Thinking of heading to the Rougarou Festival and need a bit of info before you do? This Rougarou Festival guide (and review) will tell you everything you could possibly want to know before attending this incredible costume party in Louisiana.
Located in Houma, the heart of Louisiana’s Bayou country, the three-day Rougarou Festival really makes the city come alive. All the locals are here, family return home, and visitors make the trip over for one of the most truly spectacular Halloween parties around.
The Rougarou Festival was actually ranked one of the best costume parties in the USA and well as the best festival in Louisiana, and it really does deliver some of the most well-thought-out and impressive costumes I’ve ever seen. But that’s not all the festival offers! This guide will break the fest down into 15+ categories to help prepare you for the best time ever.
What IS the Rougarou Festival?
The Rougarou Festival is a family-friendly dress-up party centered around food, music, costumes, and culture that began in 2012. It is centered around one of the most iconic characters in Cajun folklore, the Rougarou. From what I understand, a Rougarou is essentially a large half-man, half-werewolf Louisiana swamp monster that roams the bayous looking for misbehaving kids.
The Rougarou is a legend that kids around here grow up with – for example, they would have had to finish their meal or clean their room; otherwise, the Rougarou would get them! The legend apparently has its roots in medieval France, but these days it’s a fun costume, interesting story, and excuse for a damn good time.
The festival is FREE, and all proceeds go to the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center to help fund the preservation of local land, which is disappearing due to climate change and other factors. More on that soon!
Rougarou Festival Location/Venue in Houma
The location of Rougarou festival is centered around the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, which is less than 10 minutes outside of Houma’s small downtown area. There are a few buildings in the middle of the festival grounds other than the Civic Center, including the Courtyard by Marriott, the City Library, and the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center.
Most of the festival takes place across a large field and a few streets and parking lots, coming together to make one big venue with a few different areas to explore. Here are the main ones, or check out the current fest map.
There are a lot of amazing things to do in Houma while you’re here – more on that below, but make sure to save some time to explore bayou country.
Woodside Music Stage
This is the main music stage that starts, and does not stop playing music ALL weekend! This stage faces the street of food and drinks.
Atchafalaya Narrative Stage
This is the stage that hosts the costume contest on Saturday afternoon but hosts informative talks and panels throughout the rest of the festival. They host many culture + climate conversations (such as sustainable fishing, moss dolls, and medicinal plants) as well as the annual nutria pardoning and Ghostbusters movie night.
Food + Drink Street (Mamere’s Kitchen)
Directly in front of the music stage is a street full of over a dozen food and drink stalls serving up all kinds of local deliciousness.
Ro-Day Rumble Carnival/Rides
There are a few dozen rides and games in the carnival section of the festival, proving to be so much fun for the whole family! There are easy rides for the little ones, to scarier. and spinny rides for older kids and adults.
Shopping, Arts & Crafts (Bebete and Beyond)
The entire center of the festival is bordered by tons of stalls with locals selling their products or offering services like face painting or hair braiding. You can find everything here, from clip-on witches hats (I invested in one of these;) to jewelry, art, trinkets, clothing, accessories, and more.
Rougarou Festival Events/Features: Other Stuff to Do
The main two events of the weekend are:
Rougarou Costume Contest
One of the best costume contests ever! The costume contest judges have been at it for years and are experts in their field, if you will. The contest starts with a pets category and graduates to infants, toddlers, and goes up in age groups through kids to a few adult categories too. It’s delightful and remarkable to watch the contest and see how much effort and creativity was put into each one.
Krewe Ga Rou Parade
The other most unmissable part of the Rougarou Festival is the parade! This feels like the biggest event of the festival, with all attendees lining the parade route to watch it go by. The parade is full of fun and creative (or delightfully creepy) floats, ridden by costumed revelers throwing candy out to all the children on the street.
There are lots of synchronized and costumed dances, too. There are a few dozen incredibly dressed witches in the parade, as well as a similar amount of zombies whose outfits would truly make you do a double take.
There are more things to do at Rougarou Festival, also! Here are some of my favorites:
- Hot Air Balloon Rides: Yes, you can ride in a hot air balloon here! It doesn’t go super high as it is tethered to the ground, however, and is more of a fun experience for kids!
- Ghouls on the Run Race: There’s a morning run on the Saturday of the festival weekend; it looked like a lot of fun!
- The Minnow Trap: this area is full of fun, creative, and quintessentially Louisiana kids’ games, like ‘feed the Rougarou,’ ‘crawfish toss,’ and ‘pin the tail on the Rougarou.’
- Pet Adoption Boutique: You can amazingly meet and adopt pets here – or bring your pets to say hello!
- Gators: One of the local Gator Farms, Greenwood, is also here to educate people about gators and let kits hold small ones.
- Nutria Pardoning: Nutria are an invasive species in Louisiana swamps that are often hunted. But the Wetlads Discover Center has a pet nutria, which they pardon annually at the festival! Cute.
- Tu’s Novelty Stand: You can pay one ticket to draw a prize here – if it’s blank, you win a consolation! Still fun either way for $1.
Rougarou Festival Crowd
The people who attend Rougarou festival are of all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors! That’s part of what makes it so great. This is a truly family-friendly event that draws people of all ages in families, couples, friend groups, and more. This event has something to offer for all ages, too – not just kids!
Everyone here is also EXTREMELY nice, inclusive, and welcoming. You can experience true Southern hospitality throughout the whole festival and chat with anyone and everyone. Many people are also dressed up to the nines throughout the festival – but not everyone!
What To Wear to the Rougarou Festival
What to wear to Rougarou festival? Well, a fun costume, of course!! People at Rougarou have some of the most fun and creative costumes, makeup, and outfits I have seen before. BUT – there are lots of people who don’t dress up at all, too! This is an event to express yourself exactly as you see fit. Dress up if you want to, or don’t! It will be fun either way.
But of course, in my humble opinion, dressing up is always more fun. There are LOTS of amazing witch outfits, some rougarous, some silly pet outfits, some creepy icons like Chuckie and Freddie Kreuger, and sooo much more! Enjoy the photos above for some Rougarou costume inspo.
Rougarou Festival Vibe + Ethos
The festival has an upbeat and exciting vibe throughout the whole weekend! Everyone is out to try delicious food, listen to music, appreciate each other’s costumes, chat with others, and simply enjoy themselves. This is one of the biggest events in this small town, so it’s an important one!
I absolutely love that Rougarou has an ethos of conservation. All the proceeds go to the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, which aims to stop the disappearing of local lands and discover causes and ways to sloe/stop it.
It also aims to raise awareness about the changing climate and land in the area and educate people about what they can do to help. Make sure to attend a culture & climate talk during the weekend!
Money at Rougarou Festival
To simplify things, all food, drinks, and rides at Rougarou Festival operate on a ticket system, with one ticket equal to one dollar. You must pay cash to acquire tickets to pay for things. This effectively splits lines up into an ATM line (if you don’t have cash), a line to get tickets, and a line to get food/drink. It speeds things up.
There are a few places to get tickets, namely at the end of the food street and the carnival area. But – a good tip is that closer to the bar stands, there’s an automatic ticket machine that you can feed money into manually to get tickets. The line here is usually shorter.
If you are paying for any crafts and goods at the markets, however, this works with cash, Venmo, or whatever way that particular vendor accepts payment.
Food/Drink and Prices at Rougarou Festival
Food is available on a central food street with tons of options, near the music stage. Restaurants from the area serve up different cajun specials, from alligator piquante to crawfish fettuccine to pulled pork buns. You can be sure it will be delicious – but make sure to eat early for the best pick because the restaurant stands run out of each dish whenever they do.
Food dishes can range from $2 for a hot dog to $13 for a more complete meal. It really varies as there’s a bit of everything on offer.
The bar has plenty of options, too. For $7, you can grab a local craft beer, or a beer can for $4. Cocktails are a bit pricier, with the bloody mary at $13 and the Rougarou green cocktail at $11.
I believe you can also eat/drink your own food/drinks here if you would like to grab some supplies from the store before coming here, but a big part of the fun is truly trying the local stuff and knowing your money goes to a good cause!
Transportation + Parking: How to Get to Rougarou Festival
Rougarou Festival is simple to get to from Houma! It’s only about 10 minutes outside the city. I would say most people drive their own cars to the festival, but Uber and Lyft are also available in Houma.
Parking is another story, however. The EASIEST parking option would be to stay at the Courtyard Marriott and have the most central parking in the venue daily with the Marriott parking pass. Parking here is off-limits to non-guests.
People park their cars on all sides of all streets surrounding the civic center, and even across the grassy medians and into some fields. There’s always space, but you might have to walk.
There are some VIP parking areas closer to the venue and stages, but I’m not sure what you have to do to park in those. The 13 Pennies Public Parking across from the Civic Center is where I assume most people tried to park. There’s also a specific RV parking lot behind the carnival.
Rougarou Festival Atmosphere/Decorations
The festival has a few central decoration points, from the archway to the big pumpkin. But one of the most fun things about the atmosphere of this festival is that they give out prizes for the best-decorated stands. So, each food or shopping stall can contribute to a more fun and spooky atmosphere.
Rougarou Festival Music/Artists
The music stage is always playing during festival hours with different live bands. I would say most of the bands are local cover bands playing hits for people to sing along and/or dance to, or set up chairs in the grass to relax and enjoy. Bands aren’t usually well-known outside of the area or perhaps state (I’m not sure), but I am sure each one is an absolutely great time.
Where to Stay for the Rougarou Festival
The most obvious place to stay for Rougarou is the Courtyard by Marriott on-site.
Even if you live fairly close by, I would still recommend getting a room here for the ease of returning to your room to use the bathroom, get things, put things away, or change. It’s literally RIGHT in the middle of the festival, and some rooms even have a view of the music stage.
This is one of the nicest Courtyard by Marriott hotels I have ever stayed at, to be honest. There’s an indoor AND outdoor pool and spa, as well as a restaurant and bar in the lobby serving cajun meals for dinner and breakfast options/Starbucks coffee in the morning.
The rooms all have a living and sleeping area with a smart TV in each, as well as a mini fridge and microwave to reheat any food you don’t finish. It’s pretty luxe, convenient, and also affordable. View it on your preferred booking partner below:
Rougarou Festival Tickets/Price
Now that I have your attention, The festival is TOTALLY FREE! There are no tickets for entry. Isn’t that fabulous? You will just have to spend cash on food and drink tickets to try all the delicious gastronomical options as you enjoy.
Rougarou Festival Security
There’s a quite heavy police presence at the festival. But, they are some of THE nicest policemen and women that I have ever met! They are all super chill, surveying the area, keeping people safe, and definitely having a bit of friendly banter with guests as they pass by. The whole area is open-container, so people are drinking, smoking, eating, and roaming around with no worries.
Bathrooms at Rougarou Festival
There is a block of porta-potties at the end of the food area that most people use, and I think another porta-potty area near the carnival. They are clean and usually don’t have long lines, but honestly, we went back to the room any time we needed the toilet as it was so convenient and close!
Weather at Rougarou Festival
Taking place in the second half of October, southern Louisiana is finally cooling down to lovely temperatures by the time the Rougarou festival rolls around. I believe it was actually hotter than usual during the weekend I was there, with highs in the mid to high 80s and quite a lot of humidity. Weather this time of year is generally in the high 70s to 80s.
Timings at Rougarou
The festival runs from 5pm-10pm on Friday, 10am to 10pm on Saturday, and 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Check the schedule online to see what happens when!
The costume contest is on the Saturday afternoon, and the parade is on the Saturday night. If you can make it to any of the event, make sure to go on Saturday!
Volunteering at Rougarou
Most of the food and drinks are served by volunteers – from different organizations like the Rotary club or just friendly locals or Cajuns who want to help out and maximize donations for coastal preservation! Check this page and send an email to volunteer.
Final Tips for the Rougarou Festival
- Try a few different foods and try them early before they run out.
- Check the schedule beforehand to make sure to be there for fun and unique events beyond just the parade and the costume contest! Attend some talks, go to the Nutria pardoning, the Howling contest, the Ghoul run, the pumpkin lighting, and more.
- Make sure to check out some culture & climate conversations.
- Grab a souvenir or two from all the arts & shopping stalls. There’s so much to see! I got a witch hat and a handmade dreamcatcher.
Exploring Houma While at the Festival
While attending the Rougarou festival, it would be silly not to explore beautiful bayou country! Try to schedule some time to explore the area, try some local restaurants, explore the marshes, check out some gators, and more. Here are some places to go in Houma:
Activities to Do in Houma
Head out to Point Aux Chenes and rent a kayak from PAC Kayaks.
This is one of THE coolest ways to explore and discover the local marshland, and the owners are absolutely awesome. We learned so much about the landscape, local fishing/shrimping/crabbing industries, past hurricanes, and more from Eddie, the owner.
You can also spot wild horses and bottlenose dolphins that play and raise young in this area and come very close to boats!
Explore Downtown
Ok, so downtown Houma is TINY, but there’s a new central plaza in town and a beautiful, oak-lined park across from it. Rotary Centennial Plaza is covered by a semicircle of fairy lights, and is gorgeous at night. Pass through this area after getting your morning coffee or dinner.
Visit Greenwood Gator Farm
Gator Farming is a big industry in Louisiana, especially in bayou country. Schedule a tour to learn about how the gator farming industry works, see some gators yourself, and learn how they keep the populations stable.
Spot some Wild Gators on the Mandalay Nature Trail
The Mandalay Nature Trail is a short walk taking you past bayous on a trail surrounded by native trees and Spanish moss. There’s SO much wildlife on this trail – I actually spotted two snakes and a mama gator at the end with five babies. I’m not sure if this is typical, but it was awesome. Be vigilant!
Chauvin Sculpture Garden
This fascinating folk art sculpture garden was created by a Vietnam Vet over 20 years, and is. supposed to represent life and lessons. The art is very thought-provoking, as is the fact that its creator up and left the garden in 2000 never to be seen again.
Where to Eat in Houma
Apart from the amazing food at Rougarou festival, here are a few local options that we loved.
- Downtown Jeaux: Right on the central downtown plaza, this cafe has fabulous coffee and hearty breakfast and lunch meals.
- Boudreaux & Thibodeaux’s Cajun Cookin’: This place has authentic cajun meals, and the whole menu is hilariously written in a southern accent. The shrimp creole was one of my favorite dishes of the weekend.
- Ceana’s Cajun Cookin: If you head farther south to explore the marshland, stop at Ceana’s for a no-frills casual cajun food experience on the bayou.
- Lumiere Blues & Jazz Bistro: Classic cajun food downtown with live music
- Cajun Critters: Recommended to us by a local
- Bayou Terrebonne Distillers: Still making the moonshine that great granny made during prohibition, as well as a rum and a bourbon. They have great cocktails and often have events.
- Spahr’s Seafood Restaurant: Recommended to us by a local – great lunch stop between New Orleans and Houma
Well, that’s it for Rougarou Festival and Houma for now! Let me know in the comments below if I missed anything.
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