Bunkie gears up for 38th annual Louisiana Corn Festival June 11-13

One of Avoyelles Parish’s longest-running festivals is returning this June as Bunkie prepares to host the 38th Annual Louisiana Corn Festival, set for June 11-13, 2026.

The festival, known for its longtime slogan “Aw Shucks!” celebrates agriculture, community and family fun in the heart of Bunkie. According to festival information, the Louisiana Corn Festival began in 1986 and remains the only corn festival in the state. The event was created to honor the impact agriculture has on the local economy, and each year a Corn Farmer of the Year is recognized as part of the celebration.

This year’s festival will include:
- Carnival rides
- Food vendors
- Arts and crafts
- Live music
- Contests
- A parade
- Pirogue races
- A corn cooking contest
- A corn shucking contest
- A corn eating contest
- A state-wide softball tournament

Festival organizers say the event draws thousands of visitors each year and remains a family-friendly tradition for people across Louisiana. Proceeds from the festival are put back into the community, festival grounds and projects throughout the city.

The festival opens Thursday, June 11, with Carnival Family Night beginning at 5 p.m. There will be no gate entry fee that evening. Food vendors, the band “Watering Hole” and arts and crafts booths will also be available.

On Friday, June 12, the carnival opens at 5 p.m., with food vendors, arts and crafts and other festival attractions continuing throughout the evening. The Children’s Wagon Parade will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the bandstand, followed by opening ceremonies at 5:15 p.m. and the introduction of the 2026 Corn Farmer of the Year at 5:20 p.m.

The softball tournament begins Friday at 6 p.m. Live music will also be featured Friday evening, with Travis Matte & The Kingpins performing from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., followed by Ryan Foret from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Saturday, June 13, will be packed with activities beginning at 8 a.m., when the softball tournament continues. Food vendors and arts and crafts booths open at 9 a.m., followed by the arrival of visiting queens at 9:30 a.m.

The annual Louisiana Corn Festival Parade will roll through Bunkie at 10 a.m. Saturday. Parade entries are due by Thursday, June 11, and participants must be lined up by 9 a.m. at the Capital One Bank parking lot on Church Street. The parade route will begin on Church Street, turn onto Hwy. 71, continue down Main Street, turn onto Lexington Avenue and proceed to Pershing Highway before ending at the Corn Festival site.

Parade participants are encouraged to join in the festivities, though there will be no judging. Entries may include floats, vehicles with trailers, community awareness entries, marching units, dancing units and special entries. Festival rules state that parade entries must be family-friendly and corn-themed. No 4-wheelers, horses, alcohol, vulgar music or vulgar dancing will be allowed.

Following the parade, the carnival opens at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Corn Creature Contest will also begin at 11 a.m., followed by the Corn Shucking Contest at 11:30 a.m. at the pavilion.

The Corn Cooking Contest, sponsored by Lyon’s Market, will take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Haas Kitchen. The entry fee is $5, and no dishes will be accepted after 12:15 p.m. The contest includes a senior division for ages 18 and older, with categories for main dish, soup/salad/appetizer and bread/dessert. A junior division for ages 8-17 will include all dishes.

Prizes for the cooking contest include $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place in each category. A $25 Piggly Wiggly bonus will also be awarded to all first-place winners who submit a Piggly Wiggly receipt for ingredients used in the recipe. Recipes must contain at least one-quarter cup of corn product per serving, and dishes must be brought chilled and on ice for food safety.

More Saturday contests and entertainment will continue throughout the afternoon, including the Corn Eating Contest at 1 p.m., pirogue races at 2 p.m. and contest winners announced at 3 p.m.

Live music on Saturday will include Weathered from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m., Josh Ferguson & Semi-Charmed from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and The Molly Ringwalds from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Gate entry on Friday and Saturday is $5 for ages 12 and up and $1 for children under 12. Ride bracelets will also be available, with an all-night carnival bracelet offered Thursday and Friday for $30 and an all-day Saturday carnival bracelet for $35.

The Louisiana Corn Festival softball tournament is also returning as part of the celebration. The co-ed tournament is open to teams of at least six men and four women, high school age or older. The entry fee is $300 per team, with games beginning Friday, June 12, at 6 p.m. and continuing all day Saturday, June 13.

For parade information, contact Keatina Reynolds at 318-346-7663. Parade entries may be returned to Louisiana Corn Festival, Attn: Keatina Reynolds, P.O. Box 630, Bunkie, LA 71322.

For cooking contest information, contact the Bunkie Chamber office at 318-346-2575 or email bunkiechamber@bellsouth.net.

Festival organizers invite residents and visitors to “follow the rows of corn down to Bunkie” for three days of music, food, contests, family fun and community tradition.