Orange Festival
Historic Fort Jackson
Buras, LA
December 5, 2025
For More Information About This Event, Visit orangefestival.com.
In 1947, the first Plaquemines Parish Orange Festival was created to promote the cultivation and marketing of the parish’s citrus crop. A devastating freeze in 1951 nearly crushed the young organization, prompting leaders to broaden its mission to celebrate all of Plaquemines Parish’s bounty. In 1955, the event was officially renamed the Plaquemines Parish Fair & Orange Festival. However, record-breaking freezes in the winters of 1962 and 1963—accompanied by snow—proved even more destructive than the 1951 freeze, wiping out an orange industry that had generated three to four million dollars annually and forcing the cancellation of the annual celebrations in 1962.
This year, the Plaquemines Parish Fair and Orange Festival makes its home once again on the sweeping, historic grounds of Fort Jackson in Buras. Over the course of three days, guests can enjoy live bands, family-friendly fun, regional cuisine, Civil War reenactments held hourly, thrilling carnival rides, and even helicopter tours—all in honor of the parish’s long-standing citrus heritage.
True to its character, the festival also shines with a playful competitive streak. Visitors can test their skills in an impressive variety of contests, from pie, orange, and shrimp eating to orange peeling, duck calling, shrimp peeling, catfish skinning and de-heading, and oyster shucking. Fort Jackson sits just off Highway 23, with carnival-focused fun kicking off Friday and the full slate of events beginning Saturday. For schedules and details, visit orangefestival.com.