Want to participate in this year’s award-winning Rougarou Festival? Here’s how!

As the weather starts to cool down, that can only mean one thing– Terrebonne Parish’s award-winning Rougarou Festival is right around the corner!

The Rougarou Fest is a free, family-friendly festival with a spooky flair that celebrates the rich folklore that exists along the bayous of Southeast Louisiana. The festival showcases live music, cultural activities, children’s activities, Cajun food, the Krewe Ga Rou parade, and much more. All proceeds go to the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, a nonprofit organization that is revolutionizing how we think, teach and learn about Louisiana’s disappearing coast.

The festival is named for the mythical “rougarou,” a creature wit the head of a wolf and the body of a human– like a traditional werewolf. The rougarou legend has been passed down for many generations, as a spooky story (and a great way to make local children behave!)

Photos provided by the Rougarou Festival on Facebook.

The Rougarou Fest has won several local and national accolades, and brought lots of attention to the Houma area. The festival was ranked as one of the Top 10 Costume Parties in the United States by USA Today in 2014, one of the Top 20 Events of October by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2015 and 2019, Best New Event in the state of Louisiana by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals in 2015, Festival of the Year by the Louisiana Travel Association in 2020 and 2023, Favorite Festival in POV Magazine’s 2024 People’s Choice Award, and was just recently voted #2 in USA TODAY’s Top 10 Best Cultural Events in the United States.

While just attending the Rougarou Festival is fun enough as is, community members are invited to take it one step further and get involved on a more personal level! Registration is now open for several events surrounding the Rougarou Festival. The 2024 Rougarou Festival will take place October 18-20 at 86 Valhi Boulevard in Houma. 

VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION – Volunteers make the magic happen! Volunteers prepare and sell food and drinks, organize the parade, help with the bands, sell tickets, organize the costume contest, pick up trash…and the list goes on. Volunteer perks include a FREE food item, unlimited water while on shift, and a collectible PART OF THE PACK bracelet. Volunteers can register for different shifts here.

KREWE GA ROU PARADE – The Rougarou Festival is looking for the BEST spooky groups to join the 2024 KREWE GA ROU parade! Do you have a specialty vehicle or boat you want to decorate? Are you a spooky walking/dancing krewe who likes to dress up? This parade is for you! All participants/riders MUST be in costume and MUST throw candy! The parade starts at 7:00 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024. The parade route starts at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center and is approximately 1 mile long. Download the parade registration form here.

ARTIST/VENDOR REGISTRATION – The Rougarou Fest welcomes a unique group of vendors from across the country to offer all types of handmade or personally designed merchandise! Vendors are encouraged to sell items that have a spooky flair or a bayou theme in keeping with the vibe of the unique festival. Do you have a special product you want to show off? Artists and craft vendors are invited to register here.

For more information and to stay up-to-date as the festival approaches, please visit the Rougarou Festival’s Facebook or website.