Zwolle, Louisiana ✦ Oct 8–10, 2026
Zwolle Tamale Fiesta.
A little town. A whole lot of flavor.
Follow the music to Zwolle for the 50th annual Tamale Fiesta. Three days of tamales, dancing, a hometown parade, and anniversary fireworks make room for old friends and new faces.
WHEN
Oct 8–10, 2026WHERE
Zwolle Festival Grounds · 1100 S. Main St., Zwolle, LA 71486THE DETAILS
Admission & visitor notes ↗PICK YOUR DAY
The festival schedule.
All times Central.
Times may change.
Tamale Fiesta · Thursday, October 8
A golden beginning.
$2 gate admission
10 AM – 1 PM
Senior Citizen Day
Vendors, bingo, lunch, special recognition & door prizes
4 PM
Festival gates open
Let the anniversary weekend begin
6 PM – 9 PM
Kick-off supper
Opening ceremonies begin at 6 PM
6:30 PM
Studio B Dance Company
50th anniversary special
7 PM
Special entertainment
At the festival grounds
7:30 PM
Next of Kin Band
An evening of live music
8:45 PM
50th anniversary fireworks
A little sparkle for a big milestone
Tamale Fiesta · Friday, October 9
Find your dancing shoes.
$5 gate admission
9 AM – 2 PM
Third Grade Educational Day
A day for local students
4 PM
Festival gates open
Food, friends & Friday night
4 PM – 5:15 PM
Dillion Etheridge and band
On the festival stage
5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
Henry Reggans & the Louisiana Side Men
Keep the good times going
6:50 PM – 8 PM
50th Anniversary Dance Contest
Bring your best moves
8 PM – 11 PM
Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express
Close out Friday on the dance floor
Tamale Fiesta · Saturday, October 10
Make a whole day of it.
$10 gate admission
7 AM
1 Mile & 5K registration
The schedule poster lists the 5K start at 8 AM; confirm with race organizers.
8 AM
5K run & festival gates open
Race timing differs between published sources; confirm with the organizers.
10 AM
Fiesta parade
Also listed: treasure hunt & main-stage contest registration
11 AM
Midwest Rides & concessions open
Time for a little carnival fun
11:15 AM
Tamale eating contest
Time as printed on the official schedule; confirm on site.
11:30 AM – 1 PM
Toledo Cruisers Car Club Show
A festival-day gathering of cars
12 PM
Spanish costume contest
Main-stage festivities
12:30 PM
Arm wrestling contest
Main-stage festivities
1 PM
Tamale judging
The flavor at the heart of the Fiesta
2 PM
Mud bog
See organizers for separate mud-bog policies and fees.
2 PM – 3:15 PM
Mark Reeves and Twisted X Band
On the festival stage
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Kyle Richardson and The Sabine Sound
On the festival stage
5 PM – 6:30 PM
Bad Moon Rising
On the festival stage
6:45 PM – 8 PM
One Trick Pony
On the festival stage
8:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Nik-L Beer
One last night to dance
Before the festival · entries & early events
Tamale Fiesta · Saturday, October 3 · Lead-up
Trail ride & evening music
$10 trail ride
2 PM
Trail ride
Zwolle Festival Grounds
7 PM – 11 PM
Next of Kin Band
Tamale Fiesta · Tuesday, October 6 · Lead-up
Royal Mass
Admission not listed
6 PM
Royal Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Zwolle
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Make a day of it.
Fifty years of coming together
The Fiesta began with an idea proposed by Rogers P. Loupe in 1975. With help from tourism director Roscoe Carruth, it developed into a nonprofit celebration of Zwolle’s food and Spanish and Indigenous heritage. In 2026, the festival marks its 50th annual gathering.
Plan your visit
Public gates open at 4 PM Thursday and Friday, and 8 AM Saturday. Gate admission is $2 Thursday, $5 Friday, and $10 Saturday. Food, rides, and some activities cost extra. Ask the organizers about child admission, parking, accessibility, and accepted payment methods.
Saturday’s mud bog begins at 2 PM. Its published $25 cooler charge and $40 tent-space charge apply specifically to the mud-bog area; they do not establish festival-wide cooler permission.
Run, walk & join the parade crowd
The program lists Saturday race registration at 7 AM and a 5K start at 8 AM. A separate registration listing gives a different start time, so confirm with organizers. Both the 5K and one-mile entry are listed at $25; the first 75 paid participants are listed as eligible for shirts.
The 5K registration deadline is September 28 at 11:59 PM Central; the one-mile deadline is October 1 at 11:59 PM Central. The parade begins at 10 AM Saturday.
Vendors, sponsors & the pageant
The organizer reports food and arts-and-crafts spaces as fully booked. Contact the festival for availability changes. The 2026 pageant was held August 22 and is a past event.
Sponsorship levels start at $150, with the published sponsorship deadline of October 1. General questions and sponsorship inquiries can go to Chris and Becky Loupe at the email below.
SOURCE NOTES · CHECKED September 15, 2026
Dates, activities, and gate prices checked against the organizer’s published 2026 program on September 15. The daily program supports October 8–10; its footer has an inconsistent October 8–11 range. Race start times and the tamale eating contest time differ within the published materials. Confirm these with organizers.
Written and organized independently by SatCom. This guide is not affiliated with the festival organizers.