Fall, food, festivals and fun are some of the most meaningful words in South Louisiana culture. It is the time of the year when Cajun Country takes a break from the heat, work and school and lets loose to celebrate food, music, crops and other natural resources.
According to LouisianaTravel.com, the official tourism site of Louisiana, Cajuns celebrate over 400 festivals every year—giving it the title “Festival Capital of America.”
Fall could be considered the season of festivals in Louisiana. The highlight of the season is “Grand Réveil Acadien.” This is a 10-day celebration that goes through New Orleans, Houma, Lafayette and Lake Charles. It is dedicated to promoting and preserving Louisiana’s Acadian heritage and customs.
As a part of the “Grand Réveil Acadien,” Houma will have its “Voice of the Wetlands” festival at Southdown Plantation from Oct. 7 to 9 where visitors can sample Cajun food and hear live music from the many bands that will be playing.
To end the “Grand Réveil Acadien,” Lafayette will have a three-day “Festivals Acadiens et Créoles” in Girard Park from Oct. 14 to 16. This is a three-in-one festival as the first day is dedicated to music, the second to food and the third to arts and crafts.
Mid-October is packed with even more food starting with the annual Oyster Festival in Violet Oct. 15 to 17.
The spirit of competition is also in the air at this time with the “Pepper Festival” in St. Martinville where contestants sweat it out in a pepper-eating contest on Oct. 16.
Those who may be interested in carb loading can try their hand at the rice-eating contest at the “International Rice Festival” in Crowley Oct. 20 to 23.
The “Louisiana Gumbo Festival” takes place Oct. 21 to 23 in Chackbay, and is a Southeast Tourism Society “Top 20 Event.” This is a celebration packed with music, dancing, carnival rides and of course—gumbo.
There is a 5-K run on Saturday with a parade and live auction on Sunday. There is no gate fee. Free parking and overnight dry camping are available with advance reservations.
The fun does not end here. There are many other festivals that celebrate food, music and even animals.
Local chefs serve their best Acadian food and world-class wine for the Grant Tasting at Lafayette’s “Acadiana Wine and Food Festival” Oct. 28 and 29.
New Orleans City Park goes to the dark arts for the “Voodoo Experience,” one of the state’s largest music and art festivals in Louisiana Oct. 28 to 30. The “Voodoo Experience” has hosted over 450 artists and close to a million fans over the past 10 years and has been nominated twice for Pollstar’s “Music Festival of the Year.”
The 2009 Voodoo festival headliners were Kiss, Eminem, Jane’s Addiction, Widespread Panic and the Flaming Lips. The 2010 line-up was Ozzy Osbourne, Muse, Weezer, My Morning Jacket, Drake and many more. This year’s festival will feature Soundgarden, Blink-182, The Raconteurs, Snoop Dogg and many others.
Just around the corner from the “Voodoo Experience” is “Houmapalooza,” an outdoor music festival featuring independent, original and local music on Nov. 5 at the Courthouse Square in Houma.
According to Houmapalooza.com, “It’s a showcase of the greatest musicians you’ve never heard before, all in one place.”
Houmapalooza is very new festival in that the first event took place on April 16, 2011. Because of the great success of the festival, two events will be held every year—one in the fall and one in the spring.
For the die-hard breakfast enthusiasts, the “Giant Omelet Celebration” in Abbeville may just be your bread-and-butter (or omelet!).
Taking place Nov. 5 and 6 in downtown Abbeville’s Magdaline Square, this festival features music, arts and crafts, antique farm implements and cars, home tours and other activities. Sunday’s day of activities begins with a French Mass to bless the eggs and bread and ends with a procession to a 12-foot skillet for cooking and serving a 5,000-egg giant omelet.
In Nov. 12-15, hop over to the “Louisiana Frog Festival” in Rayne where the town honors the amphibian. Here, you can cheer for a frog in the jumping contest or try some famous Louisiana frog legs.
On Nov. 20, New Orleans celebrates the sandwich for the “Po-Boy Preservation Festival.” According to PoBoyFest.com, the celebration was named “the best food festival of 2010” by Gambit Weekly. This year’s festival will feature three stages with live music, arts and crafts, a children’s section with games and prizes, panel discussions covering the history of the po-boy and “the best tasting po-boys in New Orleans.”
These are only a few of the many food festivals that are served up in the fall calendar. LaPlace is popular for its “Andouille Festival” Oct. 14 to 16. Colfax hosts the annual “Louisiana Pecan Festival” Nov. 4 to 6 and Port Barre celebrates a fried treat with the annual “Cracklin’ Festival” Nov. 10 to 13.
In Louisiana, if you were to pick just about any weekend in the months of October and November, you can be sure to find food, music and fun to satisfy your stomach, ears or even your inner child.
