Last time I was in the area visiting with my family-we came here for a multi-band concert. I was in…read moreculture shock! The Parking was FREE, the Concert was FREE! The only thing you had to pay for was drinks, food and CD's, if you needed these. In Jacksonville, you have to pay for just about everything! We even brought my granddaughter along. It was a family rock n roll event.

I had a fabulous time at this festival. Really relaxing, and the acts were all great. I loved…read morethe set up, the camping, the camp fires, the vendors. and more. I was actually a vendor myself and I enjoyed all the folks who stopped in to see my work. I wish now I was going to raugaroo fest / not sure spelling there. but I'll be back next year for this. nice fest that isn't so crowded that you cannot breathe. tab benoit has outdone himself.

I have an issue. I hear about a festival and think that I want to go and do it, but when it comes…read moreto actually going and doing it? I can't make myself do it. Well in this year 2022, I am forcing myself to go. While I missed out on the parade this year and the movie screening, I did come on the Saturday morning of the festival and I am so very glad I did. Parking was no issue; free parking was close to the festivities. There were many booths with a lot of interesting goodies for sale. Amazing festival! I am so glad I came. I look forward to coming again.

I'm probably the only person in Louisiana who doesn't get excited about festivals. To be clear, I…read morenot only don't get excited, I actively avoid them all and have been known to grumble, "is there *really* a need for a mac & cheese festival?" But Rougarou Fest is something else! I've been wanting to go to for years now. I mean, a festival devoted to all things werewolf, witch and Halloween? So up my alley. And it lived up to all of my expectations. What I loved about it: +easy to park and walk to the heart of the action +not so crowded/you won't feel your phobia kicking in +lots of fun crafts on display +excellent music (I mean, how can you not get happy when you hear zydeco?) although the sound person should have noticed that no one was standing in the immediate area by the stage/speakers because it was too loud for the smaller daytime crowds +all of the people and dogs in creative/fun costumes +witches on parade! +lovely Queen! +Re's face painting station +the friendly people of Houma +tent with RF souvenirs, especially this year's awesome poster that compelled me to buy 2 I wish I could write more about the parade but right as Queen Angelique's float rolled by, the heavens opened up and there was a torrential downpour. notes for next year: +it's practically a crime to not come in costume +no food for vegans or vegetarians, so bring snacks +arrive a little later and explore Chavin Sculpture Garden before parking +not a huge festival and an hour or two before the parade is plenty of time to enjoy everything

Parade was loads of fun, small hometown feel, everyone was smiling. Then we went to the "fair"…read moresection. People were packed shoulder to shoulder, with no police presence anywhere, rip-off aggressive carney games, and crazy overpriced carnival food like $20 elephant ears, with a handful of vendors charging French Market at Mardi Gras prices for arts and crafts. Not to mention $30 "half flats" that were less than half that down the road at Rouses from the same exact farms. This is after we paid $20 to park. I'm all for supporting local, but when you're crammed in like sardines and you're paying close to $200 for carnival food (there were a few exceptions of good food) it's a hard PASS for us. There were TWO sh--tings - thankfully after we left. Love the people of Ponchatoula, but we'll avoid the festival in the future.

Great parade on Sat morning. Get there early and you can street parking for free on Pine Street on…read morethe parade route. This is what you do for your elderly family members, then when the parade is over, the street opens back up and you can drive out. Otherwise, parking is generally around $20 in various lots. Sometimes you can park along Railroad Ave for free or at Kiwanis park. Make sure you bring cash. As for restrooms the city ones are generally locked up and you are forced to find the Porto Johns. Expect to wait in a long line for those. There is plenty of overpriced food, games, and strawberry flats ($25-$30). But is to be expected as this is a festival.

MUST DO! When you…read morefind yourself in New Orleans for the Christmas holidays, this is what you do... head north to St. James Parish on Christmas Eve! Bonfires and Fireworks along the Mississippi River... oh yeah, Let the Good Times roll baby! Pro Tip: * Read other reviews and their tips, that's what I did! * Get there early, park on Main St. I parked free around the post office around 5pm... then walked to the levee just a few blocks away. Take a little walk around the neighborhood to get familiar with your surroundings and check out the parties, then walk up on the levee to figure out where you want to hang out for the rest of the night. * 7pm is time set to light the fire. Some fires actually were lit before 7pm so be sure to be settled just before 7. Some wait awhile to make a grandstand show so expect to be there till at least 8 or later. On December 24th all along the Mississippi River, you will see bonfires to help light the way for Papa Noel. Another story is that the bonfires were built to light the way for the families attending midnight service at church on Christmas Eve. Hey, why not both right?! Bonfires can be found all up and down the river with the highest concentration is in St. James Parish, in and around Gramercy, Lutcher and Paulina. The best viewing for us was walking the levees before the fires were lit and being right in the middle of the action and anticipation. We found behind one of the big teepees, a huge pryro set up... so that was our cue to stick around that area. Yep, that ended up being the center of the show! Lots of people try just driving their car along the bank River Road which I don't recommend as you will just be sitting in traffic for hours and you won't really get the feel of the event. Most of the families that have houses along the levees host a party... and I mean, it's a party all around there! Many bonfires are built in the traditional "Teepee" style while others are built is different shapes and sizes. There are typically over 120 bonfire permits issued to families and groups that spend days building these wooden forms to be put ablaze. This event was on my bucket list for about 20 years... We finally made it December 2018!

The Bonfires on the Levee is an AWESOME annual event hat happens Christmas Eve in St. James Parish…read more Several local families and stranger alike get together and try to outdo each other every year and build the biggest baddest longest burning bonfire. I have been in Gramercy when I have gone for this event but I know it extends for miles. Coca Cola and the city of Gramery usually do some ridiculously spectacular bonfire and Zapps is always out there steady giving out free chips. The families spend an insane amount of time and money building these bonfires and they have to meet certain specifications and codes. They also get creative and some put firecrackers and sparklers in the them and make them special. The big thing is to have the tallest one but they are literally lined up for miles. They all get lit at the same time and it is really a sight. The story that I have heard is that the bonfires were used to light the way for Papa Noel and show him where the Mississippi River ends. A friend of mine's family has done this for years and every time I have gone, its been a super good time. Thousand of people gather out there and basically party by the bonfires. Lots of friends and family from that area mostly go but there are plenty of others as well. Pro Tip: bring a chair and whatever it is that you would like to partake in beverage wise and make sure you make friends with a family so you have a place to use the bathroom, they frown upon peeing on the bonfires. Dress casual, pack light, and wear comfy shoes because theres lots of walking.

I recommend this because it was fun but some of the Line for…read morethe ride was very. Long Done by Norah

This fair has it going on! A huge pig roast, carnival rides, game booths, music, and cheap food…read moremake this an awesome school fair. My friends and I always make sure to hit this up every year no matter what else is going on. This year they had four pigs roasting at once so you had all kinds of pork options to munch on. I was told they had a total of over 5000 lbs of pork that they were serving at the fair! Other food options I saw were pizza, crawfish pies, funnel cakes, gumbo, and jambalaya. They also had nachos for $4.00, burgers for $2.50, and hot dogs for $1.50. How can you not like those cheap prices? As usual The Topcats closed out the final day with another great performance! The Topcats have been closing out the fair for the past few years and they never disappoint. I love Rob!! He gets the crowd so involved. Lots of school fairs, to me, are either boring or lame. This one is neither. It is everything a fair should be. Family-oriented, kid-friendly, great music, and great food.

We came Christmas evening and had a mostly good time. Unfortunately some very intoxicated people…read moreruined the evening around 6:30pm. The intoxicated people kept using racial slurs out loud, pushing each other into others, and later were urinating in the parking lot - all while children were walking by. I don't know if this is a regular occurrence or not, but it definitely ruined the evening for many Baton Rouge families wanting to see a beautiful light show on Christmas Day.

Lights, lights! So many lights! It's a winter wonderland of lights... here in Baton Rouge. This is…read moredefinitely a pretty ideal place to check out during COVID times and more importantly, during the holidays. It will bring smiles to anyone who visits. So yes, it is an outdoor experience and you just get to walk around to enjoy the beautiful scenery that lights up this space (across from Baton Rouge General) only during the holiday season. If you're at the parking lots around the mall, you will see the lights from there, too. What are you waiting for? The holiday season is a short one, so be sure to visit this before the lights come down. I don't know of any other lights spectacular other than the one at the Baton Rouge Zoo like this one. It's easy to park and access this from Picardy. Will be enjoyed by all ages... I promise!

2015 Christmas in the Park: Lights at Lafreniere…read more Major kudos Jefferson Parish for renaming "Holiday in the Park" back to Christmas in the Park. Jefferson Parish councilman Ben Zahn stated that even though the name change may upset some residents (whom I couldn't care less about), he believed that the name change "will restore faith in traditions and the true meaning of the season" and "the name has less to do with promoting a particular faith than with honoring "tradition and patriotism; which is how this country started." Bravo! For those of you not in the know, Christmas in the Park is an incredible light display inside of Lafreniere Park. This attraction is for children and adults alike, as the displays are geared for all ages. There are many different Christmas and holiday themes present. Of course, there are numerous Christmas favorites such as Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frozen to name a few. Kudos to Jefferson Parish working to get the Christmas Nativity scene as well as a 7 foot tall Star of David returned to the park's display. I particularly enjoyed the technical lights on the Star Wars attractions, especially the X-Wing fighter, Tie fighters, Millennium Falcon, r2d2 & c3p0. A personal honorable mention to Transformer Optimus Prime. At 5 PM, the entrance to the park is closed and all vehicular traffic is forced to enter on West Napoleon. This was my only pet peeve, as the process for a 1st time visitor like me seemed discombobulated. After waiting in line for a long time, I entered the park and waited even longer. I finally paid my $5.00 and was given a ticket, which I subsequently had to turn back in just 100 yards up the road. The cars slowed everything down as everyone wanted to take pictures. I recommend parking and walking as you can take your time and see everything up close and personal. There are lots of activities for the kids such as writing a letter to Santa Claus, making your own Christmas ornaments or taking photos with some of the Christmas characters. The carousel was open and rides only cost $1.00. There are concessions all over and it's just good old clean fun. The displays are open Sunday thru Thursday from dusk til 9:45 p.m. and Friday & Saturday from dusk until 11:45 p.m. My suggestion is to go early and avoid the long lines.