Beat the Heat in Louisiana This Weekend with an Indoor Festival: July 22

This weekend's festival takes place inside.

FiddlesPhoto byPixabay

Mid-July is the perfect time for an indoor, air-conditioned festival. Historic Natchitoches is the setting for the 43rd Annual Folk Festival.

Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival - July 22

220 South Jefferson Street

The Prather Coliseum on the campus of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches hosts the annual folk festival on Saturday, July 22. With the theme "Celebrating Louisiana's Cultural Gumbo," Louisiana's folk life - its culture, food, music, and unique crafts - will be highlighted.

Featuring three stages of music, Cajun and Zydeco dance lessons, the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship, a gumbo cook-off, crafts, a harmonica workshop, a silent auction, exhibits, demonstrations, a kid's area, narrative/information sessions, and some of the best folk foods in the state, the festival is a day of fun for all ages. Doors open at 9:00 AM with live entertainment from 10 AM to 10 PM. Cajun dance lessons will be offered from 1:45 PM to 2:30 PM on the West Stage and from 4:15 PM to 5:00 PM on the Main Stage. Zydeco dance lessons will be offered at 10:00 AM on the Main Stage.

Entertainment includes:

• Rusty Metoyer & the Zydeco Crush
• Rising Son Youth Choctaw-Apache of Ebarb Dance Group
• The Cajun Stompers
• Delta Blues by Jimmy "Buck" Holmes
• Los Rancheritos de la Sierra
• Louisiana Czech Heritage Dancers
• Hugh Harris & the Drifting Cowboys
• The Russell Welch Hot Quartet with special guest Aurora Nealand
• Jambalaya Cajun Band
• Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Review
• The Broussard Family Jure
• Americana music by James Linden Hogg
• Home Grown Tomaters

Craftspeople will have booths set up from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with over 90 craftspeople invited.

Admission is $10 per person; $6 per person after 5:00 PM. Children 12 and under are admitted free.