A day for the family: Big-name musicians take the stage at This Is Home Fest
This Is Home Fest is more than a free, family-friendly event. It is a celebration of community and culture.
The fifth annual This Is Home Fest (TIHF) is this Saturday, April 26, at the Lake Charles Event Center.
TIHF was created in 2021 after an onslaught of natural disasters and the pandemic. The festival's founders recognized the need for celebration as a reminder of what 'home' means to Southwest Louisiana, said Lauren Olsen, president, TIHF.
Their mission was to create a free event that facilitates interconnectivity between family, friends and local culture, while offering an outdoor reprieve from the day-to-day.
'That true festival experience is being in the grass, having your lawn chair or towel on the lakefront, just enjoying a day where you're getting it all,' she said. 'You're getting the music, you're getting local food, you're seeing the local artists, you're hanging out with your friends. It's just a day where you realize, 'This is what I love about Lake Charles. This is what I love about Southwest Louisiana.'
Over the years, festival-goers have encountered cultural staples like boiled crawfish, the two-step, and, of course, Zydeco music. And in the spirit of keeping it local, 23 food vendors will be set up and ready to serve festival-goers.
The festival's high-caliber talent sets it apart from the rest of Lake Charles' music festival scene, she said. As TIHF has evolved, it has carved out a niche space in the scene that brings out-of-town artists to the area.
Each year brings bigger names. 2025 brings artists like Eric Gales, an American blues rock guitarist, and young up-and-coming guitarist Grace Bowers, both of whom have performances lined up for the 2025 New Orleans Jazz Fest (also happening this weekend).
'We're not having artists who have played in Lake Charles. We're not doing cover bands. We're doing big-name artists. … Every single one of our artists on our main stage is a different genre,' Olsen said.
The Dunham Price Group stage will be headlined by Gales and Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge – a band featuring Bowers that delivers blues-inspired funk grooves.
Kylie Frey, an Opelousas native and country artist who appeared on 'America's Got Talent;' Hayden Helms Band, featuring Louisiana-born vocalist Helms who recently opened for Jelly Roll; Lake Charles-based band The Loaded 44RZ; and the Lake Charles Young Band Nation will also play on that stage.
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, a Grammy-nominated Cajun music band that has performed for 35 years, will headline the Port of Lake Charles Stage. Zydecane, featuring Damon Troy; Morgan Lemelle and the Zydeco Playmakers; and the Barbe High School Show Choir are also set to perform.
The altruistic efforts of TIHF also make the festival unique. Each year, the TIHF board awards high school and college students in SW La. who are pursuing collegiate degrees in music, visual arts or performing arts. Scholarships are announced on the festival stage, an effort to highlight the youth of the region publicly, she said.
The consideration for the youth extends beyond the scholarship. A Kids Zone in Millennium Park with a petting zoo will be available for kids attending the festival. Several local organizations and businesses will provide activities, entertainment and books to young attendees.
Line-Up Barbe High School Choir: Noon – 12:45 p.m.
Young Band Nation: 12:30 – 1:15 p.m.
Morgan Lemelle & The Zydeco Playmakers: 1 – 2:30 p.m.
The Loaded 44 RZ: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Hayden Helms Band: 3 – 4 p.m.
Zydecane Ft. Damon Troy: 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Kylie Frey: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys: 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Grace Bowers & Th Hodge Podge: 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Eric Gales: 8 – 9:30 p.m.
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