Balloons & Boucherie

It's a whole-hog, hot air kinda weekend when the Sorrento Lions Club brings Boucherie Festival to the Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival. If pigs were ever going to fly, it'll happen here. You'll wanna do a little advance fasting, as the menu includes jambalaya, hogshead cheese, cracklins, boudin and boudin balls, roast pork, and chicken and andouille gumbo—and those balloons can only carry so much weight. The combined event will beheld at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, featuring all the traditional trappings of the Boucherie Fest: Cracklin' and Jambalaya Cook-offs, pig roasting, and all things pork—only now is the added magic of hot air balloon glows, live entertainment, fireworks, carnival rides, and more. This year, the event will also debut its Bon Temps Marché—a shopping extravaganza showcasing local businesses and vendors. Fun to be had all weekend. 4 pm–11 pm Friday; 11 am–11 pm; Contest finals from 6 am–11 am. $6; free for ages eight and younger; Carnival Ride bracelets are $25; tethered balloon rides $20 for adults, $15 for children. boucheriefestival.com.