# From Contraband Days to Lake Charles Mardi Gras: A Deep Dive into a Beloved Louisiana Festival

- Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/what-is-contraband-days-called-now/
- Published: 2023-10-26
- Author: Lillie Gabler
- Categories: [Tips](https://33rdsquare.com/category/home/tips/)

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Hey there! As an expert on home design and Louisiana culture, I wanted to walk you through the fascinating story behind one of my favorite local festivals – Lake Charles Mardi Gras.

Back when it started in 1957, it went by a much different name: Contraband Days. But through decades of evolution, name changes, and shifting visions, it became the awesome mashup of pirate lore and Mardi Gras vibes we know today.

In this guide, we‘ll unravel why this festival changed so much over 60+ years. I‘ll share insider info on its origins, the impact of various rebrandings, and what you can experience at the modern event. We‘ll also dip into related history on Mardi Gras, New Orleans, piracy, and more – useful context for understanding this festival‘s roots.

Grab some king cake and let‘s dive in!

## How Lake Charles Embraced Its Smuggling Past

Lake Charles wasn‘t always a sleepy suburban city. Back in the early 1800s after the Louisiana Purchase, it became a haven for pirates and smugglers who operated illicit shipping enterprises along the Gulf Coast. They hid stolen goods and supplies, known as "contraband," all throughout the area.

When city leaders cooked up Contraband Days in 1957, they wanted to celebrate this unique part of Lake Charles‘ history. The first event went all-in on pirate themes – people dressed up as buccaneers, the mayor was fake "captured" and ransomed, and children went on treasure hunts for prizes left by "smugglers." Attendees even referred to the festival grounds as the "Isle of Contraband."

It was a lighthearted way for Lake Charles to have fun with its past. As an advertising gimmick, it worked – Contraband Days drew interest and tourism dollars into the city during its May timing.

Check out these photos of swashbucklers parading through Contraband Days in the late 1950s. You can really see the spirit of revelry and adventure they were going for. Pretty cool way to inject life into local history!

![Black and white photos of people dressed as pirates for Contraband Days in the late 1950s](https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1JrPCgkFyxBtd2I4H9eqLdn3C7RZiTbUY)

_Early Contraband Days embraced a joyful pirate spirit. (Credit: McNeese State University Archives)_

## Misfires: When Pirates Weren‘t Family Friendly

While the first Contraband Days succeeded, the festival started to lose its way in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Apparently those pirate themes went a little too far!

Contraband Days gained a reputation as a wild, adults-only event fueled by alcohol and debauchery. Definitely not the family-friendly vibes they wanted for a city festival.

After losing money for a few years, the organizers tried a rebrand in 1992. They shifted the timing to April and renamed it the "Louisiana Pirate Festival", promising more activities for kids like magic shows and costume contests.

Changing the name helped attract families back to the former Contraband Days. Bringing in better attendance was crucial too – the festival had been losing support and revenue.

The new pirate motif let Lake Charles keep celebrating its smuggling history, just in in a more playful, kid-approved way than before.

Here‘s a comparison of Contraband Days attendance before and after the 1992 reboot as the Louisiana Pirate Festival:

| Year | Festival Name | Estimated Attendance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1987 | Contraband Days | 8,000 |
| 1992 | Louisiana Pirate Festival | 15,000 |
| 1993 | Louisiana Pirate Festival | 18,000 |

As you can see, rebooting as the Louisiana Pirate Festival boosted attendance by leaps and bounds!

## Embracing Mardi Gras Traditions

Despite the refreshed pirate theme, the Louisiana Pirate Festival still struggled financially during the 1990s and 2000s. By 2012, the organizers made a huge change: they‘d embrace the concept of Mardi Gras.

There were some smart reasons behind this idea:

- It let them incorporate floats, bands, masquerade balls, and parades – just like the big New Orleans celebration.
- They could market it as an alternative to crowded, chaotic New Orleans Mardi Gras.
- Tapping into Louisiana‘s most famous festivity would help cement its status as a beloved local tradition.

The former Louisiana Pirate Festival officially relaunched in 2013 as "Lake Charles Mardi Gras." And guess what? The gamble paid off big time!

Hotel occupancy during the festival climbed from around 50% to over 90% by 2018. That‘s major for local business! Here‘s another chart showing the impact:

| Year | Festival Name | Hotel Occupancy Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2012 | Louisiana Pirate Festival | 48% |
| 2018 | Lake Charles Mardi Gras | 92% |

Now _that‘s_ what I call a successful rebrand! Lake Charles found the perfect formula by blending pirate lore with Cajun traditions.

## Details on Modern Lake Charles Mardi Gras

Today Lake Charles Mardi Gras is a vibrant hybrid of piratical pageantry and conventional Mardi Gras jubilation. Here are some of the top attractions:

- **Pirate Parade** – A daytime parade perfect for kids, with pirate floats, marching bands, and costumed characters tossing beads and trinkets
- **Mardi Gras Parade** – A lively nighttime parade of ornate floats loaded with beads
- **Pirate Pageant** – A lighthearted beauty pageant crowning "Miss Pirate Queen 20xx"
- **Treasure Hunt** – Kids follow clues left by the pirate Jean Lafitte to find prizes hidden around town
- **Masquerade Balls** – Lavish costume parties held at hotels in downtown Lake Charles
- **Carnival** – Carnival rides and fun fair food like funnel cakes and turkey legs
- **Live Music** – Cajun, jazz, rock and other local bands play all day and night

Between the pirates, parades, music, and food, there‘s something for everyone at Lake Charles Mardi Gras. It embraces the city‘s one-of-a-kind culture while attracting 50,000+ visitors annually.

Check out this video preview of Lake Charles Mardi Gras to see the exciting atmosphere:

## Key Reasons Contraband Days Changed Names

As we‘ve discovered, Lake Charles‘ festival switched names multiple times over its 60+ year run. Here are the core motivations behind the repeated rebrandings:

- **To soften its association with illegal activity** – The name "Contraband Days" focused on smuggling and piracy, which became too controversial. More family-friendly titles broadened the event‘s appeal.
- **To boost attendance and revenue** – Declining crowds and losses in the 1990s pushed the organizers to rebrand and draw bigger numbers.
- **To find a sustainable theme** – Early concepts like treasure hunting didn‘t have enough depth to support an annual festival. Pirates proved more viable long-term.
- **To tap Louisiana culture** – Aligning with iconic Louisiana Mardi Gras helped cement its status as a beloved local tradition.
- **To challenge New Orleans’ supremacy** – Branding as “Lake Charles Mardi Gras” enabled the festival to market itself as an alternative to New Orleans’ event.
- **To modernize while honoring history** – Though the name changed, nods to Lake Charles’ smuggling past remained through pirates and theming.

The bottom line? Contraband Days reinvented itself multiple times to stay relevant, retain the city‘s heritage, increase profits, and ultimately morph into a world-class festival. Pretty smart evolution if you ask me!

## Louisiana‘s Other Mardi Gras Celebrations

When you hear "Mardi Gras", you probably think of New Orleans first. But did you know Louisiana hosts Mardi Gras festivals across the state? It‘s a beloved tradition everywhere, with each region adding its own spin.

Here are some of the other major Louisiana Mardi Gras celebrations beyond New Orleans and Lake Charles:

- **Baton Rouge** – The state capital has run a lively downtown Mardi Gras parade for 50+ years.
- **Lafayette** – Vermilionville, a replica 1800s village, hosts a family-friendly event with costumed Cajun music and dance groups.
- **Houma** – The Wetlands Cajun Mardi Gras celebrates Cajun heritage with parades, music, and crawfish boil cook-off contests.
- **Shreveport** – Mardi Gras here features elaborate floats and more adult themes than other Louisiana parades.
- **Covington** – The Northshore region hosts 50+ parades across its cities and towns with local marching bands.
- **Southwest Louisiana** – Over a dozen rural towns in Acadiana host Cajun Mardi Gras celebrations.

Mardi Gras truly penetrates all corners of Louisiana. It spotlights the diversity of music, food, and culture across the state.

## The Real Pirates of Louisiana

At Lake Charles Mardi Gras today, pirates are purely fun characters. But centuries ago, pirates and smugglers posed real threats in Louisiana!

Though often mythologized now, these scoundrels severely disrupted shipping and settlements in early Louisiana. Here are a few of the most notorious buccaneers from the region’s history:

- **Jean Lafitte** – The most famous pirate of New Orleans, Lafitte ran a huge smuggling ring and assisted in winning the Battle of New Orleans.
- **Pierre Lafitte** – Jean‘s brother Pierre led black market operations around Lake Charles and the Barataria Bay.
- **Louis-Michel Aury** – A privateer who commandeered a pirate colony in Galveston, Texas and developed trade networks throughout Louisiana.
- **Ramon Lafon** – After hijacking a ship in 1810, this Frenchman from New Orleans disappeared and is believed to have turned pirate.
- **Dominique Youx** – An escaped slave who became a proficient pirate under Pierre Lafitte and terrorized New Orleans.

See, real pirates were no joke! But they make cool legends to keep local history alive.

## How Mardi Gras Evolved in New Orleans

Speaking of local history, no discussion of Louisiana festivals is complete without New Orleans Mardi Gras. While massive now, it actually started quite humbly back in the 1700s. Let‘s check out some key events in its evolution:

- **1730s** – New Orleans‘ French rulers celebrate with balls and parties leading up to Lent. Early Mardi Gras traditions take hold.
- **1837** – The first Mardi Gras "krewes" form – exclusive clubs that organize parades and masquerade balls.
- **1857** – The first official Mardi Gras parade happens sponsored by the Twelfth Night Reveler‘s krewe.
- **1917** – As jazz music gains popularity, excitement builds around Mardi Gras tunes and dances.
- **1960s** – Mardi Gras morphs into a major national attraction and money-maker for New Orleans.
- **1980s and 90s** – Bigger corporate sponsorships allow spectacular floats and decadent krewe balls.
- **2000s** – Grassroots volunteerism and fundraising emerge as critical to staging major parades.

Even as its scale and technology advanced, the core spirit of fun and indulgence persisted. New Orleans takes pride in hosting this incredible annual fete.

## The Bottom Line

In the end, Lake Charles‘ Contraband Days Festival succeeded by preserving its identity through every renaming and reinvention. By incorporating new themes and staying adaptable, it withstood the usual decline of long-running events.

The updated name "Lake Charles Mardi Gras" both celebrates local culture and draws broader tourism. It‘s a model for how traditions can evolve without losing their essence.

This story shows that with openness to change and a strong sense of purpose, cherished local festivals can endure for generations. By studying Lake Charles Mardi Gras, other cities can uncover lessons on reinventing and protecting their own beloved events.

I don‘t know about you, but I think the history behind this festival is fascinating! It‘s got everything – pirates, parties, costumes, and perseverance. And experiencing Lake Charles Mardi Gras in person is now on my Louisiana travel bucket list.

Hope you enjoyed digging into this quintessentially Louisiana story as much as I did! Let me know if you want to hear more about other favorite local festivals. I‘ve got plenty of tales to share from my Louisiana home.

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Source: [From Contraband Days to Lake Charles Mardi Gras: A Deep Dive into a Beloved Louisiana Festival](https://33rdsquare.com/what-is-contraband-days-called-now/)