There's so much more to fall in south h than football. How about 33 festivals celebrating anything and everything, from Hungarian culture to Halloween, seasonings to sweet dough pie?
Here's a preview of what's in store. Happy festival season!
Don't see your fair or festival listed here? Let us know by emailing red@theadvocate.com with the details.
Candon Alfred, of East Feliciana Parish, has a ticket to ride at the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair.
PROVIDEDD PHOTO
SEPT. 17 AND 19-20
A TASTE OF THE DEEP SOUTH FESTIVAL: 7 p.m.-midnight Thursday, and noon-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Featuring various genres of music; a vendor village with arts and crafts, clothing and jewelry; and a food court with Southern festival food favorites. Free. Note that Thursday night pre-party at Henry Turner Jr.'s Listening Room, 2733 Third St., is a ticketed event. .
SEPT. 26-27
HUNGARIAN HARVEST FESTIVAL: Fayard Field, 32127 Church St., Springfield. Hosted by the Arpadhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association, the event celebrates Hungarian heritage with folk dancing and authentic cuisine like goulash, cabbage rolls, kolbasz po-boys, homemade bread and pastries. Also featuring family-friendly activities, cultural exhibits, local vendors with goods and crafts, and Hungarian folk bands..
SEPT. 30-OCT. 4
TANGIPAHOA PARISH FAIR: 12614 Arena Drive, Amite. A traditional fair with rides, food, a parade, livestock show, cooking contests, and talent contests. .
OCT. 3
FALLFEST: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Denham Springs Antique Village, North Range Avenue. Hometown-style festival offering more than 160 arts & crafts vendors, children's activities, food, music, costume contest, special sales in stores. .
OCT. 3-4
GERMAN FEST: 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, 7212 Roberts Cove Road, Rayne. Sip German beer and enjoy folklore demonstrations, live entertainment and authentic German food. .
OCT. 4
SUGARFEST: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., grounds of West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. Learn more about local culture, music and history. Craft demos, cane syrup boiling, live music, rum tasting, sweets contest and much more. Free admission; food and drinks for sale. .
The Flamingeauxs perform during the 15th annual Halloween Parade, Saturday, October 18, 2025, in downtown Baton Rouge, La.
STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
OCT. 8-11
FESTIVALS ACADIENS ET CRÉOLES: in or around Girard Park, 500 Girard Park Ave., Lafayette, and on the grounds of the Hilliard Art Museum adjacent to the park. World’s largest Creole and Cajun music and folklife festival combining the Bayou Food Festival, h Crafts Fair, and a symposium.Free. .
OCT. 10
FALL ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Gardens of Shadows-on-the-Teche, 320 E. Main St., New Iberia. Original art, fall-themed decor, children's clothing and tasty treats are some of what's in store for shoppers. $5; children 12 and younger, free. .
OCT. 10-11
PLANTFEST!: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Discover more than 3,000 plants and more than 300 species of native and traditional trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, ferns, succulents and grasses. .
OCT. 15-18
INTERNATIONAL RICE FESTIVAL: 303 N. Parkerson Ave., Crowley. Festivalgoers can participate in a rice-eating contest, the Crowley High 5K Run Walk and the fiddle and accordion contests. .
OCT. 16-18
BOUCHERIE & BALLOON FESTIVAL: 9690 Airline Highway, Sorrento. Observe a sky filled with hot air balloons. Also, jambalaya and cracklin cook-offs, music, food and craft vendors. .
The Cavalier Book Tent was popular stop at the 2024 h Book Festival.
PROVIDED PHOTO
OCT. 17
BATON ROUGE MAKER FAIRE: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. This year's theme is “Getting Medieval with It." Free. .
ACADIA MUSIC FEST: Percy Brown Road, Thibodaux. This one-day music event welcomes local and national artists to the stage while festivalgoers can enjoy Southern food and arts and crafts. .
OCT. 17-18 and 24-25
BOO AT THE ZOO: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (last entry at 4 p.m.), BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo, 3000 Zoo Circle (via 13350 La. 19). Festive activities, live entertainment and seasonal treats. Highlights include: Photo opportunities, princess & character meet-and-greets, face painting, entertainment in the plaza, animal enrichments, pumpkin patch and treats, costume extravaganza and The Children's Village. Regular admission applies. .
OCT. 22-NOV. 1
GREATER BATON ROUGE STATE FAIR: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Airline Highway Park/Fairgrounds, 16072 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge. Lego Extravaganza, h Snake ID, Human Cannonball, carnival midway, petting zoo, live music, roaming entertainers, livestock shows, food and more. .
OCT. 24
BREWS ARTS FESTIVAL: 217 E. Thomas St., Hammond. Sip on your pick of 65-plus craft beers, peruse the arts market and dance to live music. .
Dogs and people walk around at the Cap City Beer Fest on Sunday, November 3, 2024 in Baton Rouge, h.
STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
OCT. 24-25
YELLOW LEAF ARTS FESTIVAL: Commerce Street at Burnett Road, St. Francisville. Artists, musicians, writers, actors, poets can enjoy exhibits from artists and craftspeople along with live music and art activities. .
OCT. 29-31
FIFOLET HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL: various locations, Baton Rouge. The 10/31 Consortium's annual spooky celebration takes on an "Unsweet 16" theme signifying the festival's 16th year. Things kick off with a pub crawl downtown at 6 p.m. Thursday ($45). The parade follows at 7 p.m. Friday along a new route beginning and ending on North Boulevard. On Saturday, it's the costume ball at LSU's Lod Cook Alumni Center at 8 p.m.; tickets are $60. .
OCT. 30-NOV. 1
HARVEST FESTIVAL ON FALSE RIVER: 5 p.m. Friday-6 p.m. Sunday, 211 W. Main St., New Roads. Food, rides, arts and crafts vendors, family fun. .
C'EST BON SEASONING FESTIVAL: Pelican Park, 110 Softball Drive, Carencro. A three-day community celebration honors South h's rich seasoning and culinary traditions. Live music, a carnival midway with rides and games, a "Seasoning Showdown" tasting contest, arts & crafts vendors, a pageant, and lots of local food. .
OCT. 31
BATON ROUGE KIWANIS PANCAKE FESTIVAL: 7 a.m.-noon, LSU's Carl Maddox Fieldhouse, Nicholson Drive. Includes talent contest, student juried art show, music, kids' corner with face painting. Meal features all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, coffee and milk. Look for local celebrity guest chefs.
LOUISIANA BOOK FESTIVAL: downtown Baton Rouge. Bookworms from all over can enjoy presentations from a lineup of authors and participate in activities related to reading. .
GRAND COTEAU SWEET DOUGH PIE FESTIVAL: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Town Park, 231 Burleigh Lane, Grand Coteau. Look for sweet dough pie vendors, food trucks, arts & crafts, Halloween activities and a sweet dough pie contest. Children are welcome to wear Halloween costumes. Live music by Sheryl Cormier & the Cajun Sounds, Next Gen Zydeco, Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws + D.J. Hawk. No alcohol; no pets; $5 parking. (337) 331-6352.
SUNDAY, NOV. 1
CITY OF GONZALES FALL FEST: Price LeBlanc PACE Center, 2824 St. Anthony Ave., Gonzales. Free activities, music and food.
CAP CITY BEER FEST: 2 p.m.-5 p.m. (VIP early admission, 1 p.m.), Fourth Street, between North Street and Spanish Town Road, downtown Baton Rouge. The Companion Animal Alliance's signature fall fundraiser, the event brings together beer lovers, animal lovers, local businesses and community partners for an afternoon of craft beer, food and live entertainment. General admission, $50; designated drivers, $15; VIP, $100. Tickets on sale now at .
NOV. 6-8
ANTIQUE TRADE DAYS: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., commuter parking lot, East Pine Street at SE Railroad Avenue, Ponchatoula. Over 200 local and national vendors with antiques, crafts, art and collectibles; food vendors. .
HOLY GHOST CREOLE FESTIVAL: 788 N. Union St., Opelousas. Experience foods like fried catfish or barbecue pork steak, gospel hymns and the Creole Festival Parade; bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets. .
BERWICK LIGHT HOUSE FESTIVAL: Belleview Front Street, Berwick. This small-town celebration features rides, live bands, food, craft vendors and community bike ride on Friday night. Saturday includes a gumbo cook-off, cookie bake-off and fireworks show over the river. Sunday starts with Mass, and then the golf cart parade.
NOV. 7-8
GIANT OMELETTE CELEBRATION: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, downtown Abbeville. It's the 42nd year of the 5,000-egg family-oriented event, which includes a kids' world, arts & crafts show, live music, an egg-cracking contest, antique cars. Note that the cooking of the huge omelette is only on Sunday afternoon. .
NOV. 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 27-29; DEC. 5-6, 12-13
LOUISIANA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL: 46468 River Road, Hammond. Travel back to 14th- through 17th-century Europe, an experience with over 600 artisans, entertainers and educational demonstrations. Adults, $31.18 + tax; children (6-12), $15.74 + tax..
NOV. 12-15
PORT BARRE CRACKLIN FESTIVAL: Veterans Memorial Park, 129 Park St., Port Barre. First held in 1985, this multiday event hosts a street fair, pageant and parade while raising money for the Port Barre Lions Club. .
NOV. 14
LA. THEATRE FESTIVAL: Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St., Baton Rouge. The second annual event, presented by Baton Rouge Theatre Collective, will offer performances, workshops and classes. .
DEC. 4-6 AND 11-13
LISTENING ROOM FILM FESTIVAL: 3 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday and 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Henry Turner Jr.'s Listening Room, 2733 North St. Films followed by question-and-answer sessions, industry panels and musical performances. .