Anybody who’s been outside this week already knows we’re not quite there yet, but relief is coming. Highs are still hanging in the 90s across Acadiana, but by mid-September we’ll start seeing mornings dip into the 60s (hopefully), humidity finally letting up enough to sit outside without sweating through your shirt. It’s the perfect time of year to get back outdoors and have a good time. Coincidentally, that’s also when festival season kicks back into gear across Louisiana.
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Boat parades, cook-offs, street dances, and Fais Do-Dos start popping up from Larose to Basile, and honestly, it’s the best stretch of the year to get outdoors around here. We pulled together the fall festival lineup from LafayetteTravel across South Louisiana, sorted by date, so you can start marking your calendar now.
Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival
Dates: September 24-27, 2026 Location: Bouligny Plaza, 102 W. Main St., New Iberia, LA Website: iberiatravel.com
New Iberia’s signature festival has been going strong for over 80 years. Expect the Blessing of the Crop, a boat parade, Fais Do-Do, sugar cookery contests, and the coronation of Queen Sugar. It’s one of the oldest agricultural festivals in the state, and it’s a full weekend of it.
Cut Off Youth Center Hurricane Festival
Dates: September 25-27, 2026 Location: Cut Off, LA (Lafourche Parish) Website: lacajunbayou.com
The C.O.Y.C. Hurricane Festival is a Lafourche Parish tradition that benefits the local youth center, with live music, food, and family activities all weekend.
Annual IRF Rice and Gravy Cook-Off
Date: September 26, 2026 Location: Downtown Crowley, LA Website: ricefestival.com
A warm-up to the bigger Rice Festival in October, this cook-off puts Acadia Parish’s favorite comfort food front and center. If you love rice and gravy as much as we do, this is worth the drive to Crowley.
La Fete Des Vieux Temps
Dates: October 2-4, 2026 Location: Raceland, LA Website: lacajunbayou.com…