottishtartanfestival.com

The Scottish Tartan Festival is held every spring to commemorate Celtic culture by contributing to the awareness of the Scottish, Irish and Celtic heritage in the region of Northeast and Central Louisiana, East Texas and South Arkansas through traditional music, dance, demonstrating historical trades, martial arts and games.

Monroe

Red, White and Blue Airshow

  • May 1-3
  • Monroe Regional Airport (5100 Operations Blvd.)
  • $30 adult, $15 youth, free for ages 3 and under
    • $15 for active duty, veterans and first responders
  • redwhiteandblueairshow.com

The Red, White and Blue Airshow is a three-day aviation event celebrating skill, service and American aviation history. The show features historic warbirds, modern military aircraft and aerial performances.

Natchitoches

Natchitoches Jazz & R&B Festival 

  • May 15-16
  • Downtown Riverbank (780 Front St.)
  • $25-$125 (Student discounts available)
  • natchjazzfest.com 

The Natchitoches Jazz & R&B Festival, set against the backdrop of downtown Natchitoches, blends zydeco, jazz, blues and funk with national headliners and homegrown talent in a celebration of music, food and family.

New Orleans

Jazz Fest 

  • May 1-3 (Weekend 2)
  • Fair Grounds Race Course (1751 Gentilly Blvd.)
  • $109-$459
  • nojazzfest.com

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) is a 10-day festival showcasing thousands of musicians, cooks and craftspeople across multiple stages and vendor sections throughout the fairgrounds. Purchase your Jazz Fest program with all of the details for just $10. 

Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo

  • May 15-17
  • Historic Pitot House (1440 Moss St.) & The Broadside (600 N. Broad St.)
  • $50 (Broadside), $200 (Canopy Club VIP + Broadside)
  • thebayouboogaloo.com 

The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo showcases 20+ artists across three stages and two different venues. The Broadside will host three days of music beginning Friday and a free, family-friendly outdoor market Sat-Sun featuring local artists and food vendors.

New Orleans Greek Festival 

  • May 22-24
  • Holy Trinity Cathedral (1200 Allen Toussaint Blvd.)
  • $10 admission, $25 weekend pass
  • gfno.com 

Occurring annually on Memorial Day weekend, the New Orleans Greek Festival offers a range of Greek dishes and pastries, a grocery and merchandise shopping experience, a walk/run, Hellenic dancers, cathedral tours and more. For 2026, the festival is going cashless. 

Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival

  • May 30-31
  • George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (1223 N. Rampart St.)
  • Free admission
  • jazzandheritage.org

The Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival celebrates the rich, indigenous sounds and traditions of southwest Louisiana. Free parking is available in the Tremé neighborhood and at the parking lot of the Historic Saint Augustine Catholic Church (1210 Gov. Nicholls St.). Food from Cochon King BBQ and Valerie’s Snoballs will be available. The 2026 fest will feature:

  • Big Natahan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
  • Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band
  • Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie
  • And more

Rayne

Rayne Frog Festival 

The Rayne Frog Festival celebrates the Frog Capital of the World with a carnival, pageant, cook-off, live music and more. 

Pineville

Mental Health & Wellness Festival

  • May 9, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (NOTE: Postponed to May 30 due to weather) 
    • 8 a.m. yoga 
  • Pineville Riverfront Park 
  • Free admission 
  • facebook.com/sixfeetabovela

Sex Feet Above will host the Mental Health & Wellness Festival on the Pineville Riverfront, celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with riverfront yoga, food trucks, local vendors, music, games, craft tables, mental health resources and more. 

Shreveport

Bear’s Fest

Bear’s Fest is a 21+ event offering art, food, vendors, live music and more at Bear’s on Fairfield.

Mudbug Madness Festival

  • May 22-24
  • Festival Plaza (101 Crockett St.)
  • Free admission until 5 p.m. on Friday, $10, $15 weekend pass
    • Free for children under 12 and military all weekend
  • mudbugmadness.com

Hosted in Downtown Shreveport, the Mudbud Madness Festival is a three-day event with highlights like crawfish-eating contests and live music, featuring country, pop, blues and zydeco across two stages and thirty bands. 

Slidell

Olde Towne Metal Fest

Explore metal from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida at Saint August Maison with Chafunkta Beer on tap and food items from St. August Maison. 

Sunset

Sunset Herb & Garden Festival

  • May 2, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Sunset Festival Grounds (240 Marie St.)
  • $5 admission, $5 for Children’s Activity & Craft Tent
  • sunsetherbfestival.com 

The Sunset Herb & Garden Festival will have over 100 garden-related vendors and artisans, including native plants and flowers, fertilizer, mushrooms, garden art, pottery, jewelry, natural soaps, fresh pastries and more. The Children’s Activity & Craft Tent includes art projects, coloring, potting a seedling in a painted pot, face painting and a train ride.

Thibodaux 

Firemen’s Fair

  • April 30-May 3
  • Thibodaux Fire Dept. Fairgrounds (1101 Tiger Dr.)
  • Free admission
  • firemensfair.com

With music, rides, runs, a parade, auctions and a $1500 raffle, the Firemen’s Fair is an annual celebration that has contributed to the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department’s annual budget since 1883. 

Thibodaux on Tap – Craft Beer Festival

  • May 16, 6 – 10 p.m. 
  • Downtown Thibodaux
  • $40 admission, $75 VIP (Designated driver add-ons available)
  • Purchase tickets on TicketLeap

Thibodaux on Tap is a craft beer festival held in the heart of historic Downtown Thibodaux, offering craft beer tastings, bites from local food vendors and live entertainment. 

Wisner

South Franklin Catfish Festival

The South Franklin Catfish Festival features live music, catfish, a catfish eating contest, a car show, shopping, an art show and more. Organizers share that the festival started as a small-town gathering and grew into the biggest day on the calendar for South Franklin Parish.

Did we miss something? Submit your festival to alyssa@louisianalife.com.
Categories: Around The State, Events, Festivals, Lagniappe, Things To Do

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