Visit Lake Charles

06/18/2026

The Juneteenth Freedom Festival continues tonight and through the weekend in Lake Charles!

Tonight, don't miss Sheryl Underwood's "I Need a Job" Comedy Tour at Geebeaux's. With two shows and comedian Kyle Erby joining the lineup, it's set to be an evening full of laughs as one of the festival's signature events.

The celebration continues Friday, June 19, with the 3rd Annual Sauce Piquant Cook-Off and the Juneteenth Freedom Festival Concert at the Lake Charles Event Center featuring Shae Nycole, Rusty Metoyer and The Zydeco Krush, Sean David MSX, Leah Nicole, Jay Ecker Quintet, and more.

Saturday wraps up the festival with a Community Clean-Up as the community comes together to celebrate freedom, culture, and unity.

📍 Lake Charles, Louisiana
🔗 Learn more at www.vofcollective.org

06/17/2026

We're proud to share that the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road has been named the #8 Best Scenic Drive in the United States in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards 2026! 🏆

Stretching 180 miles through Southwest Louisiana, the Creole Nature Trail offers travelers an unforgettable journey through marshlands, prairies, beaches, and some of the state's most abundant wildlife habitats.

📍 Start planning your adventure on the Creole Nature Trail today and see why it's one of America's best scenic drives: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-scenic-drive/

06/15/2026

Nobody here learned to cook in school.

They learned it standing next to their grandmother at the stove. They learned it on a shrimp boat at dawn, watching what it actually takes to bring a catch from the Gulf to a table. They learned it by growing up in a place where food is not a hobby or a trend. It is how this community has held itself together for generations.

Southwest Louisiana sits at a corner of America where Cajun, Creole, Texas, and Gulf Coast traditions come together in a way that has never been replicated anywhere else. The Gulf of Mexico is right there. The culture is centuries deep. And the standard for what good food means here was set long before any restaurant opened its doors.

The chefs will tell you straight. It is hard to cook professionally in a place where everybody already knows how to cook. You have to earn it. And what they have built alongside the fishermen, the home cooks, and the families who have been doing this for hundreds of years is a food culture that belongs in a category of its own.

Come hungry. You will leave understanding why this place is different.

Made In SWLA. Built for America.

😋Learn more: visitlakecharles.org/america250

🎥 Lundmark Creative LLC

Featuring Pat N da Pot Crying Eagle Brewing - Lakefront Seafood Gal

06/15/2026

See you this Fourth of July for Red White Blue & You! 🇺🇸

06/12/2026

Cheer and dance are coming BACK to Louisiana's Playground! 📣✨

Visit Lake Charles, in partnership with the City of Lake Charles, is excited to announce that the 2026 and 2027 Louisiana High School Cheer & Dance Championships are returning to Southwest Louisiana.

This marks the first time since 2013 that the championships will be held in Lake Charles, with the 2026 event expected to bring more than 100 cheer and dance teams to the Lake Charles Event Center on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2026.

From the energy on the mat to the families and fans filling our community, this is what sports tourism is all about. We can’t wait to welcome these student-athletes back to Lake Charles and give them a championship experience to remember. 🎉

🔗 https://www.visitlakecharles.org/articles/post/louisiana-high-school-cheer-and-dance-championships-return-to-southwest-louisiana/

06/12/2026

Slow down and savor Louisiana’s Playground. ☕🌅

From scenic drives and local flavors to sunsets and small-town charm, discover why doing less can help you experience more.

Skip the packed itinerary and discover how the joy of missing out (JOMO) can help you experience more of Southwest Louisiana, one slow, memorable moment at a time.

06/11/2026

The Holly Beach Crab Festival is back! 🌊🦀

Make plans for a fun-filled coastal weekend at The Holly Beach Crab Festival, happening June 12–14 in Holly Beach (2412 Heron St.), located along the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road.

Enjoy live music, crab-themed contests, food trucks, vendors, a Kids Zone, and plenty of Gulf Coast fun with family and friends at one of Southwest Louisiana’s favorite beach destinations.

🎶SCHEDULE OF EVENTS🎶

🦀Friday, June 12
5:00 PM – Gates Open
6:00–7:30 PM – Beat Rusty’s Seasoning Cookoff
7:00–9:30 PM – The Fifth Edition
10:00 PM – Gates Close

🦀Saturday, June 13
9:00 AM – Gates Open
9:30–11:00 AM – Crab Bingo
11:00 AM–12:00 PM – Crab Pie Eating Contest
12:00–1:30 PM – Niklbeer Band
2:00–3:30 PM – Gerard Delafose and The Zydeco Gators
4:00–6:00 PM – Richard LeBouef
6:00–7:00 PM – Awards Ceremony
7:00–8:30 PM – Lukas Meaux and Cajun Beat
7:30–8:00 PM – Dance Contest
9:00–11:00 PM – Jamie Bergeron and the Kickin' Cajuns

🦀Sunday, June 14
9:30 AM–12:30 PM – Zydeco Pancake Breakfast — Free

🎟️ Saturday Admission ONLY: Adults: $10 & Kids ages 12 and up: $5

Come enjoy a weekend of music, food, beachside fun, and community celebration in Holly Beach! 🦀🌅

Lousiana Souvenirs & Sundries