Fall Festival Season Brings Plenty of Fun Across Southeast Louisiana

Fall has arrived in Southeast Louisiana, and folks across the New Orleans metro area are celebrating the season with a whole lot of music, food, family fun and good times.

The fall festival calendar got rolling with its first big weekend of events, including the 11-day NOLAxNOLA music showcase, which runs through Oct. 4. Now in its sixth year, the celebration features about 300 live performances at more than 50 venues around the city, including The Broadside in New Orleans.

At The Broadside, Sari Jordan with Art Camp 504 helped youngsters get creative, guiding them as they made their own Mardi Gras masks. The venue also featured live performances, arts and crafts, and local vendors.

“They get really focused on their masks, and they start doing really detailed stuff, so it’s really fun to watch them make things,”
Jordan said.

For Malissa White, the musicians were the main attraction.

“First and foremost, the music, right? Live music hits differently,” White said. “It’s just wonderful.”

Over in St. Charles Parish, the annual Alligator Festival is carrying on through Sept. 27, with proceeds helping provide scholarships for local graduates. The event’s scholarship program has come a long way since the Rotary Club first awarded $250. Festival organizers say it now provides more than $50,000 in scholarships each year, with the program topping $1 million in educational opportunities overall.

Up on the Northshore, the Village of Folsom hosted its Fall Festival & Chili Cook-off on Sept. 26. The day brought out an antique tractor display, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, food trucks and plenty of activities for the whole family.

And there’s more where that came from. The St. Tammany Parish Fair returns Sept. 30-Oct. 4 for its 116th year in Covington. Visitors can expect carnival rides, livestock shows, rodeos, gospel music, horticulture exhibits and, naturally, plenty of classic fair food.

Some Old Favorites Are Getting a New Look

A few longtime Louisiana festivals are coming back this year with some sizable changes to their format or location.

National Fried Chicken Festival (Oct. 2–4): Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival is stretching into a full three-day weekend for the first time and moving to the Lakefront Arena Festival Grounds.

“We felt like the 10th anniversary was a good opportunity to take the next step,” said Cleveland Spears III, founder and executive producer. “We want to be a major destination festival. We want to attract folks to come into New Orleans and celebrate a weekend here and spend their money here and support our restaurants and this local economy.”

Gretna Festin’ (Saturdays in October): Instead of the traditional three-day Gretna Fest, organizers are rolling out a free concert series called “Gretna Festin’.”

Beginning Oct. 3, the new format will bring live music, food and family-friendly activities to the batture on four straight Saturdays.

“Our businesses need that opportunity this year,” Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant said. “They will be visible on the batture with specialty drinks and great food from all of the restaurants here in the city of Gretna.”

October Is Packed, Y’all

And if you thought September was busy, October is fixing to be something else altogether.

The month brings a full plate of neighborhood festivals, food-focused events and seasonal celebrations, giving families, music lovers and anybody looking for a good excuse to get out and enjoy Louisiana plenty of options.