It's cooling off, and the Louisiana Festivals are cranking up again, with some of the best fests just around the bend from the Crescent City. We've included a list of OffBeat's favorite September fests here as your guide to this month's merrymaking...a welcome relief after August's doldrums.

Some of our favorite fests are scattered throughout southern Louisiana this month: Baton Rouge's Bayou Blues Festival (September 1-3); Plaisance's Zydeco Music Festival (Plaisance is north of ...