Film & Music History: A new documentary on the Dew Drop Inn premieres at the New Orleans Film Festival, tracing how the legendary Black-owned club challenged segregation and helped desegregate the city’s bars and restaurants. Locally filmed dark comedy “Loves Company” is also screening at the festival. Carnival: Krewe du Vieux has sold out its 2027 parade and named James Carville its king. Live Music: New Orleans’ Soul Rebels are heading to Paris for Saints game performances, with a new song for the occasion. Fall Festivities: Krewe of Boo and other metro New Orleans festivals bring music, pumpkins and seasonal fun. Visual Arts: Four Baton Rouge artists inspired by Louisiana’s landscapes are staging a new exhibit.
AGP Executive Report
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Fall Arts & Events: Krewe of Boo rolls through New Orleans Saturday with 15 vampire-themed floats, and the weekend also brings live music, pumpkin patches and fall festivals. A Sunday screening of Interview with the Vampire at the Prytania Theatre follows a Q&A marking the film’s 50th anniversary. Mardi Gras: James Carville will reign as king of Krewe du Vieux at its Jan. 23 parade, whose theme celebrates the satirical krewe’s 40th year. Local Film: A micro-budget movie shot in Baton Rouge is set for a festival screening next week. New Orleans Music: The Soul Rebels head to Paris for Saints game-week shows with a new song, while NOLA Funk Fest honored local greats with a George Porter Jr. set and an Allen Toussaint tribute. Public Art: New installations at the former Ford Motor Plant in Arabi offer a fresh art outing near New Orleans.
Louisiana Art Abroad: Thibodaux-born artist Jammie Holmes will lead the NFL’s first COLOR FIELD installation in Paris, bringing his Louisiana roots and Saints fandom to the league’s art-and-football showcase. Theater Milestone: Lake Charles Little Theatre marks 100 years with an exhibit at Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, running through Dec. 5. The volunteer troupe has staged more than 600 productions and opened performance opportunities to thousands of locals. Cajun Music: Lafayette’s Lost Bayou Ramblers surprised Brooks & Dunn with a Louisiana French version of “Neon Moon” during the country duo’s visit. On the Air: Public Radio Music Day arrives Oct. 28, with Gulf South stations highlighting how local music programs support artists and preserve regional culture. Louisiana Hayride: A new look back at Elvis Presley’s early Shreveport performances recalls how advice to “jump around” helped the nervous young singer find his stage presence.
Onstage in New Orleans: Disney’s The Lion King is at the Saenger Theatre through Nov. 8, with two New Orleans natives in the cast. Local Film: Eight Loyola films made the New Orleans Film Festival lineup, spotlighting emerging filmmakers. Louisiana Arts: Four Baton Rouge artists are showcasing work inspired by the state’s natural world, while the Ernest J. Gaines Literary Award ceremony is coming up in the capital. Live Music: New Orleans’ week-ahead lineup includes a Dr. John tribute, Johnny Blue Skies and Mac Sabbath; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue also announced a 2027 Shorty Gras tour. Historic Venue: Shreveport’s Lincoln Theater is set to reopen after years of restoration.
Food & Dining: Four New Orleans restaurants earned Michelin stars in the American South guide, with more Louisiana spots recognized. Local chefs are also honoring late Banana Blossom owner Jimmy Cho: four restaurants will serve his dishes to raise money for his staff. New Orleans Lore: Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire turns 50, with Crescent City landmarks from the books and filming locations offering fans a gothic tour. The French Quarter’s “Haunted” and “Not Haunted” real-estate signs have become a local tradition, too. Coming Up: Shreveport’s Nov. 6 young-adult literature conference will feature author and illustrator William Joyce. Around New Orleans, Halloween events, the Film Festival, and an Odesza-led EDM festival bring plenty of reasons to go out. Louisiana Arts: The historic Lincoln Theater in Louisiana is set to reopen after years of restoration, while True Friends Hall’s restoration aims to preserve a music landmark.
Dining Honors: Dakar NOLA earned a new Michelin star, joining Saint-Germain and Zasu at one star and Emeril’s at two. The 2026 guide also recognizes 37 New Orleans restaurants overall. This Weekend: Gonzales hosts Boots on the Bayou, a two-day festival featuring 13 artists and a Louisiana-born headliner. In Bossier City, the Louisiana Association for the Blind’s Halloween Eye Ball brings live music from The Molly Ringwalds alongside costumes and a fundraiser for its services center. Theater: Shreveport’s historic Lincoln Theater is set to reopen after years of restoration. Film: The New Orleans Film Festival is spotlighting award-winning features and local music documentaries as Hollywood South takes center stage at the festival’s 37th edition.
Historic Venues: Baton Rouge’s Lincoln Theater is set to reopen Oct. 29 after more than a decade of restoration. The 1949 landmark hosted Black music legends including James Brown and Louis Armstrong and played a role in the 1953 bus boycott. In Donaldsonville, a restoration project aims to revive True Friends Hall, a former Chitlin’ Circuit stop that welcomed Fats Domino, Irma Thomas and James Brown. Art & Artists: Gary Tyler, a Louisiana quilt artist who spent decades imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit, is receiving his first solo museum exhibition in Michigan. In Mandeville, four Baton Rouge artists bring their Louisiana-inspired work outdoors for “Plein Wild” at Fontainebleau State Park, Thursday through Saturday. Weekend Picks: Catch “Clue Live on Stage!” Saturday at Baton Rouge’s River Center, or take the family to Boo at the Zoo, running Saturday and Sunday.**
New Orleans Music: Medeski Martin & Wood announced their first U.S. show in five years, set for New Orleans during Jazz Fest 2027. Jon Cleary also looked back on a lifetime shaped by the city’s music. Louisiana Film & Theater: The 37th annual Hollywood South Film Festival put the state’s film scene in the spotlight, while locally filmed dark comedy Loves Company opened at the New Orleans Film Festival. Playwright Brian Egland is bringing a Louisiana-set story of grief and freedom home. Festivals & Fall Fun: The Boucherie & Balloon Festival drew record crowds, and Vinton is gearing up for a weekend of Cajun food and zydeco. Haunted trails and Halloween stage events are also on the calendar. Country Music: Louisiana native Tim McGraw was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and paid an emotional tribute to wife Faith Hill.
Country Music: Louisiana native Tim McGraw became a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, honored alongside songwriter Paul Overstreet and bluegrass legends the Stanley Brothers. Music Rights: A Supreme Court ruling upheld songwriters’ ability to reclaim copyrights; a Louisiana songwriter was among those celebrating the victory. Halloween Stage & Sound: Spooky season brings live “Rocky Horror” and “Dracula” productions, New Iberia’s Frightmare haunted trail, and a free concert series alongside Covington’s Sawmill Haunted House Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Louisiana Film: The locally filmed dark comedy “Loves Company” opens at the New Orleans Film Festival, while Shreveport’s Prize Fest wrapped with sold-out events and award-winning talent.
Film: Locally filmed dark comedy Loves Company, starring Rachel Dratch and Jack Plotnick, makes its New Orleans Film Festival debut this weekend, with cast Q&As at Prytania Theatre and The Broad. The festival runs Oct. 22–27. Music: Louisiana songwriter Cyril Vetter won a Supreme Court copyright fight, preserving a ruling that allows songwriters to reclaim rights worldwide. Louisiana Talent: Tim McGraw was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Paul Overstreet and the Stanley Brothers, honoring a career with nearly 30 No. 1 country singles. Food & Festivals: Shreveport chef Jacob Mouser took home Prize Fest’s Golden Fork for his quail dish, earning his second win; the festival wrapped with sold-out events and local talent. Community Arts: The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts opened submissions for its 2027 student art and songwriting contest.
Music Rights: The Supreme Court left intact a New Orleans-based appeals court ruling that lets songwriters reclaim copyright to works worldwide, not just U.S. rights. The case centers on Cyril Vetter, co-writer of 1960s hit “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love).” Louisiana on the Rose Parade: Explore Louisiana’s “Bienvenue en Louisiane” float is headed to Pasadena on New Year’s Day 2027, featuring a Mardi Gras-colored pelican among the parade’s new designs. Festivals & Film: Lake Charles’ Chuck Fest is bringing local food, art and music together, while the New Orleans Film Festival is screening award-winning features and documentaries about local music. Local Arts: A new mural brightens a long-vacant downtown Homer building, with scenes welcoming visitors to Historic Downtown Homer and Main Street. New Music: New Orleans musician Max Bien Kahn’s “Baby Green” explores how life unfolds in small moments.
New Orleans Events: This week’s lineup includes the Krewe of Boo parade, Hannibal Buress and Treme Fall Fest. Festival Scene: Chalmette held its inaugural Louisiana Oyster Culture Festival, bringing together local vendors, oyster shuckers and live music; Lake Charles’ Chuck Fest also celebrated local food, art and music. Local Music: New Orleans artist Max Bien Kahn explores life’s small moments on his new release, “Baby Green.” Film & Art: The New Orleans Film Festival is screening award-winning features and local music documentaries, while LSU Museum of Art is spotlighting Southern art and history with its “Geaux South” exhibition.
French Market: Managers want to raise rents and bring in new shops, but tenants are pushing back over the plans for the historic New Orleans marketplace. Film & Music: The New Orleans Film Festival is screening award-winning features and local music documentaries. Campus Culture: LSU’s annual Divine Nine Step Show spotlighted Black heritage and raised funds for philanthropies during Homecoming. Coming Up: Music in Place presents songs by Disney composer Alan Menken on Oct. 24, while BREC’s Boo at the Zoo brings trick-or-treat stations and family fun. Makers & Music: Baton Rouge’s Maker Faire invites visitors to explore local creativity, and Camelot Nation and the Krewe of King Arthur awarded $20,000 to high school bands.
Film & Music: The New Orleans Film Festival is screening award-winning features and local music documentaries. In Baton Rouge, Music in Place presents songs by Disney composer Alan Menken on Oct. 24, while a local roundup highlights live shows from Joy Clark, The Rumble and a Cajun jam. Festivals: NOLA Funk Fest is returning for its fourth year, and the 69th Louisiana Art & Folk Festival is bringing art and community together. Shreveport-Bossier’s Prize Fest and Red River Revel are also drawing attention as tourism highlights. Onstage: LSU’s annual Divine Nine Step Show brought stepping, history and pop-culture references to a packed Union Theater for Homecoming weekend. Coming up: Louisiana Legends Fest returns to Homer, and Lake Charles’ November concert calendar is out.
Clay & Community: New Orleans ceramicist Amanda Mundee is welcoming beginners and experienced makers to small-group wheel-throwing, hand-building and glazing classes at Earth & Fire in East Carrollton. Festival Weekend: Southeast Louisiana has live events on tap, including NOLA Funk Fest, Andouille Fest and Praise Fest; the Boucherie and Balloon Festival is also underway in Sorrento. Arts in Shreveport: Prize Fest and the Red River Revel bring film, local art, music and food downtown. Revel marks its 50th season, while Prize Fest returns for its 14th year. On the Field: LSU hosts Mississippi State at Tiger Stadium for homecoming Saturday, with kickoff at 11 a.m. Central.
Festivals This Weekend: NOLA Funk Fest fills Woldenberg Park through Sunday with Galactic, George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners, Neal Francis and more. Homer’s free Louisiana Legends Fest starts Saturday at 9 a.m., featuring Sonny Landreth and Honey Island Swamp Band. Sorrento’s Boucherie and Balloon Festival and the Louisiana Shrimp Festival also bring food, music and family fun. Arts & Film: The New Orleans Film Festival offers a chance to catch major movies before their theater releases, while Bayou Bijou spotlights Louisiana’s film history in Baton Rouge. Local Arts: Louisiana painter Francis X. Pavy will receive the Ogden Museum’s Opus Award; meanwhile, New Orleans jewelry designer Mignon Faget plans to leave her longtime Magazine Street location after a lease dispute.
Halloween Nights: Halloween pop-up bars are spreading nationwide, with Black Lagoon tracing its start to a 2019 Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans. A Louisiana guide also rounds up 13 reportedly haunted places for spooky-season exploring. Live Music: Baton Rouge’s weekend lineup includes free Live After Five with The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.; Joy Clark, Cajun jams and more are on area stages. Lake Charles’ November concert calendar features Clint Black, Clay Walker, Gary Allan and Leslie Odom Jr. Louisiana Art: Lafayette painter Francis X. Pavy will receive the Ogden Museum’s Opus Award for decades of work celebrating south Louisiana music and culture. Festivals & Film: Sorrento’s Boucherie and Balloon Festival brings cooking contests, hot-air balloons and live music, while the New Orleans Film Festival offers a chance to catch movies before their theatrical release. Baton Rouge’s Bayou Bijou event celebrates Louisiana film history. Big Stage: The Savannah Bananas return to Baton Rouge in 2027, with games at Alex Box Stadium and their first appearance at Tiger Stadium.
Live Music: NOLA Funk Fest brings collaborations and an Allen Toussaint tribute to New Orleans this weekend, alongside performances by the LPO with Flagboy Giz and Nolatet. In Acadiana, Kevin Gates, Rob49, Slim Thug and others play the Cajundome Friday; Chuck Fest kicks off Saturday in Lake Charles. Festivals: Shreveport’s 50th Red River Revel runs through Sunday, featuring dozens of regional artists. The Louisiana Shrimp Festival returns to Broadside this weekend with food, music and family activities. Next week, the Washington Parish Fair features concerts by LeAnn Rimes and Frank Foster. Arts & Heritage: An Alexandria screening of award-winning documentary Ancestral Artistry, about African and Creole contributions to Louisiana architecture, is set for Nov. 11. Coming to Baton Rouge: The Savannah Bananas return March 4 to Alex Box Stadium and make their Tiger Stadium debut March 6.
Film: The New Orleans Film Festival runs Oct. 22–27, bringing 189 films to local theaters, including award winners from Cannes, Venice, Toronto and Telluride before many reach theaters or streaming. Live Music: NOLA Funk Fest returns for a fourth year with Galactic, Cimafunk and an Allen Toussaint tribute, plus a larger footprint. Festivals: The 69th Louisiana Art & Folk Festival is on the calendar, and Shreveport’s Prize Fest has published its day-by-day guide. The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair, opening Oct. 22, promises rides, Louisiana food and live music. Louisiana Arts: A Baton Rouge-born designer has launched a collection with Dillard’s, while Jazz Fest has opened craft applications for its 2027 festival.
Louisiana Style: A Baton Rouge-born designer has launched a Dillard’s collection that nods to her roots. Live Music: NOLA Funk Fest takes over Oct. 16–18 with Galactic, Cimafunk and an Allen Toussaint tribute; Hayley Williams also urged New Orleans concertgoers to vote during her recent Louisiana show. Festival Season: The State Fair of Louisiana has announced its 2026 lineup, while the Red River Revel closes its 50th year and the 69th Louisiana Art & Folk Festival celebrates local culture. Looking Ahead: Jazz Fest is accepting craft applications for its 2027 festival. Arts & Heritage: St. Augustine Catholic Church in Treme is nearing the end of restoration as it prepares to mark its 185th anniversary.
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