10+ south Louisiana festivals worth a day trip this fall – [225]

Published

1 year ago

September 1, 2024

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10+ south Louisiana festivals worth a day trip this fall – [225]

By Olivia Deffes
September 1, 2024

Sept. 13

Yacht Rock Beer Fest

Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville

Slam free beer samples and dance along to live music performances covering some yacht rock hits.

Sept. 26-29

Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival

Main Street in New Iberia

Celebrate Louisiana’s sweetest crop with parades, car shows, live entertainment and more.

Sept. 27 + 28

NOLA Coffee Festival

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Have some cups of joe with two days of coffee education, barista demos and tastings from over 25 roasters.

Oct. 2-6

St. Tammany Parish Fair

St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds

Step right up! This fair celebrates 115 years of rodeos, pageants, music, food, exhibits, rides and more.

Oct. 4-6

Louisiana Cattle Festival & Fair

Downtown Abbeville

Moo-ve it on over to Abbeville for cattle shows, parades, tasty eats and plenty of room for a few fais do-dos.

Oct. 16-27

New Orleans Film Festival

Various locations

Grab the popcorn. This Oscar-qualifying film fest gathers movie fans for screenings of over 150 films.

Oct. 26

Sweet Dough Pie Festival

Grand Coteau Town Park

Get your sweet treat fix with sugary desserts stuffed with custards and fruity fillings made by pastry chefs and home bakers.

Nov. 2

NOLA Zydeco Fest

Crescent Park

Taste and see what Louisiana Creole culture has to offer with flavorful cuisine, art vendors, dance classes and more.

Nov. 7-10

Port Barre Cracklin Festival

Veteran’s Memorial Park

Follow the savory smell of deep fried cracklins to find a carnival, pageants, live swamp pop music and more.

Nov. 9 + 10

Covington Three Rivers Art Festival

Downtown Covington

Hundreds of local artists pop up in Covington for this outdoor, juried festival.

Nov. 9 + 10

Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival

Louis Armstrong Park

Feast on gumbo varieties while listening to the sweet stylings of brass bands.

Nov. 21-24

Southern Screen Festival

Downtown Lafayette

Film lovers and moviemakers can participate in screenings, panels, parties and more.

Nov. 16

Beignet Festival

New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds

Sample sugar-dusted and savory stuffed beignets, and enjoy live music, an art market and a beer garden.

This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.

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Louisiana bill would impose tougher penalties for operating unlicensed gambling websites

Published

8 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Louisiana bill would impose tougher penalties for operating unlicensed gambling websites

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New legislation in Baton Rouge would reclassify some illegal gaming-related offenses as racketeering law violations, elevating potential consequences.

Louisiana has already stepped up its enforcement of its gaming laws related to potential illegal gaming but a new bill in the state legislature would give prosecutors’ actions more teeth. The proposal would elevate certain crimes involving unlicensed gaming in the state to a racketeering charge with more severe penalties linked to convictions.

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Louisiana bill changes classification of gaming-related charges

Louisiana Rep. Bryan Fontenot has pre-filed HB 53, which could rewrite the state code as it pertains to unlicensed gaming sites. The legislation has been provisionally assigned to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, as the 2026 session does not begin until March 9.

Under the proposal, the state’s definition of racketeering would expand to include “gambling, gambling by computer, gambling on cockfights, gambling by electronic sweepstakes, unlawful wagering, and bribery of sports participants.” Under current statutes, racketeering convictions carry penalties of fines of “not more than one million dollars, or imprisoned at hard labor for not more than 50 years, or both.”

Additionally, racketeering convictions that result in sentences of fines of at least $10,000 revoke recipients’ eligibility for parole. The enactment of this bill as currently composed could have a significant impact on the operation of sweepstakes-based online casino sites for real money in Louisiana.

At the same time, many of the companies in that space have already ceased potentially infringing actions within Louisiana.

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Louisiana has already been off-limits for sweepstakes casinos

In 2025, Louisiana gaming regulators and law enforcement took multiple actions to restrict residents’ access to unlicensed platforms for playing casino games online. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared a public notice about the illegality of sweepstakes-based online gaming sites, in addition to issuing cease-and-desist orders to the companies affiliated with those sites. As a result, many of the operators of those sites geofenced Louisiana out of their service areas.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board supplemented that action with its additional cease-and-desist letters. Fontenot’s bill could add additional weight to these demands if it becomes law.

There is currently no legal framework for playing online casino games or redeeming casino bonus codes in Louisiana. While online sports wagering is legal in most of the state, officials in Baton Rouge have not yet tackled the issue of iGaming.

Even if voters in Louisiana someday do clear the way for the utilization of Fanatics Casino promo codes, that would involve licensed gaming and not affect the implementation of Fontenot’s bill. However, such deliberations do not seem imminent.

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If HB 53 becomes law, Louisiana could levy some of the toughest penalties for illegal gaming activity in the United States. Many potential targets of prosecution have already pulled out of the state.

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Louisiana

Governor’s Office of Strategic Community Initiatives | Office of Governor Jeff Landry

Published

20 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Governor’s Office of Strategic Community Initiatives | Office of Governor Jeff Landry

Driving Louisiana Forward Program

Commerical Driver’s License (CDL) Training

In partnership with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and South Louisiana Community College, this program aims to provide African American males with financial assistance to obtain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, strengthening the resilience and contributions of this key demographic and improving equitable access to workforce opportunities. This initiative aims to reduce high unemployment rates within this community but also focuses on ensuring participants come from rural and economically disadvantaged areas.

Earn your CDL Class A license with this comprehensive classroom and behind-the-wheel program to drive tractor[1]trailers, dump trucks, tow trucks, delivery trucks, tanker trucks, and flatbed trucks.

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Louisiana

Landry asks Louisiana’s Washington delegation to redraw federal judicial districts

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

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Landry asks Louisiana’s Washington delegation to redraw federal judicial districts

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Gov. Jeff Landry is asking Louisiana’s congressional leaders to amend the state’s federal judicial districts, citing caseload growth and public safety concerns.

Landry sent letters to Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. John Kennedy, Congressman Cleo Fields, and Congresswoman Julia Letlow requesting the change.

The request

Louisiana is currently divided into three federal judicial districts: Eastern, Middle, and Western. Landry is asking that West Feliciana Parish be moved from the Middle District to the Western District.

In the letters, Landry cited significant growth in the Middle District and an increased caseload for its judges. He said a major driver of the Middle District docket is Louisiana State Penitentiary.

Public safety argument

Landry said moving West Feliciana Parish into the Western District would improve judicial efficiency and better address public safety needs in East Baton Rouge Parish and the state.

He said East Baton Rouge Parish continues to battle violent crime. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, recent numbers show violent crime in the parish has decreased.

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