LaSalle Parish Louisiana Powwow in the Pines Festival
Pine trees stand close around the arena at Trout, and when the drums begin the sound carries through them in a way that makes the whole clearing feel like one room. The LaSalle Parish Louisiana Powwow in the Pines Festival is published as the Powwow in the Pines, and it belongs to the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, who host it on their own powwow grounds in this small LaSalle Parish community. Trout is not the parish seat — that honour belongs to Jena, a short drive away — but for two days each October the grounds at Trout become the centre of the parish. The most recent documented edition, the sixteenth annual, took place on Friday and Saturday, the ninth and tenth of October 2026. Admission for that edition was ten dollars per day or fifteen dollars for the weekend, and more than forty thousand dollars in prize money was offered to registered competitors.
About
The Powwow in the Pines is a competitive powwow, which means that singing and dancing sit at the heart of it rather than at the edges. Dancers enter the arena in regalia, drum groups provide the songs that carry each dance, and a master of ceremonies guides the gathering through its rounds, announcements and honours. Around the arena, the event spreads into the things that make a powwow a full day out: traditional foods, arts and crafts, and the easy visiting that happens between rounds. The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians organise the festival, and the grounds themselves are part of the story. The first Powwow in the Pines was held in 2010 before construction on the arena and its coverings was finished, and the grounds have since been described in a parish newspaper layer as one of the most complete powwow centers in the country, with covered seating for dancers, singers and spectators.
Trout is a community rather than a town of any size, and the powwow grounds give it a focal point that few communities of its scale can claim. LaSalle Parish is pine country, and the festival takes its name from that landscape. The parish seat of Jena lies nearby, and many visitors will pass through it on their way to Trout, but the festival itself is firmly a Trout event, held on tribal grounds by a tribal host. It is a tribal community’s own annual gathering, open to the public.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Event | Powwow in the Pines, published as the LaSalle Parish Louisiana Powwow in the Pines Festival |
| Host community | Trout, LaSalle Parish |
| Parish seat | Jena |
| Venue | Jena Band of Choctaw Indians’ powwow grounds, Trout |
| Organiser | Jena Band of Choctaw Indians |
| First held | 2010 |
| Most recent edition | Sixteenth annual, 9–10 October 2026, Friday and Saturday |
| Admission | Ten dollars per day or fifteen dollars for the weekend, 2026 edition |
| Prize money | More than forty thousand dollars offered to registered competitors, 2026 edition |
| Programme | Competitive singing and dancing, traditional foods, arts and crafts, host Southern and Northern drums, master of ceremonies |
History
The first Powwow in the Pines was held in 2010, and the circumstances of that first gathering say something about the Jena Band’s ambitions for it. Construction on the arena and its coverings was not yet finished when the first dancers entered the circle, which means the event began before its home was complete and grew up alongside it. The grounds were finished over time into a centre that a parish newspaper layer describes as one of the most complete powwow centers in the country. Covered seating for dancers, singers and spectators was part of that development.
Sixteen annual editions by 2026 is a record of steady growth rather than sudden fame. The festival grew from a tribal community’s decision to host a competition on its own ground and to keep hosting it. The prize money offered in 2026 — more than forty thousand dollars for registered competitors — marks how far that growth has gone. Prize money on that scale draws strong dancers and singers, and strong competitors draw the crowds that fill the covered seating. Its claim is simple: a purpose-built ground, a serious competition, and a host community that has kept the event going year after year.
For a useful comparison, see the LaSalle Parish Louisiana Fair Festival for another county festival.
What to Expect
The arena is where the day is spent. Competitive singing and dancing run through the gathering, with drum groups providing the songs and dancers entering the circle in turn. Host Southern and Northern drums are part of the programme, and their presence gives the singing its backbone across both days. A master of ceremonies keeps the gathering moving, calling dancers, making announcements and shaping the flow of the competition. First-time visitors will soon follow the pattern: the drum starts, the dancers enter, and the circle clears for the next group. The covered seating puts spectators close to the arena, and the sound of the drums carries well under the coverings.
Away from the arena, the festival widens. Traditional foods are served through the gathering, and arts and crafts stalls give visitors a chance to look at work made by hand and to talk with the people who made it. The craft stalls are where the gathering slows down and becomes a conversation. Between rounds there is time to walk the grounds, to eat, to look at the stalls, and to find a seat again before the next dance. Two days allow a slower pace, and the weekend admission of fifteen dollars, against ten dollars for a single day, makes that easy.
Planning Your Visit
The most recent documented edition fell on Friday and Saturday, the ninth and tenth of October 2026, and the gathering is an October event, so a visit should be planned around an autumn weekend in the pine country of LaSalle Parish. Trout is a community, not a town with a main street of hotels and restaurants, so visitors should think about where they will stay before they arrive. Jena, the parish seat, is the nearest centre, and the drive between Jena and the powwow grounds is short. Arriving early in the day is the best way to settle in, find a seat under the covered seating, and get a sense of the arena before the competition rounds begin in earnest.
Admission for the 2026 edition was ten dollars per day or fifteen dollars for the weekend, and visitors should carry cash for the day even though the gate price is modest. Food and craft stalls at a powwow are often cash businesses, and having small bills makes the day smoother. The arena is treated with respect at a serious competition. The master of ceremonies will guide the gathering, and following those cues is the simplest way for a first-time visitor to enjoy the day. Dress for an October day outdoors in Louisiana.
Sample Itinerary
A two-day visit lets the gathering be taken at the pace it deserves. On Friday, arrive in the morning and make for the arena, choosing a seat under the covered seating where the drums can be heard clearly and the dancers can be seen as they enter the circle. Spend the first hours watching the competition rounds and listening to the host drums. In the middle of the day, walk the grounds and eat, taking time at the food stalls and the craft tables while the arena pauses between rounds. Return to the seating for the afternoon rounds.
Saturday begins the same way, with an early arrival and a seat near the arena, but with the advantage of knowing the ground. The second day is the time to return to the craft stalls that caught the eye on Friday, to spend longer talking with makers, and to try foods that were missed on the first pass. The competition rounds on the second day carry the weight of the weekend, and the arena will be at its fullest as the contest moves toward its close. Leave time for a last circuit of the stalls before the drive back through Jena.
Comparison
A powwow and a food festival are different kinds of gathering, even when they share a parish and a season, and the Powwow in the Pines is best understood by that difference. The Zwolle Tamale Fiesta, a different event in the same region, is built around a food; its centre is the table. The Powwow in the Pines is built around the arena; its centre is the circle where dancers move and drums sound. At a food festival the day is spent tasting; at a powwow it is spent watching and listening.
The same distinction sets the Powwow in the Pines apart from the other tribal gatherings in the region. The Coushatta Powwow in Allen Parish and the Adai Caddo Indian Nation powwow in Natchitoches Parish are different events, each hosted by its own tribal nation on its own ground. They share the form — competition dancing, drum groups, a master of ceremonies, craft and food stalls — but each belongs to its own people and its own place. The Powwow in the Pines is the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians’ gathering, held on the Jena Band’s own grounds at Trout, and its character comes from that host and that ground: a purpose-built arena in the pines, covered seating close to the circle, and a competition that has grown steadily since 2010.
Checklist
- Check the current edition dates before travelling, and plan around an October weekend
- Bring cash for admission and for food and craft stalls
- Arrive early to find a seat under the covered seating near the arena
- Dress for an outdoor October day in Louisiana, with layers for warmth and cover for rain
- Bring water and sun protection for time spent walking the grounds
- Follow the master of ceremonies’ cues and respect the arena during competition rounds
- Allow time for the craft stalls and for talking with the makers
- Plan where to stay in advance, with Jena, the parish seat, as the nearest centre
- Set aside both days if possible, since the weekend admission makes a two-day visit easy
Beyond the Festival
Trout sits in the pine country of LaSalle Parish, and the drive to the powwow grounds is itself part of the visit. The parish is a place of timber and small communities, and the landscape between Jena and Trout is open pine woods rather than towns. Jena, the parish seat, is the nearest centre for fuel, food and a place to stay, and it is worth allowing time there before or after the gathering. The pines are the reason the gathering is called what it is called.
The powwow grounds at Trout are worth understanding as a place in their own right. The arena and its coverings were built up over the years since the first gathering in 2010, and the result is a ground that was made for this one purpose. The covered seating lets a two-day outdoor competition run comfortably in a Louisiana October. The layout tells the story of the event: the arena at the centre, the seating close around it, the stalls and food at the edges. It is a ground built by a tribal community for its own gathering, improved year by year since the first dancers entered a circle that was still under construction.
Significance
The Powwow in the Pines matters first of all to the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, and its significance begins there. A tribal nation that hosts an annual competitive powwow on its own purpose-built grounds is making a statement about continuity: the songs, the dances and the crafts are alive, they are practised, and they are shared with the public on the nation’s own terms. The prize money offered in 2026 shows the event is taken seriously by those who compete in it.
The festival matters to LaSalle Parish too. Trout is a small community, and a gathering that fills its powwow grounds for two days in October puts the parish on the map for visitors who might otherwise pass through on their way elsewhere. The grounds are a lasting asset for the parish. For visitors, the significance is simpler and more personal. A powwow is one of the few public gatherings where the visitor is invited to watch a living culture at work rather than to look at it behind glass. The drums, the dancing, the food and the crafts are all part of the same day, and the day is open to anyone willing to pay a modest admission and to respect the arena.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the powwow held in the parish seat?
No. The gathering is held on the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians’ powwow grounds at Trout, a community in LaSalle Parish. Jena is the parish seat, and it lies nearby, but the festival belongs to Trout and to the tribal grounds there.
What does the weekend admission cover?
For the 2026 edition, admission was ten dollars per day or fifteen dollars for the weekend, per a tribal newsletter layer. The weekend figure covers both days of the gathering.
Who hosts the gathering?
The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians organise and host the festival on their own powwow grounds at Trout. The gathering began in 2010, and the grounds have been developed since then into a centre with covered seating for dancers, singers and spectators.
How is the competition rewarded?
More than forty thousand dollars in prize money was offered to registered competitors in the 2026 edition. That prize money is separate from admission: it is paid to competitors, not charged to visitors.
What to Expect From the Next LaSalle Parish Louisiana Powwow in the Pines Festival
How often is LaSalle Parish Louisiana Powwow in the Pines Festival held?
The gathering is an annual one. The first Powwow in the Pines was held in 2010, and the 2026 edition was billed as the sixteenth annual, which shows a gathering that has returned every year since its beginning.
When is the next LaSalle Parish Louisiana Powwow in the Pines Festival?
The most recent documented edition took place on Friday and Saturday, the ninth and tenth of October 2026. A later set of dates had not been set down in the material consulted when this article was written, so the October pattern is the guide.
Will the dates change?
The gathering has kept to October throughout its documented history, and the 2026 edition fell on the ninth and tenth of the month. Exact dates can shift from year to year, as they do for any annual event, so the current edition should be confirmed through a tribal newsletter or a parish listing before travelling.
The Powwow in the Pines began before its own arena was finished and has returned every October since 2010.
