Every festival has a last afternoon, and it never feels quite like the others. The Friday-night crowd has gone home hoarse, Saturday’s headliners have packed up, and what’s left is a six-hour window to do the thing you kept meaning to do all weekend. For the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, that window opens at noon today, Sunday, October 11, and closes at 6 p.m. After that, the next chance to eat a festival plate and two-step to an accordion in Conroe is a year away.
So is it worth going on the final day? If you live anywhere between Montgomery, The Woodlands and the shores of Lake Conroe, the short answer is yes, as long as you go in with a plan built for Sunday rather than a leftover Saturday plan.
A Conroe tradition that changed its address, not its accent
The festival is produced by Friends of Conroe, a nonprofit focused on the city and its surrounding community, and the organizer says this is the event’s 37th year. For most of that run, the party filled the streets around the historic Montgomery County courthouse square. A 1995 resolution filed in the Texas Legislature described it as the premier event of its kind in the state, proposed naming it the official Cajun catfish festival of Texas, and singled out boudin, crawfish étouffée, gumbo, Cajun music and zydeco as part of the draw.
Then the setting changed. Community Impact reported in December 2024 that the Conroe City Council had decided the festival would no longer be held downtown, citing concerns from downtown businesses, emergency-vehicle access and city costs. The festival now takes place at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, which trades the courthouse backdrop for more room to spread out and a big parking lot.
What hasn’t moved is the point of it all. A Cajun festival in Montgomery County is a reminder of how freely food and music travel along the Gulf Coast. Zydeco and Cajun sounds sit next to Texas country, and a fried-catfish plate is as at home in Montgomery County as it is in Lafayette. Even the organizer’s tagline borrows the classic Cajun invitation to let the good times roll.
What’s on the Sunday schedule
Sunday is the shortest and most relaxed day of the weekend. According to the organizer’s festival information page, the festival and the carnival both run from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday stretched until midnight.
The official 2026 entertainment lineup lists two things on the Busch Light Stage for Sunday:
- 1:00–3:00 p.m.: Mr. & Miss Catfish Pageant
- 3:30–6:00 p.m.: Bayou Roux
That shape tells you a lot about the day. Friday and Saturday leaned on big evening sets, from zydeco names like Geno Delafose and Keyun & the Zydeco Masters to Texas country headliner Casey Donahew. Sunday puts a hometown pageant at the center of the early afternoon and closes with a single long music set that carries the festival to its final hour. It’s a daylight festival with a community feel, which suits families and anyone who’d rather not be on the fairgrounds at midnight.
Beyond the stage, the organizer describes a food court with festival and Cajun favorites, exhibitors and a professional carnival. Vendor names and menus aren’t published, so don’t count on a particular dish until you’ve walked the food court.
Tickets, parking and the rules that matter
Admission
The tickets and packages page lists one-day general admission at $20 and a three-day weekend pass at $35. Children 12 and under get in free and don’t need a ticket. The organizer says tickets are sold online throughout the festival, and they’re non-refundable. A ticket is required to enter the carnival area.
One wrinkle: the festival information page also lists a $35 “armband” price for Friday and for Saturday and Sunday, without saying exactly what it covers. If rides are on your family’s agenda, ask at the gate how ride armbands work before you budget.
Getting there and parking
Parking is free in the North Parking Lot off Carl Pickering Memorial Drive. Coming on Interstate 45, the organizer’s directions use Exit 89 toward Airport Road, FM 3083 and Teas Nursery Road, then Airport Road to Carl Pickering Memorial Drive. Follow the parking signs once you’re close.
Leave these at home
The organizer prohibits coolers, outside food, outside alcohol (beer is sold on site), pets other than service animals, guns, knives and other weapons, and video recording equipment. The festival runs rain or shine, though music stops if lightning or heavy rain threatens the stage equipment.
If your family only has a few hours
Sunday works in a family’s favor: children 12 and under are free, the hours line up with nap schedules, and you’re home by dinner. Here’s a simple half-day plan.
- Arrive close to noon. Opening hour is the calmest time to park, find restrooms and pick a meeting spot the kids can recognize.
- Eat early. Walk the whole food court once, then order before the 1 p.m. program pulls a crowd toward the stage.
- Catch part of the pageant. The Mr. & Miss Catfish Pageant is the kind of small-town tradition children tend to remember, and you don’t have to stay for all two hours.
- Save the carnival for the middle of the afternoon. Set a ride budget before you get there, not at the ticket booth.
- Hear a little Bayou Roux before you go. Even 20 minutes of live Cajun music gives younger kids a sense of what the festival is celebrating.
Bring hearing protection for little ones if you’ll be near the speakers, plus sunscreen and comfortable shoes for fairground walking. Accessibility details such as wheelchair routes and stroller access aren’t posted on the festival pages, so call Friends of Conroe at 936-539-6009 if that matters for your group.
For couples and friend groups: build the day backward from the band
Adults without kids can flip the plan. Arrive around 2:30, take a slow lap through the exhibitors, then settle in with a plate and a beer before Bayou Roux starts at 3:30. A two-and-a-half-hour set is long enough to eat, dance a little and stay to the end, and closing a festival weekend with the last band is a different feeling from catching a mid-afternoon set.
The festival ends at 6, which leaves your evening open. Lake Conroe-area friends can extend the outing at a local taproom or winery. The East Texas Craft Drink Trail lets you search by town for breweries, wineries and distilleries. Check hours before you go, since Sunday schedules vary, and line up a sober driver.
Before you head out: a five-point check
- The Sunday lineup. The organizer’s lineup page labels Saturday as October 11 and Sunday as October 12, even though this year’s Sunday is October 11. The festival information page lists Friday, October 9, through Sunday, October 11. Assume the Sunday sets above apply today, but glance at the festival’s social channels for any changes.
- The weather. Check the National Weather Service forecast for Conroe. Rain won’t cancel the festival, but storms can pause the music.
- Your tickets. Buy online if you’d rather skip the gate line, and remember kids 12 and under don’t need one.
- Payment. Accepted payment methods aren’t posted, so bring a card and some cash.
- The clock. Everything, carnival included, wraps at 6 p.m. Arriving at 5 means one song and a closing crowd.
When the music stops, the fall calendar doesn’t
The best thing about a final festival day might be how it nudges you toward the next one. October and November are prime time for outdoor events across Montgomery County and the rest of East Texas, from fall markets and live music to Halloween attractions and holiday kickoffs.
Don’t let the end of this weekend become a blank spot on next weekend’s calendar. Open the Thunderfoot Sports East Texas Event Schedule, filter by your town, and save the next Conroe, Montgomery, Woodlands or Lake Conroe event that catches your eye. Then pair it with a stop on the East Texas Craft Drink Trail and you’ve planned your next Saturday.
Planning note: Hours, lineup, prices and policies come from the official Friends of Conroe festival pages as of Sunday morning and can change. Follow on-site signage and the organizer’s channels for final details. This guide is independently reported and does not reflect on-site attendance.