Louisiana’s Finest and Events

Louisiana is known for its vibrant festival culture, and 2025 is no exception. The state hosts a plethora of festivals throughout the year, with something for everyone. Here are some of the festivals that you can look forward to during the festival season in 2025:

1. Mardi Gras: A season-long celebration that culminates on March 4, 2025, Mardi Gras is a must-attend event in Louisiana. The festivities include parades, music, and food, and are held across the state. The celebrations outside of New Orleans begin on January 11, while in New Orleans, the season starts on January 6 with four parades ¹.
2. It’s Carnival Season Ya’ll!
3. First things first, Mardi Gras 2025 is on Tuesday,  March 4th. Mardi Gras always lands on the Tuesday that is 47 days before Easter. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent. Carnival season refers to the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, and officially begins on January 6 every year..
4. King Cakes are a vibrant part of the Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans. As part of New Orleans’s Christian faith, the coming of the wise men bearing gifts to the Christ Child is celebrated twelve days after Christmas. We refer to this as the Feast of the Epiphany, or Little Christmas on the Twelfth Night.
5. The cake often has a small plastic baby (to represent the Baby Jesus) inside or underneath; and the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and obligations.
6. Today, the baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it in his/her slice of cake. In some traditions, the finder of the baby is designated “king” or “queen” for the evening. That person is also responsible for purchasing next year’s cake, or for throwing the next Mardi Gras party.
7. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: This festival is a cultural extravaganza that celebrates the music, food, and art of Louisiana. The event is held from April 24 to May 4, 2025, and features some of the biggest names in the music industry. The festival also showcases the work of thousands of artists, including those who specialize in food, leather goods, jewelry, metal works, and much more ¹.
8. Essence Festival of Culture: This festival is the largest African-American cultural and music event in the country, attracting over 500,000 visitors annually. The event is held from July 3 to July 6, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The festival features an impressive musical lineup with some of the biggest names in soul, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B. Beyond the outstanding music on tap, the festival offers experiences focusing on food, films, and fitness, to name just a few ¹.
9. Louisiana Crawfish Festival: This festival is a celebration of Louisiana’s favorite crustacean, the crawfish. The event is held from March 20 to March 23, 2025, in Chalmette, Louisiana. The festival features live music, carnival rides, and, of course, plenty of crawfish dishes to sample ¹.
10. Fall Festivals: Fall is festival season in Louisiana, and every corner of the state takes part. Explore the event lineup to find a variety of food, music, and culture festivals ².

These are just a few of the many festivals that you can enjoy in Louisiana during the festival season in 2024. Be sure to check out the official websites of these festivals for more information and updates. Also explore more festivals and events taking place around the state here: https://www.explorelouisiana.com/festivals-events-louisiana

Checkout our Merch Store for Mardi Gras items at: Lue’s House of International Decor and More!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!