Free Inspiration Guide
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George Long
1. The Abita Springs Busker Festival
- Leave it to the quirky town of Abita Springs to bring in some of the region's best buskers (street musicians who perform for tips) for one of St. Tammany's fastest-growing festivals
- Dedicated to the preservation of Louisiana roots music and sponsored by the Abita Opry
- Abita Springs Art and Farmers Market adds to the delicious mix
- Held at the Abita Beer Stage in Abita Springs Park (the original home of Abita Beer is around the corner and the current brewery, the largest in the Southeast, is a few miles away)
- Free admission
2. Slidell's All You Can Eat Crawfish Cook-Off
- Biggest crawfish festival in Louisiana takes place in Fritchie Park, Slidell
- 45,000 lbs. of spicy boiled crawfish from 60 teams competing for bragging rights and "Best Crawfish in St. Tammany Parish"
- A fund-raiser hosted by the Hospice Foundation of the South at the peak of crawfish season.
- Live music
- All You Can Eat crawfish with admission, and other food like burgers & hot dogs available, too.
3. Fall and Spring Slidell Antique Street Fairs
- More than 200 booths showcasing antiques, Depression-era glass, collectibles, stained glass, pottery
- Annual two-day family event in the historic Olde Towne Slidell district, held in both the Fall and Spring
- Great food and live music on three stages
- Free admission and parking
4. A Taste of Covington
- A five-day celebration of epicurean delights held each spring in Covington
- Vintner dinners at area restaurants
- Grand Tasting - sip over 50 wines, enjoy live music at Aquistapace's Wine Warehouse
- Festa del Vino - fine wine tasting at the St. Tammany Art Association sponsored by Covington Mayor Mike Cooper
- Don't miss Spring for Art on Saturday, an evening of gallery openings, live music, and art demonstrations in downtown Covington.
- Sunday Champagne Jazz Brunch
5. The Slidell Heritage Festival
- Celebrate America's birthday with live music & FIREWORKS in beautiful Heritage Park
- Camellia City Art-In-the-Park area with artisans and crafters exhibiting their works
- Games & activities for children
- Come hungry for lots of great Louisiana festival food: boudin balls, crawfish beignets, shrimp on a stick, Cajun pasta and more
6. Ozone Songwriter Festival on the Northshore
- 100+ singer-songwriters performed over two days on four stages. From chart-topping hitmakers from Nashville, including festival co-founder Greg Barnhill, to well known New Orleans-based songwriters
- Food trucks and local beer stations periodically stationed
- All proceeds aid the Ozone Music Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing elementary and high school students in St. Tammany with further music education.
- The festival features two days of free, family-friendly events, educational opportunities for songwriters and musicians, and a showcase event featuring headliners and supporting acts.
7. Wooden Boat Festival
- Celebrate St. Tammany's maritime history along the banks of the Tchefuncte River in the quaint town of Madisonville
- The largest collection of classic and vintage hand-crafted wooden boats on the Gulf Coast
- The Quick 'n' Dirty Boat Building contest is a crowd favorite. Costumed teams blitz-build a themed boat in 14 hours then compete in a raucous 100-yard race with hilarious results.
- Live music, Beer Garden, and Children's Village
- Kids Boat Shop - free wooden boat souvenirs for children to take home
- Admission is only $10 for adults and free for kids 12 and under, seniors and active military
8. Covington's Three Rivers Art Festival
- Juried outdoor art market on Columbia Street in historic St. John District of Covington with over 200 artists from around the Southeast region.
- Shop for high-quality works in ceramics, paintings, photography, fiber art, woodworking, metalwork, sculptures, jewelry and more.
- Children's Discovery Area with face-painting, arts, and crafts projects, and award-winning storytellers, musicians, and dancers who perform theater, opera, jazz, Cajun music, magic tricks and more.
- Arts Alive! tent with live art demonstrations like pottery making, glass blowing, and blacksmithing.
- Fun Louisiana food like crawfish étouffée, shrimp & grits, gator bites, fried shrimp and more.
- Free admission.
9. St. Tammany Crab Festival
- 2-day celebration with non-stop live music and non-stop dancing in scenic Heritage Park in Slidell
- Savor succulent Lake Pontchartrain crabs served a variety of ways (spicy boiled, golden fried soft shell crab po'boys) as well as Louisiana crawfish, shrimp, snoballs and more.
- Kids games & activities, crafts
- Mr. Crabs Car Show (classic cars &, stunt bikes, trucks, 4x4s and more)
- Boat rides on Bayou Bonfouca
10. Bluesberry Festival
- An all-day line up of live music acts in scenic Bogue Falaya Park in Covington
- Fresh blueberries from local growers
- More than thirty artisan and vendor booths
- Food truck alley
- Hands-on and interactive children's activities
- Abita Beer Garden
Read about all of the Northshore's major annual events - from Mardi Gras to music festivals to art & antique fairs.
Looking for the top ten things to do on the Northshore? It's hard to choose, but this will get you started.
