October - 2007

Sun 1
SugarFest
Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave. 225-336-2422
Food, music, crafts, historic building tours, kids activities, hay rides and hands-on sugar experiments.

Sundays 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
Angola Prison Rodeo
Louisiana State Penitentiary. 225-655-4411 www.angolarodeo.com
Inmate rodeo dubbed “The Wildest Show in the South,” music, crafts, food.

Sun 1 - Tue 31
Fanfare
Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana University. 985-549-2341
Celebration of the arts with dance, films, music, theater and lectures.

Mon 2 - Sun 8
Tangipahoa Parish Free Fair
Amite, Tangipahoa Parish Fairgrounds. 985-748-5537, 800-542-7520
Agricultural events, crafts, entertainment, rides, parade and rodeo.

Thu 5 - Sun 8
St. Tammany Parish Fair
Covington Fairgrounds, 1304 Columbia St. 985-893-9880
Music, food, rides, a rodeo and agricultural exhibits.

Fri 6 - Sun 8
Gretna Heritage Festival
Huey P. Long Ave., Gretna. 504-361-7748 www.gretnafest.com
Carnival Rides, games, crafts, food, German Beer Garden, Italian Village. 6 stages & over 40 bands

Sunshine Festival
Donaldsonville, Mississippi River near Crescent Park. 225-473-4814
Rides, games, crafts, seafood and wild game cook-offs, music.

Louisiana Cattle Festival
Abbeville. 337-898-4110, 337-893-6328
Parade, livestock shows, cooking contests, Cajun French band competition, French storytelling contest, street dance.

Ponchatoula Oktoberfest 2007
Downtown Ponchatoula. 800-542-7520
German-style celebration with a beer garden, food, drink, music and dancing.

Sat 7
Shadows-on-the-Teche Arts and Crafts Festival
New Iberia, Shadows-on-the-Teche, 317 E. Main St. 1-888-9-IBERIA
Fine arts, metal and woodwork, demonstrations and tours of the plantation.

Denham Springs Olde Downtown Antique Festival
Denham Springs. 225-665-4666
Antiques and collectibles, entertainment, food and kids activities.

Sun 8
Roberts Cove GermanFest
Roberts Cove, St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Louisiana 98. 337-334-8354 www.robertscovegermanfest.com
German music, folklore, kids activities, dancing, food and crafts.

Tue 10 - Sun 15
Livingston Parish Fair
Livingston, Fair Grounds. 225-686-1333
Rides, crafts, food and family entertainment.

Louisiana Cotton Festival
Ville Platte, Civic Center, North City Park. 337-363-6367
Cajun contredanse, fais dodo, food and the ancient game of Le Tournoi.

Thu 12 - Sun 15
West Baton Rouge Parish Fair
Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Fairgrounds, 210 Turner Road. 225-336-2416, 225-344-2920
Livestock exhibits, crafts and food.

Fri 13 - Sun 15
Bridge City Gumbo Festival
Holy Guardian Angels Church, 1701 Bridge City Ave. 504-436-4712, 504-259-4718
Food, gumbo-cooking contest, rides, crafts, music and a fais dodo.

Voice of the Wetlands Festival
Houma, Southdown Plantation House, 1208 Museum Drive. 985-790-0682
Promoting coastal education, awareness and lobbying efforts with displays, food, music.

Celtic Nations Heritage Festival
Lake Charles, Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive. 504-391-8978
Music and dancing, workshops, kids games, food and the World Cup Currach Regatta with participants from around the United States and Ireland.

Boucherie Festival
Sorrento, Ascension Civic Center, Reynolds/Lambert Park. 225-675-6187
Cracklin'- and jambalaya-cooking contests, parade, music, rides, food.

Festivals Acadiens
Girard Park and downtown Lafayette. 800-346-1958 www.FestivalsAcadiens.com
A combination of festivals includes Downtown Alive!, the Louisiana Craft Fair, the Bayou Food Festival and Festival de Musique Acadienne. Zydeco and Cajun music, Cajun and Creole food, crafts and folk-life exhibits.

Sat 14 - Sun 15
St. Anthony Parish OctoberFest
Gretna, 900 Franklin St. at Burmaster. 504-367-0689
Food, music, rides, games, video arcade, New Orleans Rock/Paper/Scissors Challenge.

World Championship Gumbo Cook-off
New Iberia, Bouligny Plaza. 337-364-1836
Food festival and gumbo cook-off, with music and samplings.

Sun 15
Laurel Valley Village Fall Festival
Thibodaux, Laurel Valley Village Store and Museum. 985-447-5216
Antique farm machinery, crafts, Cajun food and music.

St. Martinville Pepper Festival
Downtown St. Martinville.
Pepper-eating contest, music, crafts, games and food.

Wed 18 - Sat 21
Washington Parish Free Fair
Franklinton. 985-839-7840
Believed to be the largest county/parish fair in the U.S., with horticultural and livestock exhibits, rides, food, a rodeo and music.

Thu 19 - Sat 21
International Rice Festival
Crowley. 337-783-3067
One of the oldest agricultural festivals in the state with rice-eating contest, parades, entertainment, livestock show and cooking contests.

Fri 20 - Sun 22
Swamp Pop Fest
Bourg, Grand Bois Campground, Louisiana 24. 985-594-7410
Three-day fest with music and food.

St. Cletus Oyster Festival
Gretna, 3600 Claire Ave. 504-367-7951
Food, games, auctions, kiddieland, bands.

Louisiana Gumbo Festival
Chackbay, Fair Grounds, Louisiana 304. 985-633-7789, 985-633-2828
Gumbo cook-off, rides, food, music and an auction.

International Acadian Festival
Plaquemine. 225-687-6549
Cajun and country music, food and a parade, celebrating its 36th year. (.

Festival Of The Lake
Mandeville, Our Lady of the Lake. 985-626-5671
Music, crafts, food, rides and games.

St. John Parish Andouille Festival
LaPlace, Percy Hebert Building. 985-652-9569
Food, crafts, rides and continuous entertainment.

Oktoberfest 2007
Gonzales, Lamar-Dixon Center.
German beer garden with food, drink and music.

Sat 21 - Sun 22
Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival
Madisonville, Water Street along the Tchefuncte River. 985-845-9200, 985-892-0520
Boat-building demonstration and contests, marine auction, entertainment, flea market, food, crafts and music.

Wed 25 - Sun 29
Louisiana Yambilee Festival
Opelousas, Yambilee Building. 337-948-8848, 800-210-5298
Sweet potato celebration, diaper derby, kids costume contest, style show, auction, ball and parade.

Thu 26 - Nov 5
Greater Baton Rouge State Fair
Airline Highway Park/Fairgrounds. 225-755-FAIR, 800-LA-ROUGE
Rides, food, music, kids activities, animal shows, games, exhibits.

Fri 27 - Sun 29
Fete d’Octobre
Kaplan, Holy Rosary Catholic School grounds. 337-643-6472
Food, music, rides, crafts.

French Food Festival
Larose Regional Park and Civic Center, 307 E. Fifth St. 985-693-7355
Old-fashioned festival with music, a boucherie, Cajun food, crafts, music, cooking and boat-building demonstrations, folk-life exhibits and rides.

Bayou Dularge Knights of Columbus Fishing Rodeo & Fair
Falgout Canal on Bayou Dularge. 985-851-1379
Country fair with Cajun food, auctions, rides, bands and fishing rodeo (freshwater, saltwater, offshore & kids divisions).

Sat 28 - Sun 29

Voodoo Music Experience
New Orleans.
Known for its eclectic blend of high-quality artists from all genres as well as up and coming favorites, the Voodoo Music Experience is one of the nation's premiere music festivals.

• More Voodoo Music Experience

Fresh Art Festival
New Orleans, 800 block of St. Joseph Street. 504-523-1465
Outdoor arts festival with a juried fine art and craft show, artist demonstrations, kids activities, music and food.

Sat 28 - Mon 30
Hammondfest
Hammond, Cate Square. 800-542-7520, 985-345-4457
Games, food, music and storytelling.