Rougarou Fest in Houma to feature howl-off, hot air balloons, trick-or-treating

Colin Campo, Houma Courier-Thibodaux Daily Comet
·2 min read
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Rougarou Fest will bring howls of enjoyment to Houma.

The Rougarou Fest celebrates its 12th year with trick-or-treating, a howling contest and hot air balloons. The festival will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will be located next to the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, The Courtyard Marriot and the Terrebonne Parish Library Main Branch.

The spark for the idea of a howl-off came from the poster art of the festival, founder Jonathan Foret said.

"The Rougarou howling is sort of the inspiration of, 'Let's do a howling contest,'" Foret said. "I can't believe it took me 12 years to come to that one."

Here are some scenes from the Rougarou Fest on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center in Houma.
Here are some scenes from the Rougarou Fest on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center in Houma.

The howl-off starts at 8 p.m., Friday, and the first-, second- and third-place winners of the adults and kids category each get a medal. Trick or Treating will be at 6 p.m. Friday. Hot air balloon rides will be offered Friday and Saturday, from 5 to 9 p.m. both days. The hot air balloon rides will be $20 for adults and $15 for children.

A list of the events and times can be found here: https://rougaroufest.org/fest-schedule-2023/

Started in 2012, the Rougarou Festival is the biggest annual fundraiser for the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center in Houma. Named after the legendary bayou werewolf, the festival includes a parade, costume contest, Cajun food and folklore discussions and exhibits.

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The festival was held the first few years in the Courthouse Square but outgrew that venue. After the COVID pandemic, the festival moved to its current location and continues to grow. This year the number of arts-and-crafts venders has grown from 64 last year to 115. The number of rides has nearly doubled, including two Ferris wheels, a merry-go-round and more.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Rougarou Fest in Houma to feature howl-off, hot air balloons