The Louisiana Pirate Festival, Formally known as Contraband Days, is a 12-day festival filled with

Cajun food Cajun cuisine ( , ) is a subset of Louisiana cooking developed by the Cajuns, itself a Louisianan development incorporating elements of Native American, West African, French, and Spanish cuisine. Cajun cuisine is often referred to as a "rus ...

, family fun, and festivities. Occurring annually in Lake Charles, it is among the larger celebrations in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, with an attendance of over 200,000. The Festival was first held in 1957. Held during the first two weeks of May, Contraband Days is the city's official celebration of the legend of the

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

Jean Lafitte Jean Lafitte ( – ) was a French pirate, privateer, and slave trader who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time u ...

. History tells that Lafitte and his band of pirates frequented the area's waterways; they are said to have buried Lafitte's contraband somewhere in the city's vicinity. The Pirate Festival festivities kick off every year with a pirate ship bombardment to "take control of the city" at the seawall of the Lake Charles Civic Center. A gang of rowdy and unruly buccaneers and "Jean Lafitte" overruns the blazing

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

s of the local militia. They then raise their "Jolly Roger" flag and capture the mayor by force with swords drawn and make the mayor walk the plank into the waters of the lake. No festival was held in 2020. Thus begins the two-weeks of pageantry and festivities, which include: *Evening

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

*Fireworks shows *Carnival midway *Entertainment on three stages *Sailing

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...

*Cajun cuisine *Contests *Beach games *Thrill attractions *Many fun-packed competitions, including bed races, bathtub races, and crawfish races *Nationally-sanctioned

speedboat A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats". Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the intern ...

races *Family night

References

External links

Official Contraband Days website History
{{coord missing, Louisiana Festivals in Louisiana Lake Charles, Louisiana Tourist attractions in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Recurring events established in 1957 1957 establishments in Louisiana Cajun culture Pirates in popular culture