7 Louisiana Food Festivals to Add to Your Bucket List
From contests and craft vendors to live music and games, there’s something special about spending an afternoon at a local food festival. But we all know the main event is the food. Whether you’re looking for a festival dedicated to savory entrees or tasty desserts, you’re guaranteed to discover something great at any one of these seven Louisiana food festivals.
Franklin Parish Catfish Festival
Franklin Parish
The small town of Franklin Parish has been hosting their annual catfish festival since 1986, which is when farm-raised catfish boomed in the region. Thanks to the rise of the aquaculture industry, Franklin Parish experienced an economic boom and decided to celebrate with a festival each April. You want to come to this event ready to eat because there will be plenty of scrumptious catfish dishes, but you can also enjoy a softball tournament, a 5K run, live music and an antique car show.
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World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off
Eunice
Known as Louisiana’s Prairie Cajun Capital, the charming town of Eunice is nestled right in the heart of the top crawfish-producing region in the country. Because they have an abundance of this delicious natural resource, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ve become the destination of the World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off. This event presents the perfect opportunity to do some taste testing, dance to live music, and peruse a variety of arts and crafts from local vendors.
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Black Pot Festival
Lafayette
People have been enjoying the Black Pot Festival in Lafayette for more than a decade. This celebration of Southwest Louisiana food and music has something for everyone, including a cook-off for everyone from amateurs to professionals. If cooking isn’t your thing, you can always pop on over to one of the many stages with live music. You can enjoy everything from swing and bluegrass to Cajun and zydeco. You could even make a weekend of it and pitch a tent in the campground.
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Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival
Natchitoches
You may have attended a few food festivals over the years, but have you ever spent a weekend celebrating the humble meat pie? These beloved meals may not be quite as common in the United States as they are in other countries, but one trip to the annual Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival could leave you wishing these tasty treats were on the menu more often. In addition to good food, this festival also includes live music, great entertainment and a variety of interesting vendor shops to enjoy.
The Zwolle Tamale Fiesta
Zwolle
The small town of Zwolle in western Louisiana hosts the Tamale Fiesta every year to celebrate and honor the community’s Spanish and Indian heritage. They have a long and storied history, which you can read more about on the event website, but this festival was born from the culinary efforts to produce the best hot tamale in the country. Visitors to this Louisiana food festival can purchase tamales individually or by the dozen at this iconic event. Or you could throw your name into the hat for the tamale-making contest. And if you would rather leave the cooking to the experts, you can always have a good time watching the parade, listening to live music and participating in a variety of family-friendly activities.
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Cochon de Lait Festival
Mansura
If you happen to be a hardcore foodie with a penchant for uncommon dishes, the Cochon de Lait Festival is the event for you. Mansura, Louisiana, has been dubbed the cochon de lait capital of the world, which means this festival brings you everything from incredible Cajun food to the renowned cochon de lait (French for roast suckling pig), which is often cooked over an open fire. With a combination of delicious cuisine and live entertainment, this is a festival that is fun – and filling – for the whole family.
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Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
New Orleans
Considered one of the most unique festivals in The Big Easy, the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival features some of the best restaurants, musicians and artists in the area. Everyone comes together on National Sandwich Day, naturally, to celebrate the beloved Po-Boy sandwich, a New Orleans creation that stands out from among the crowd. If you’re unfamiliar with this Louisiana staple, it’s a sandwich that usually consists of roast beef or fried seafood served on French bread with a crisp crust and soft center. How can you ever go wrong with that?