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The LSU Rural Life Museum is proud to present its 2025 theme,
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Harvests Days
📅 Saturday & Sunday, October 4–5, 2025
🕙 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Step back in time and celebrate the harvest season at the LSU Rural Life Museum’s annual Harvest Days. Experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of 19th-century rural Louisiana with live demonstrations of traditional crafts and skills. Watch artisans at work as they prepare food over open-hearth fires, weave baskets, carve wood, work leather, and more. Wander the museum grounds, meet skilled craftspeople, and immerse yourself in the heritage of Louisiana’s rural past.
🟣 Admission:
Ages 0–3: Free
Ages 4–11: $10
Ages 12+: $12
Schedule
Food Tent: open 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM (both days)
Saturday, October 4
🎶 Performances
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 3:00–4:30 PM · Delta Gentlemen — Overseer’s Lawn
11:00 AM – 12:45 PM · James Hogg — Dogtrot Porch
~1:00–1:30 PM · Recognition Program (Monique Folklife Award & Docent Tribute) — Dogtrot
Porch
2:00–3:00 PM · Louisiana Vintage Dancers + Kitchen Sessions Band — Overseer’s Lawn
2:00–3:30 PM · Cajun French Music Association Dancers + Crescent City Cajuns — Dogtrot
Porch & Lawn
Sunday, October 5
🎶 Performances
10:00 AM – 4:30 PM · Delta Gentlemen — Overseer’s Lawn
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Hot Tunica — Dogtrot Porch
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM · Raptor Rehab — Breezeway
1:00 PM – close · Lagniappe Historic Dance and Pastime Society — Quarters Lawn
🛠️ Artisan Demonstrations (Both Days)
Corn Husk Dolls — Back Barn
Spinning — Side Middle Barn-R
Woodworking — Yard by Back Porch
Dugout Boat Restoration — Back Porch
Quill Pen Writing — Schoolhouse Yard
Quilting — Gallery
Syrup & Cracklins — Syrup House
Beekeeping & Tractor Rides — Commissary Yard
Candle Making — Across from Dogtrot
Blacksmithing — Blacksmith Shop
Water Well & Rope Twisting — with Jim Foose
Duck Decoys + Pirogue — Bayou
Author Talk: Dr. Kodi Roberts
📅 Tuesday, October 7, 2025
🕠 Doors Open: 5:30 PM | Talk Begins: 6:00 PM
Explore the rich and complex history of Voodoo in New Orleans with Dr. Kodi Roberts, author of
Voodoo & Power: The Politics of Religion in New Orleans 1881–1940.
Dr. Roberts will delve into the political, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of Voodoo, including the life and legacy of the legendary Marie Laveau. This engaging evening talk will offer new insights into one of Louisiana’s most enduring traditions.
📖 Books from the author will be available for purchase in the Museum Gift Shop. Attendees will have the opportunity to get their copies signed and chat with the author when the talk concludes.
🟣 Admission: Free and open to the public, thanks to the generous support of the Josef Sternberg Memorial Foundation.
Haints, Haunts, & Halloween
📅 Sunday, October 26, 2025
🕑 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Step into the charm of an old-fashioned country fair at the LSU Rural Life Museum’s Haints, Haunts & Halloween! This safe and family-friendly celebration is the perfect way to enjoy Halloween with a nostalgic twist. Enjoy storytelling, a cake walk, games, and trick-or-treating across the museum grounds. Costumes are encouraged, and families of all ages are welcome to join in the fun.
🟣 Admission:
Ages 0–3: Free
Ages 4–11: $6
Ages 12+: $12
Author Talk: Dr. Daniel Usner
📅 Wednesday, November 12, 2025
🕑 Doors open: 11:30 AM | Talk Begins: 12 PM
Join us for a thought-provoking lunchtime program with Dr. Daniel Usner, author of
Native American Women and the Burdens of Southern History.
Dr. Usner will shed light on the resilience, leadership, and cultural influence of Indigenous women in the American South, offering a deeper understanding of their historical significance and ongoing legacy.
📖 Books from the author will be available for purchase in the Museum Gift Shop. Attendees will have the opportunity to get their copies signed and chat with the author when the talk concludes.
🟣 Admission is free and open to the public, thanks to the generous support of the Josef Sternberg Memorial Foundation.
A Rural Life Christmas
📅 Sunday, December 7, 2025
🕚 Daytime Portion: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
🌙 Evening Portion: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Celebrate the season at the LSU Rural Life Museum’s 19th-century Louisiana Christmas event. Enjoy live music, skilled artisans, storytellers, and costumed re-enactors bringing holiday traditions to life.
Families can meet Papa Noël, explore festive activities, and immerse themselves in the joyful spirit of the season.
🕚 Daytime Portion Admission:
Ages 0–3: Free
Ages 4–11: $6
Ages 12+: $12
🌙 Evening Portion Admission:
Ticket link coming soon!
