Mardi Gras may be over, but festival season in the River Parishes is about to get into full swing starting this weekend with the eighth annual Frisco Fest at San Francisco Plantation in Garyville.

The event, which features live music, and open car show, a 5-K race, a 1-mile fun run, a 25-mile bike tour, tons of Cajun and Creole food, and more than 100 arts and crafts exhibits, will take place Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the more than 150-year-old plantation home. Admission is $5 per person, and all children get in free.

Frisco Fest is just one of several upcoming opportunities to indulge in history and regional culture while supporting local entities in the River Parishes. Two weeks after San Francisco Plantation wraps up its festival, Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie kicks off its annual Spring Arts and Crafts Festival on March 26. Then, later in the year, both Oak Alley and Destrehan will hold their annual fall festivals.

If you are looking for a regular opportunity to support local food and craft entrepreneurs, head down to Ormond Plantation for the weekly German Coast Farmers Market. The market is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Now that you know when and where to go, get out and support and explore all that the River Parishes has to offer.