Lake Charles, Louisiana it’s culinary delights, soulful music, high rolling gaming and the great outdoors. It’s good company and quiet reflections, cultural ambience and luxurious accommodations. It’s a sub-tropical climate and scores of recreational opportunities. Are You Game?
Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana is aptly named the “Festival Capital” of Louisiana. With more than 75 annual festivals, from the glittering splendor of Mardi Gras to the swashbuckling revelry of the Contraband Days Pirate Festival, there is a celebration almost every week.
You’ll find some of the finest regional cuisine, perfected over the last 200 years. From the subtle flavors inherent in the cream and wine sauces of Creole cuisine to spicy Cajun cooking that will have even conservative appetites inquiring about alligator and other “swamp things,” dining in Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana is always memorable. So go ahead and indulge in a legendary Louisiana crawfish boil, where eating with your hands is not just acceptable, but the rule.
Fancy yourself as a chef? Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana is your vacation destination for fresh seafood. Come on down and throw out a line to catchy tasty blue crabs ripe for boiling or concocting a savory crab stew. Grab a cast-net and pull in some shrimp for an appetizer. Saltwater fishing excursions in the Gulf of Mexico will net you loads of redfish and king mackerel while an inland charter is perfect for hooking speckled trout and flounder.
After a full day of outdoor adventures, it’s time to kick-back and relax. From Lake Charles’ golf greens and spas to horseracing and island time getaways, you will fall in love with the variety of casino venues and things to do.
For the perfect family trip, group tour, reunion or full-fledged convention, Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana epitomizes the definition of a melting pot. With its rich history and varied ethnic influences, experience authentic Louisiana spirit and the real meaning of Southern hospitality!
Lake Charles Must-Sees
Plan your trip around the first two weeks in May for Lake Charles’ main draw: the annual Contraband Days festival, a Mardi Gras-eque tradition that enlivens the city with live entertainment and culinary treats.
At Cowboy Stadium, the McNeese Cowboys reel in more than 17,000 college football fans during the biggest games of the season.
McNeese State University hosts The Banners Series, which features a slew of theatrical and musical performances, as well as academic lectures, throughout the year.
History buffs head to downtown Lake Charles for the Charpentier Historic District, a 40-block cultural area that boasts some of the finest 19th-century Victorian architecture in the state.
L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort, a 26-story hotel that is the tallest building between Houston and Baton Rouge, has the nightlife scene covered. The 1,500-seat entertainment venue hosts acts such as The Beach Boys, Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie and Gretchen Wilson.