Spring Festivals at the Northshore
There's lots of live music to keep things swinging in spring
This spring sees the return of three annual St. Tammany festivals, with the weather comfortably warm and everyone recovered just enough from Mardi Gras.
Hosted by the Slidell Historical Antique Association, the Olde Towne Slidell Spring Street Fair, held this March 25th and 26th, promises to make everything old new again. Vendors from all over the South convene, bringing selections of curated antiques for the serious collector and vintage items for casual perusal. A Slidell staple for over 40 years, the Olde Towne Slidell Spring Street Fair is a one-stop-spot for styling your home or finding your next festival costume. Food and drinks and live music (of course) accompany the retail therapy, too.
To really experience the terroir of Southeast Louisiana, head to Wild Bush Farm and Vineyard, where you can sample locally-made wines while enjoying the outdoor Jazz in the Vines concert series, hosted select Saturdays at 6:30 pm from March to November. Cultivating grapes in Louisiana requires perseverance and innovation, and Wild Bush owners Monica Bourgeois and Neil Gernon, who took over Pontchartrain Vineyards in 2020, proudly bring their Napa sensibilities and home-state pride to the task. With the Jazz in the Vines series, Bourgeois and Gernon uphold a long-standing tradition started at Pontchartrain Vineyards more than two decades ago. This spring, enjoy the musical stylings of Buckwheat Zydeco, Jr. and Ils Sort Partis Band, Debbie Davis, Amanda Shaw, and Dave Jordan.
Some of the biggest champions of Louisiana music culture aren’t the names on a marquee but the ones performing on the street, with an open guitar case collecting tips by their side as they serenade the street. The Abita Springs Busker Festival celebrates the state’s street musicians and the Louisiana and Mississippi Delta music traditions they preserve, including honkytonk, delta fiddle, blues, and jazz. The Abita Springs Trailhead & Museum hosts the event on Sunday, April 2 from 11 am–7 pm, with food and drink vendors on-site, and local restaurants and grocery stores within easy walking distance. In its 12th year, the festival is free. Bring a lawn chair, or picnic blanket, sunscreen, and definitely don’t forget your dancing shoes. louisiananorthshore.com/events/