Festival season is firmly underway in Lafourche Parish, drawing thrill seekers, destination diners, music lovers, and tarpon fishermen alike. So, get out your calendars, folks, and plan to make a beeline to the bayou to experience one (or all) of these only-in-Louisiana events.
April 25–27: La Fête du Monde
Formerly the Lockport Food Festival, Raceland’s La Fête du Monde draws surrounding Lafourche Parish communities together each spring to make merry and raise money for local organizations like the volunteer fire department, rotary club, and the Lafourche Folklife and Heritage Museum. The carnival rides are thrilling, the swamp pop is rug-cutting, and the food is worth shouting about all on its own. Festival-goers can also take part in live and silent auctions, a children’s pageant, and a cornhole tournament. This year’s lineup features top-notch entertainers including Freddie Rodrigue, Pot 2 La, Tet Dur, and Epic. Held all weekend at the Lafourche Pavilion at the Cajun Bayou Visitor Center. Details at facebook.com/lafetedumonde.
A pastor bestows his blessings upon shrimping boats at the annual Blessing of the Fleet.
April 26: Annual Blessing of the Fleet
Take part in a hallowed tradition observed by fishing communities around the globe, just as fishermen in South Louisiana embark on the spring shrimping season. Golden Meadow’s Blessing of the Fleet at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church is the oldest continually held event of its kind in Louisiana, established by Father Yves Grall in 1916, when he brought the tradition to these shores from Brittany, France. After a fisherman’s Mass at Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Pastor Thankachan (John) Nambusseril will lead a procession to the banks of Bayou Lafourche, where boats from the local shrimping fleet will be awaiting their blessing. Afterwards, everyone celebrates with a boiled shrimp lunch and live music by local bands. Details at lacajunbayou.com.
April 27: Laurel Valley Spring Festival
One of the oldest cultural festivals in the Lafourche Parish area, this twice-annual gathering at Laurel Valley Plantation brings together almost a hundred artisans from around South Louisiana. Besides the prospect of a beautiful spring day spent shopping on Laurel Valley’s remarkable historic property, festival-goers can look forward to cultural demonstrations and exhibitions ranging from boat building to antique engine displays. Live music, food vendors, and a petting zoo, too. Free, details at laurelvalleyplantation.com.
Firemen parade through Thibodaux for the Firemen's Fair
May 1–4: Thibodaux Fireman’s Fair
The Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department mounts this impressive affair each year, drawing tens of thousands of people to the Fire Department Fairgrounds for one of the hottest festivals of the season. Expect carnival rides and a 5K run, a $15,000 raffle and auctions; but the biggest draw is the menu, prepared by the fire fighters themselves. Think shrimp creole, crab crakes with crawfish sauce, gumbo, shrimp stew—not to mention the famous fireman’s fair burger. Or, keep one hand free and grab a turkey leg—all the better for dancing to this year’s headliners: Snapper & the Fishsticks, David Lee Murphy, Hoobastank, and Keith Frank. It all culminates on Sunday with one of Louisiana’s oldest parades, for which local firemen promenade through downtown Thibodaux aboard decked-out floats and fire trucks. Details at firemensfair.com.
June 6–8: Bon Mangé Festival
The promise is in the name—get out your French-English dictionary if you have to—but we’ll just say, come hungry. At the fairgrounds on Hwy 654 in blink-and-you-might-miss-it Gheens, expect live music, a live auction, a cornhole tournament, and a craft show. Plus, of course, dozens of local cooks proffering family recipes for regional dishes like grillades, gumbo, cracklins, white beans, and more. Details at gheensbonmange.weebly.com.
Duck decoys at the Cajun Heritage Festival
June 6–8: Cajun Heritage Festival
There are dozens of events happening this time of year that call themselves a “Cajun Heritage Festival” of one kind or another, but this is one of the only ones that speaks to the regional sensibilities of “Sportsman’s Paradise”. Taking over the Larose Civic Center, this dazzling event is a full-blown decoy show—featuring displays of hundreds of specially-designed decoys, duck call contests, carving demonstrations, Cajun food, and an auction. Details at facebook.com/cajunheritagefestivalduckcarving.
Golden Meadow's Tarpon Rodeo is a three-day fishing fest.
July 3–5: Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo
In 1948, a group of friends were having a drink at Crip’s Bar in Golden Meadow, and one of them said, “What if we had a fishing tournament, except everyone was after tarpon?” Since then, the event has become one of the premier fishing tournaments on the Gulf Coast, drawing hundreds of competitors in their boats to Golden Meadow each year for three days of live music, auctions, giveaways, and of course—magnificent, flying silver fish. Details at fourchontarpon.com.
Find more about upcoming events at lacajunbayou.com/calendar-of-events.
