Upcoming Events
Fiddlin' with the Finest
June 13, 2026 Enjoy performances from top fiddle musicians as we celebrate Louisiana’s rich musical traditions.
Learn More
Picnic in the Park with Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue
April 7, 2026 Join us for a pre-festival evening of live music and community as we kick off the Louisiana Folklife Festival season.
Learn More
NATCHITOCHES - NSU FOLK FESTIVAL
Join us July 18, 2026, at air-conditioned Prather Coliseum for the 46th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, featuring crafts, food, live music, dance lessons, KidFest, the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship, and the Gumbo Cookoff celebrating Louisiana traditions.
NATCHITOCHES – NSU FOLK FESTIVAL
Louisiana State Fiddle Championship
On July 18, 2026, the Louisiana State Fiddlers’ Championship will celebrate and preserve Louisiana’s rich musical heritage by promoting traditional fiddling styles, encouraging young musicians, and fostering jam sessions and contests that keep the fiddle tradition alive.
LOUISIANA STATE FIDDLE CHAMPIONSHIPNatchitoches – NSU Folk Festival
Join us on July 18, 2026, for the 46th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival to be held in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum. This family-friendly event will feature over 100 invited craftspeople, authentic folk foods, KidFest activities, and live bluegrass and country open jams. Guests can enjoy free Cajun and Zydeco dance lessons, watch the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship, and taste their way through the Gumbo Cookoff. It’s a full day of fun, food, music, and culture—celebrating the best of Louisiana traditions!
Exploring Louisiana’s Culture, History, and Creative Expression
Louisiana Studies Conference
The Louisiana Studies Conference brings together scholars, writers, and cultural authorities to celebrate and examine Louisiana’s rich heritage. Hosted annually at Northwestern State University, the free, public event features presentations, performances, and discussions on Louisiana’s literature, history, music, folklore, and more.
LOUISIANA STATE FIDDLE CHAMPIONSHIP
On July 18, 2026, the Louisiana State Fiddlers’ Championship (LSFC) will celebrate the rich heritage of Louisiana’s musical traditions. The event is designed to preserve and promote the traditional music and fiddling styles that are integral to many forms of Louisiana music. Beyond honoring the past, the championship also fosters appreciation and understanding of this cultural art form, encourages young fiddlers to pursue their musical passions, and promotes jam sessions and contests as vibrant spaces for creativity and the continuation of the fiddle tradition.
Hall of Master Folk Artists
The Hall of Master Folk Artists at NSU honors the creativity and traditions of Louisiana’s most talented craftspeople. Showcasing the artistry of master weavers, woodworkers, musicians, and more, the Hall preserves cultural heritage while inspiring future generations.
2026 NSU Louisiana High School Essay Contest
The 18th annual NSU Louisiana High School Essay Contest is now open for submissions until June 1, 2026. The contest is open to all Louisiana students in grades 9-12 regardless of type of school institution, including students in all types of private educational environments, as well as home schooled students.
2026 NSU Louisiana High School Creative Expressions Contest
The 1st annual NSU Louisiana High School Creative Expressions Contest is now open for submissions until June 1, 2026. The contest is open to all Louisiana students in grades 9-12 regardless of type of school institution, including students in all types of private educational environments, as well as home schooled students.
Louisiana Folklife Journal
Among the many activities of the Louisiana Folklife Center is the Louisiana Folklife journal, which covers many topics related to the folklore of Louisiana. Although some of the issues are no longer available, many can be purchased from the Louisiana Folklife Center. Below is a listing of the issues and the articles included in each.
Louisiana Folklife Recordings
The Louisiana Folklife Center has released a series of folklife related recordings. These recordings represent valuable resources for the musical culture of Louisiana. They are avilable by mail-order. Recording formats and prices are listed next to each available recording.
Links & Resources
Online Publications
Proceedings of the 2010 Delta Symposium
Introduction - Dr. Shane Rasmussen
Carter, Cecile Elkins - This Land Was Made for You and Me (Keynote Address)
Aiello, Dr Thomas - Violence is a Classroom: The 1972 Grambling and Southern Riots and the Trajectory of Black Southern Student Protest
French Influences at Los Adaes
Confluence And Divergence: Nineteenth Century Plantation Lifestyles Along Red River
Thieves, Queers and Fruit Jars: The Community and Media Responses to the Fire At the Up Stairs Lounge
“Sad and happy at once…”
Trailer Trash Talks Back: John Dufresne’s Louisiana Power and Light by Bernard Gallagher
Blessings from a Woman of the Good God
Salt, Nails and Prayer: Horseracing and Superstition by W. Charlene LeBrun
“Shaking out the clothes for spiders”: Folklife Traditions Along Louisiana’s Cane River Lake
Material Culture of Socially Mobile Acadians in Ascension Parish Louisiana 1840-1860: Landry Family Case Studies of Evolution into Landownership and Comfortable Wealth by William Henry Riehm
Louisiana’s Alternative Energy Policy: How the ‘Bayou State’ Could Become the ‘Biomass State’ by John W. Sutherlin, PhD
The Atta Boy or Atta Girl Notebook: What Louisiana Students Need to Know about an Academic Portfolio by Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett & Mrs. Neeru Deep
Opportunists or Saints? Slavery and Free Women of Color in Antebellum New Orleans
Camp Claiborne and Segregation: The Mystery or Not of the Lee Street Riots
Literature and Ethnology in the Career Of Caroline Dormon
Introduction - Dr. Shane Rasmussen
Carter, Cecile Elkins - This Land Was Made for You and Me (Keynote Address)
Aiello, Dr Thomas - Violence is a Classroom: The 1972 Grambling and Southern Riots and the Trajectory of Black Southern Student Protest
French Influences at Los Adaes
Confluence And Divergence: Nineteenth Century Plantation Lifestyles Along Red River
Thieves, Queers and Fruit Jars: The Community and Media Responses to the Fire At the Up Stairs Lounge
“Sad and happy at once…”
Trailer Trash Talks Back: John Dufresne’s Louisiana Power and Light by Bernard Gallagher
Blessings from a Woman of the Good God
Salt, Nails and Prayer: Horseracing and Superstition by W. Charlene LeBrun
“Shaking out the clothes for spiders”: Folklife Traditions Along Louisiana’s Cane River Lake
Material Culture of Socially Mobile Acadians in Ascension Parish Louisiana 1840-1860: Landry Family Case Studies of Evolution into Landownership and Comfortable Wealth by William Henry Riehm
Louisiana’s Alternative Energy Policy: How the ‘Bayou State’ Could Become the ‘Biomass State’ by John W. Sutherlin, PhD
The Atta Boy or Atta Girl Notebook: What Louisiana Students Need to Know about an Academic Portfolio by Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett & Mrs. Neeru Deep
Opportunists or Saints? Slavery and Free Women of Color in Antebellum New Orleans
Camp Claiborne and Segregation: The Mystery or Not of the Lee Street Riots
Literature and Ethnology in the Career Of Caroline Dormon