Louisiana Pirate Festival

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Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter walks the plank during the Louisiana Pirate Festival (photo credit: Lindsey Janies Photography

Louisiana Pirate Festival & Rum Revival

Celebrations with spirit coming to Southwest Louisiana's Playground in May

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Aaarrrrggh! The 66th annual Louisiana Pirate Festival sails back into Lake Charles May 4—14. But first, get ready to revel at the Rum Revival, which uncorks good times to celebrate South Louisiana's cultural ties to the Caribbean.

A Pirate's Life for Me

While inspired by a legendary tale reaching back three centuries into Louisiana’s history, the Louisiana Pirate Festival is pretty historic in its own right. This year marks the 66th annual festival, which brings ten days' worth of swashbuckling thrills to the grounds of the Lake Charles Civic Center and Seawall. As stories go, the legend that the festival celebrates is a good one: while fleeing enemy ships, the pirate Jean Lafitte and his crew of buccaneers sought refuge in the waterways around Lake Charles, which they concluded would make a good hiding spot for their ill-gotten booty. Although Lafitte’s treasure has never been found, the area became known, and is still referred to today, as Contraband Bayou.

Festival happenings include cannon demonstrations on opening night; carnival games and rides like the Supershot and Gondola Wheel; a children’s pirate costume contest and accompanying parade; an arm wrestling championship, arts and crafts sessions, and the traditional, famous crawfish-eating contest. The festival’s musical lineup includes bands like Gypsy La Blue, which melds southern rock, with blues overtones; Boomerang, which mixes country, classic rock, funk, and top 40 hits; and Johnny Jimenez, the self-described #honkytonkmexican.

… And a Bottle of Rum

Tied in with the Louisiana Pirate Festival is the Rum Revival, a one-day event on May 6 that commemorates Lake Charles’ historic ties to the Caribbean. True to its name, the star of the event is a variety of notable rums (your ticket includes all-you-can-drink rums) and rum-based cocktails. New to the libation lineup this year is tequila, and an array of beers and wines to sample, as well as plenty of memorable foods to try. The event will support fundraising efforts of United Way of Southwest LA, which works to bring health, education, and economic mobility to all members of the community.

Also playing during Rum Revival will be classically trained guitarist Javier Olondo with his band AsheSon, whose members blend sounds evoking classical, Latin, jazz, and Cuban traditions. So head to RumRevival.org to get your tickets and be at the Lake Charles Civic Center on May 6.

For more ways to live it up during spring and summer in Louisiana's Playground, go to visitlakecharles.org/events