Lake Charles is the “Festival Capital of Louisiana”, hosting 75 festivals per year. In just three short years, This is Home Fest has seen a meteoric rise to the top as one of Lake Charles’s premiere cultural events each year. Born out of necessity, TIHF began in 2021 as a grassroots effort to rebuild the spirits of Southwest Louisiana residents after suffering a barrage of natural disasters; a 1,000-year flood event, Winter Storm Uri, and direct hits by two major hurricanes Laura and Delta, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic. Planned in just a few short weeks, the inaugural festival in October 2021 would not have been possible without the support of the Tarver family and Lake Charles Toyota. By appreciating the tremendous value in events that create cultural experiences in the community for residents to experience and enjoy, they have improved quality of life for residents of Southwest Louisiana. In the three years since, Lake Charles Toyota’s ongoing support as the festival’s presenting sponsor has made it possible for growth and improvements, with the addition of a second stage in 2022, and an enhancement of the VIP experience in 2023.
What to expect from This is Home Fest 2023
This Is Home Festival is a celebration of Southwest Louisiana’s deep cultural roots, live music, food, and art that brings people from all walks of life to enjoy and celebrate together. Louisiana’s unique culture lies deeply rooted in music, and the 2023 lineup promises to be an incredible showcase of top local and regional talent. This year’s headliners include Louisiana multi-instrumentalist, Yvette Landry, Texas country star, Kate Watson, and the electric blues powerhouse, Samantha Fish. Other performers include the Lake Charles vocal group, Bonavox, SWLA’s Swampland String Band, Southeast Texas southern rockers, Ole Lonesome, as well as performances by local high school marching bands from LaGrange and Washington-Marion, and the St. Louis Show Choir.
“We choose to make investments in events that create experiences and memories for our community.”
Corey Tarver, Lake Charles Toyota General Manager
The festival is growing in 2023, with a new partnership with the Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, a location change from Ryan St. near the Calcasieu Courthouse to the Lake Charles Civic Center Amphitheater grounds is an exciting improvement. This will allow for a Kid’s Zone featuring several family friendly activities, as well as use of Millennium Park. This space will allow for more room for food and art vendors, and improved parking accommodations.
“This is our community. We grew up here, and we’re raising our kids here,” says Lake Charles Toyota General Manager, Corey Tarver. “We can spend our marketing budget on traditional commercials, or we can choose to make investments in events that create experiences and memories; things that our kids look forward to and become traditions for our family. We believe This is Home Fest is one of those events.”
Festival Details
This is Home Fest will be held April 22, 2023 starting at noon. Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome. VIP tickets are available for purchase at thisishomefest.com and include a brunch at Panorama Music House at 10AM.
