As summer’s sizzle fades and crisp northern air rolls in, fall festival season on The Northshore is the perfect time for a getaway. Locals embrace the cooler weather and head out to enjoy some of the best festivals of the year, and visitors are in for a treat too. With so much to see and do, we've rounded up a list of can't-miss fall festivals that showcase live music, local foods, family-friendly entertainment, art, local culture and the great outdoors. Most are free, many are for all ages, and each displays The Northshore's diversity of interests and local talents. Use this guide to schedule your autumn outings so you don't miss a thing!
Fun for All: Family Favorites
Builders make wooden toy boats for kids at Madisonville's Wooden Boat Festival.
For families with wide ranging interests, fairs and major festivals are the way to go. Here are a few Northshore events with things to do for the whole gang.
Oct. 2-6: Celebrate 115 years of St. Tammany culture with exhibits, rodeos, carnival rides, livestock shows, live music and more at the St. Tammany Parish Fair.
Oct. 5: More than a mere pumpkin patch, the Olde Towne Pumpkin Fest offers loads of fun for the kiddos, including a hay dig, arts & crafts, pony rides, "punkin' chunkin'", inflatables, food and sweet treats, a Youth Entrepreneur Village, Velcro wall, cupcake walk, scavenger hunt, pumpkin decorating and more.
Oct. 19-20: One of The Northshore's largest festivals is a two-day celebration of Louisiana's maritime culture and history, the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival. The hilarity of the Quick 'n Dirty Boat Building Contest is not to be missed. The kiddos will love the Children's Village in the ball park, where artisans help kids build their own toy wooden boat.
Oct. 26-27: Whether you call it antiquing or a treasure hunt, the Olde Towne Slidell Fall Antique Street Fair is a twice-yearly stroll of Slidell's historic district shops with live music and more.
Nov. 1-3: Festival of the Lake has been drawing crowds from southern Louisiana to enjoy a weekend of live music, food from local restaurants and made by Our Lady of the Lake parishioners since 1982. It's a weekend of fun for kids of all ages.
Nov. 9-10: An art lover's destination, the annual Covington Three Rivers Art Festival is a visual feast (and an actual feast, with a tented food court) with hundreds of visual artists selling a wide variety of works, live music stages, children's entertainers, artisan craft demos and lots more.
Savor the Season: Food-Focused Fall Festivals
Louisiana Food Truck Festival at The Harbor Center, Slidell
While all of our festivals include great eats, some are food-forward and offer opportunities to sample a variety of flavors by numerous local chefs, all in one place.
Sep. 21: Savor authentic German foods and fun at Northshore Oktoberfest by A Rhea of Hope, at the Covington Trailhead.
Sep. 28: Got an adventurous palate? You won't want to miss the Wild Game, Seafood & BBQ Cook-off in Slidell.
Oct. 2-Nov. 7: Middendorf's Slidell's annual Oktoberfest is six weeks of German meals, beer, music and fun on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Oct. 5: For a bevy of flavors all in once place, check out the Louisiana Food Truck Festival at The Harbor Center.
Oct. 13: Experience an array of craft beers from local breweries and a day filled with great brews, tasty food trucks, and live music at the first Northshore Beer Festival, at the Mandeville Trailhead. Whether you're a beer aficionado or just enjoy a cold one, there's something for everyone (age 21 and up).
Oct. 18-20: It's three big days of carnival rides, food and entertainment at the annual Slidell Food and Fun Fest (a.k.a. the St. Margaret Mary Fair), held on the church grounds in Slidell. There's also a 5K run and 1-mile run/walk on Saturday morning; register by Oct. 16.
Tunes & Talent: Music, Arts & Crafts and Cultural Festivals
Bluesberry Festival in Covington
If music festivals are your thing, October is your month. Most also feature artists' vendor booths, opportunities for cultural learning and activities for all ages.
Sep. 21: Hola Northshore celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Lago Fest at the Mandeville Trailhead, a day of vibrant live music, salsa classes, kids' activities, food demos, and authentic drinks and flavors from area Hispanic restaurants.
Sep. 21: Celebrate the return of autumn and all things German at Oktoberfest under the Umbrellas, in Olde Towne Slidell's Antique Umbrella Alley. The event includes German food, music, beer, flower crowns, treats and more.
Oct. 5: Blues music and blueberry-themed foods are the stars at the Bluesberry Music & Art Festival, held in Covington's Bogue Falaya Park.
Oct. 5: Kick off LGBTQ+ History Month with ConnectFest, a family-friendly community Pride festival in Slidell's Heritage Park. An array of activities includes an art market, live entertainment, dancing, kids activities, food trucks, and community organization and healthcare booths.
Oct. 11-12: Abita Fall Fest celebrates its fifth year with live music on three stages, Abita beer, food, a Kids' Zone with petting zoo, pony rides, arts & crafts, a green-screen photo booth, even a Tiger Tailgate trailer with big-screen TVs so you can keep up with the big game. Voted Gambit Newsweekly's Best Festival of 2023.
Oct. 12: Revel in the arts in downtown Covington with the St. Tammany Art Association's Fall for Art.
Oct. 25-27: If you love original music and singer-songwriters, catch the Ozone Songwriter Festival on the Northshore at multiple locations around Covington, featuring hundreds of performing artists from across the region.
Oct. 26: The Mandeville lakefront is the spot for the WideWater Music & Arts Festival, featuring multiple music stages, artists' booths and food trucks.
Nov. 1-3: The Bayou Lacombe Museum in Lacombe presents its annual Native American Heritage Celebration, a meaningful, three-day celebration honoring Native American history, culture and heritage in Lacombe.
Into the Wild: Nature & Outdoor Adventures Await
Wild Things! at Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Donna Bush, Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges)
Oct. 12: Get the kiddos to Wild Things!, an annual event at Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Lacombe where families can experience live animals, live music, hayrides, canoe tours and much more.
Oct. 19: Don your cowboy boots and hats for line dancing, two-stepping, food, entertainment, horse rides and more at Angels Grove Ranch's Country & Western BBQ & Hoedown in Bush.
Oct. 26-27: The Louisiana Wildfowl Carvers & Collectors Guild presents its annual Louisiana Wildfowl Festival at the Castine Center in Pelican Park. The festival features competitions in wildfowl carving and two-dimensional art, antique decoys and a decoy auction, demonstrations, vendors, food and more.
Find more events and fun things to do on our event calendar, check out our Blog for more on fall concert lineups and live music, live theater and performances and shopping events, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you don't miss highlights of all there is to do this fall in St. Tammany.
