ST. MARTIN PARISH — Families can step into a magical Louisiana forest this October as Atelier de la Nature hosts its annual Halloween Art & Nature Festival, blending science, folklore, art and hands-on fun.
The free festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Atelier de la Nature, a 30-acre STEAM education center, sculpture park and nature reserve in Arnaudville. Guests can explore nature trails, meet artists, and take part in more than 50 activities designed to highlight Louisiana’s enchanting ecosystems.
“This year’s theme is the ‘Enchanted Forest,’ inspired by the local landscapes here,” said Brandon Ballengée, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Atelier De La Nature. "The swamps, the forests, how magical those are. Think about the fireflies, but also think about the folklore with the Rougarou.
Atelier’s grounds will transform into a living classroom and art space with activities such as mushroom discovery hikes, fairy-themed pumpkin decorating, mask-making, storytelling, sound walks, and glow-in-the-dark installations. The lineup also features aerial performances, a Dungeons and Dragons tournament, live music, cooking demos and bug and bat night hikes.
With so many activities, there's also another special way the community can get involved and make a lasting impact on the event.
A free activity book will be handed out at the festival, and you can be a part of it. You can submit a page to be included in the book, which will be printed and distributed for free. Brandon tells KATC it can be anything from a drawing, a maze, or an interesting science fact, and you can include different languages as well.
Here is a full list of the requirements:
Deadline: Sept 20, 2025
Contributions may be in French, Spanish, English, another language, or have no text at all
Format:
Black and White
4.25 x 5.5 inches (half a letterhead page)
300 dpi jpeg file
To submit your page once those are met, you can email them to atelierdelanature.org
Registration is free but required for both daytime and evening sessions. Families are encouraged to wear costumes, and many of the installations and activities are designed to be interactive for children of all ages.
For more information or to register you can go to their website here.
A map to the location can be found below:
