From gumbo and jambalaya cuisine to andouille and alligator, the Louisiana River Parishes offer regional cuisine like you’ve never tasted. One of the best ways to savor local flavors is to attend a regional food festival where friendly people, live music, and signature dishes are always in full supply.
The Andouille Festival in LaPlace is a three-day event celebrating nearly three centuries of this specialty smoked sausage, pioneered by German immigrants. The Alligator Festival in Luling is a chance to see the state’s signature reptile, and to taste it in delectable Cajun dishes. And at the Louisiana Catfish Festival in the community of Des Allemands, you can sink your teeth into plates of fresh local catfish fried to perfection.
Stunning local swamps and bayous make Louisiana River Parishes one of the country’s best regions for exploring nature and wildlife by boat. Hop aboard a Cajun Pride Swamp Tour or a Swamp Adventures Airboat Tour to see breathtaking views, indigenous flora and fauna, and plenty of alligators as they splash, bask in the sun, and lurk just under the water’s surface.
Attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually, the Bonnet Carre Spillway is a magical place to spot native birds, test your luck at fishing, and camp for the night. Cyclists love the Mississippi River Levee Trail, which stretches 25 miles upriver and starts in New Orleans at the Levee Top Trail.
The Louisiana River Parishes is home to one of the country’s most fascinating Christmas traditions, the lighting of bonfires along the levee. Local groups build intricate wood structures—some in the shape of pyramids and others mimicking local critters—which reach 30 feet high!
During festival days in December, the bonfires are ignited as families, friends, and visitors watch in delight. The festival also includes live music and food. While the bonfire tradition may be rooted in an ancient harvest celebration, local legend has it that bonfires light the way for Santa, known here as Pere Noel.
Visitors get to know the Louisiana River Parish’s multi-faceted history by touring sites like the 1811 Kid Ory House, a museum housed in a former plantation which today documents two major historic events in the area. The 1811 Slave Revolt, while unsuccessful, was the largest slave insurrection in U.S history; and the life of jazz pioneer Edward “Kid” Ory, who was born on the site in 1886.
Peer further into the area’s rich African American heritage at the Historic Riverlands Museum, home to the Historic Riverlands Church Tour, the Soul River Music Tour, and a host site of the 1811 Slave Revolt Reenactment.
At the grassroots Garyville Timbermill Museum, soak in the history of this former lumber town, which today is the largest city on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Don’t miss Destrehan Plantation, which features a variety of historic perspectives, including a tour dedicated to many different marginalized people called “Unheard Voices of the German Coast.”
Pair the bucolic charm of the Louisiana River Parishes with a day trip to the Big Easy and famed sites like the New Orleans Museum of Art, the National World War II Museum, the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and four miles of boutique shopping and fine dining along Magazine Street.
You can even board a steamship on the New Orleans riverfront and cruise upriver to Oak Alley Plantation, known for its attention to documenting the experience of slaves. A riverboat ride is a great way to see the Mighty Mississippi up close and personal.
