With springtime chasing away the last of the winter chill, the local festival season is about to bloom. From craft fairs to crawfish boils, Thibodaux’s spring season is forecasted to be jam-packed with events for Nicholls students, locals and visitors alike to enjoy.
La Fête Du Monde — April 17-19, 2026
Just a short trip down the bayou, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is hosting their annual “swamp pop extravaganza”: La Fete Du Monde.
For three days, attendees can enjoy authentic Cajun cuisine, carnival rides and live auctions. Live music is a staple of the festival, with last year’s lineup including local musicians such as Freddie Rodrigue, Tet Dur and Epic.
In previous years, proceeds from the festival have benefitted local organizations such as the Lockport Volunteer Fire Department, the Rotary Club of Lockport, the Lockport Carnival Club and the Bayou Lafourche Folklife and Heritage Museum.
Individual festival tickets are $35, with individual ride tickets available for purchase during the festival. All-weekend bracelets will cost $85.
For more information, visit La Fete Du Monde’s Facebook.
Huddle Up! On the 50, 5K Run and Tailgate Cook-Off — April 18, 2026
To celebrate the beginning of the fall sport season, Nicholls’ Athletic Association is hosting its eighth annual 5K run and tailgate cook-off.
Established in 2015, Huddle Up! Is a booster club operated by the Colonel Athletic Association aiming to benefit Nicholls’ football program. Proceeds from all club events go towards scholarship funding, recruiting, uniforms and equipment.
The day will include a 5K run, a kids’ fun run and a tailgate cook-off competition. To end it all off, a football scrimmage will be held by the Nicholls football team.
For details including 5k and cook-off registration, volunteer applications and donation information, visit the Huddle Up! 5K website.
Laurel Valley Acadian Heritage Spring Festival — April 26, 2026
Every fourth Sunday of April, Thibodaux’s Laurel Valley Store and Museum hosts its annual Acadian Heritage Spring Festival.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. festival-goers can look forward to live Cajun music, local arts and crafts showcases, authentic Cajun cooking and a kid-friendly petting zoo. Previous years have also included antique engine and boat-building exhibitions.
Admission is free, with the general store and museum available for the public.
For more information, visit Laurel Valley’s website.
143 Annual Firemen’s Fair — April 30-May 3, 2026
Every year, the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department brings thousands to Thibodaux for the citywide Firemen’s Fair.
For four days, Thibodaux celebrates the contributions of its volunteer firefighters through a variety of activities including a parade, live auction and $15,000 raffle. Carnival rides will be available throughout the entirety of the event.
Food and drink are among the festival’s staples, with every dish cooked by a team consisting of fire department volunteers. The “Firemen’s Fair” burger is among the most popular items available, alongside the fair’s shrimp stew, shrimp creole and crawfish pie.
Local bands are slated to perform over the course of the festival, including headliner Blues Traveler, Snapper and the Fishsticks and American Idol’s John Foster.
Admission for the public is entirely free. Any and all proceeds from the event support the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department, with approximately 40 percent of the department’s annual budget consisting of money gathered from the fair.
For more information, visit the Firemen’s Fair website.
Thibodaux’s Mud Bug Boil-Off — May 9, 2026
Hosted by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 52, Downtown Thibodaux’s upcoming mudbug boil-off is calling all eager cooks and hungry festival-goers for its annual crawfish cook-off.
While last year’s festival was cancelled due to construction, the smell of crawfish is still set to fill downtown this coming spring, as well as live music and auctions.
In previous years, proceeds from the festival went to local organizations such as the Children’s Advocacy Center of Lafourche and Thibodaux Main Street Inc., as well as the Fraternal Order of Police.
For more information, and the latest announcements, visit: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou website.
