Alligator Festival returns Sept. 24-27 with music, food and scholarships

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... For more than four decades, the Alligator Festival has brought live music, carnival rides, Cajun food and, of course, alligators to St. Charles Parish. But behind the four-day celebration is a mission to help local students pursue higher education. The annual festival, hosted by the Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish, returns Sept. 24-27 at West Bank Bridge Park in Luling. Proceeds from the festival fund college scholarships for local youth. The Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish was formed in 1978. Two years later, the club created the Alligator Festival as a way to give back to the community, with funds raised going toward scholarships for graduating seniors at Destrehan High School and Hahnville High School. The first Alligator Festival was held in 1980 on the driving range at Willowdale Country Club. After quickly outgrowing the location, the festival moved to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hahnville and later to two locations along U.S. 90 in Boutte. Since 2000, the festival has been held at West Bank Bridge Park. What began with a $250 scholarship donated in 1980 by Archie Mollere, a Rotary Club member and St. Charles Parish School Board member, has grown into more than $1 million in scholarships awarded to local students. The St. Charles Rotary Club Scholarship Foundation currently provides more than $50,000 in scholarships each year to graduating seniors from Destrehan and Hahnville high schools. The scholarships can be used toward college, university or vocational education. Email newsletter signup Each year, the foundation awards six $7,000 academic scholarships, three to Destrehan graduates and three to Hahnville graduates, along with four $2,000 vocational scholarships, two for graduates of each school. This year's festival will combine the scholarship mission with four days of family entertainment, including live alligators, 10 bands, carnival rides, Cajun cuisine, craft vendors and more. The festival recently announced its 2026 royalty, with Kacey Beadle named 2026 Miss Alligator Festival and Elle Johnson named 2026 Teen Alligator Festival Queen. The festival opens Thursday, Sept. 24, with Locals Night from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free that evening. Friday's festival runs from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission Friday through Sunday is $5, while children 10 and younger are admitted free. The 2026 music lineup includes Tommy G & Stormy Weather on Thursday; Will Wesley and Paperchase on Friday; St. Charles UMC, Quickslvr, The Topcats and Category 6 on Saturday; and Hunter Courville & Cajun Fever, Ryan Foret & Foret Tradition and Rock Show NOLA on Sunday. Visitors can also get an up-close look at live alligators during the festival's live alligator exhibit. Expert handlers from Kliebert & Sons Gator Tours will be on hand during designated festival hours.