International Rice Festival
Louisiana's oldest and largest agricultural festival marks its 81st year celebrating the industrious and invaluable grain of rice.
Downtown Crowley 303 N Parkerson Avenue, Crowley, Louisiana 70526
Where would jambalaya, etouffée, and gumbo be without this all-powerful ingredient? Rice is essential to dishes the world over, so head to Crowley to pay homage to the tiny grain that gets around. Festival-goers are treated to rice cooking and eating contests, the Grand Parade, arts & crafts, fiddling competitions, a frog derby, a rice poker run, a classic car show, and more over the course of this huge happening. The live music lineup includes local and national favorites like Rusty Metoyer, Dustin Sonnier, Wayne Toups, Frank Foster, and Spank the Monkey. Music, parking, and entry to the festival are free; but the carnival will cost you. All details can be found at ricefestival.com.
If you want to read about one of the area's historic rice mills, click here for Frank McMains' article on the Falcon Rice Mill from our July 2013 issue. Or, read about the time that JFK himself made a pitstop in Crowley for the festival's occasion, in this article from our October 2017 issue.
