First-ever Louisiana Mosquito Festival-Did you bring your bug spray?
- Leauxcal
- Oct 28
- 2 min read
If you’ve spent any time in Louisiana, you know we’ll throw a festival for just about anything—and honestly, I’m surprised it took us this long to have a Mosquito Festival!
Hosted by the Coulee Croche Firefighters Association, the first inaugural Louisiana Mosquito Festival took place in Cankton, Louisiana on Saturday, October 25th, and it was an absolute hit.
Despite a little rain, the party never slowed down. Thanks to a huge, covered pavilion, the crowd stayed dry while enjoying the live music lineup that featured Rory Suire, Raikwon Green, Mike Broussard, Dylan Aucoin, Hunter Courville, and Richard Leboeuf. The biggest surprise of the day came when DJ Rhett rolled in with The Voice contestant Dustin Dale Gaspard on a fire truck—complete with a mini parade that had everyone cheering.
Of course, no Louisiana festival is complete without food, and the Anything Over Rice Cook-Off did not disappoint. Twenty-one teams competed for top honors, and let me tell y’all—every sample was worth the calories. The standout of the day was 3S Farm & Feed from Mire, Louisiana, who took home People’s Choice and First Place, followed by Gravy Baby in second and Barry’s 1965 in third.
For just $10, attendees could sample dishes from as many teams as they wanted—a true bargain for such incredible food. Local vendors added even more flavor to the day with handmade products and plenty of taste testing. I enjoyed trying Bayou Buds Cajun Seasoning on some crisp cucumbers and loved it, and Chubby’s Swamp Blend Cajun Seasoning was another local favorite drawing a crowd.
One of the cook-off highlights for me came from Cotton Mouth Foods, who used their pepper jelly in their Anything Over Rice dish—a delicious twist that really stood out because it was so different. Festivalgoers could also purchase their pepper jelly and other tasty products at their booth.
Families had plenty to enjoy too, with a dedicated kids’ section featuring face painting and fun jumps. Everywhere you looked, people were smiling, dancing, and supporting their local firefighters.
If you missed it this year, make sure to mark your calendar for next year’s Louisiana Mosquito Festival—because this one’s buzzing with potential to become a new Louisiana favorite.
A huge thanks to Katie Kidder and Emily Simon for providing me some extra pictures from the event.
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