Rougarou Fest 2026: Houma’s Werewolf Weekend and the Wetlands

In Houma, the werewolf’s name goes on the festival program.

The 2026 Rougarou Fest listing from Explore Houma set aside October 23–25 for a celebration of local folklore at the Valhi Boulevard festival grounds. Its announced program brought together the Krewe Ga Rou parade, live music, a costume contest and a Folklife Village.

The rougarou gives the weekend its supernatural host. The cultural demonstrations and local food give it a setting larger than a monster costume: the stories and practices of southeast Louisiana, gathered in public rather than left at the edge of the woods.

The organizer’s own festival page confirms the 2026 dates and explains the cause behind the celebration. Proceeds support the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, whose work concerns education about Louisiana’s changing coast. The festival makes folklore a route toward learning about the landscape that sustains it.

The published program describes what was offered. It does not supply attendance totals, a report of every scheduled activity taking place, or a new sighting of a creature. The distinctive fact is the relationship between the party and its cause: the local werewolf helps bring attention to the wetlands.

A legend can survive by frightening people away from a place. It can also survive by giving them a reason to gather there. Rougarou Fest belongs to that second life, with the monster’s name keeping company with music, food and a landscape worth remembering.

Sources

• Explore Houma, Rougarou Fest 2026: dates, location and announced program.
• Rougarou Fest, organizer’s information page: 2026 schedule and Wetlands Discovery Center benefit.