McNeese State University — Contraband Days Music Stages

Contraband Days, held annually each May at Lake Charles lakefront since 1958, is one of Louisiana's longest-running festivals and features a dedicated outdoor music program spanning Cajun, zydeco, country, and Louisiana swamp pop across multiple stages. The festival takes its name from the legend of pirate Jean Lafitte's use of the lake as a contraband depot, and its music programming functions as a de facto survey of Southwest Louisiana's living musical traditions.