Wondering where to stay for the Northshore’s fall festivals this year? Your best bet is one central base with full hookups and cabins, close enough to reach every event without packing up and moving. Fireside RV Resort sits in Ponchatoula right where I-12 meets I-55, which puts the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival, the Three Rivers Art Festival, and more all within about a 30-minute drive. Park once, then make the whole fall festival run from one campsite.
Fall is honestly the best time of year out here. The summer heat finally backs off, the calendar fills up with festivals nearly every weekend from late September into December, and the Northshore turns into one big string of art shows, boat parades, and Renaissance jousts. Here’s how to plan your stay.
TL;DR: Fireside RV Resort in Ponchatoula is a full-hookup home base less than 30 minutes from the major 2026 Northshore fall festivals. Book an RV site or a cabin, drive to a different festival each weekend, and skip the campground scramble. Festival weekends fill up fast, so reserve early.
When are the 2026 Northshore fall festivals?
The Northshore fall festival season runs from late September through mid-December 2026, with a new event almost every weekend. Most of them sit within a half-hour of Ponchatoula, which makes a single campsite the easy way to catch several without hotel-hopping. Here are the verified 2026 dates for the big ones.
Dates and ticket prices can shift, so double-check each festival’s official site before you load up. The St. Tammany tourism folks keep a running fall calendar at louisiananorthshore.com if you want the full lineup.
Where should you stay for the Northshore fall festivals?
Stay somewhere central with full hookups so you only set up camp once. Fireside RV Resort sits about a mile from Exit 47 on I-12, right in Ponchatoula, which is roughly the middle of everything happening on the Northshore this fall. From here you can run east on I-12 to Madisonville and Covington, west toward Hammond and the Renaissance Festival, or north on I-55 to the parish fair in Amite, all in under half an hour.
The reason a resort base beats chasing a tent spot at each event is simple. A lot of these festivals have limited or primitive on-site parking and camping, and the popular state-park sites near the water book out months ahead. With 163 sites on full hookups, plus 10 cabins, Fireside gives you a real bed or your own rig with power, water, and sewer waiting when you roll back in tired and happy after a long festival day.
How far is Fireside from each festival?
Every festival on the list is a 15 to 30 minute drive, which means you can sleep in, head to an event, and be back at the pool that afternoon. Here’s the quick rundown so you can map your weekends.
The Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival is about 25 minutes east on I-12, right on the Tchefuncte River at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. Downtown Covington and the Three Rivers Art Festival on Columbia Street are also about 25 minutes east. The Louisiana Renaissance Festival near Hammond is the closest of all, roughly 15 minutes west on I-12. The Tangipahoa Parish Fair up in Amite is about 28 minutes north via I-55, and Abita Fall Fest at the Abita Springs Trailhead runs around 30 minutes east. Short hops, every one.
Where do you stay for the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival?
For the Wooden Boat Festival, a full-hookup site about 25 minutes away beats fighting for parking downtown. The festival runs October 17 and 18, 2026, along the Tchefuncte River, and it’s a big one, the 35th year, with more than a hundred classic wooden boats, live music, food, and a children’s village. Parking in little Madisonville is tight, and the festival actually runs a shuttle from a Sam’s Club lot over in Covington. Staying at Fireside means you drive in, ride or walk to the river, and you’re not circling for a spot. Admission runs $15 a day for ages 13 and up.
Where can you camp for the Louisiana Renaissance Festival?
The Renaissance Festival has on-site camping, but it’s primitive with limited electricity, so a lot of folks prefer a full-hookup site nearby instead. The fun runs weekends from November 7 through December 13, 2026, near Hammond just off I-12, with jousting, 600-plus artisans, falconry, and a different theme nearly every weekend. Because it stretches across six weekends, plenty of guests make Fireside their home base and come back for two or three of them. It’s only about 15 minutes west of us, so you can do a full day in the village and still be back before the campfire dies down. You’ll find more nearby festivals and day trips on our things to do page if you want to fill out the weekend.
RV site or cabin: what books fast for festival weekends?
Both fill quickly during festival season, so the real answer is to reserve early. If you’ve got a rig, the full-hookup RV sites are spacious and level, with power, water, and sewer at every spot. No tent? No problem. The 10 cabins sleep six and are a comfy pick for a couple or a family that wants a real roof and a bed. You’ll want to pack your own linens, there’s a two-night minimum, a small $18 cleaning fee, and the cabins are pet-free.
Here’s something we’re genuinely proud of: you won’t get hit with a resort fee, a site-lock charge, or a reservation service fee. No gotchas, just good camping. You’ll also get reliable, fast WiFi (handy if you’re working a little around the festival fun) and clean, well-kept grounds. The pools and lazy river stay open year-round too, though they’re not heated, so an early-October dip is a lot more tempting than a December one.
Camping demand keeps climbing, and KOA’s 2026 report found about 31% of campers plan to spend more nights outdoors this year than last. Translation: the good festival weekends go fast. Lock in your dates as soon as you know them, and you can check current rates and pricing before you book.
Tips for visiting the Northshore festivals
A few things make festival weekends smoother. Get there early for the Wooden Boat Festival and ride the shuttle rather than hunting for a downtown spot. Bring cash, since some food and craft vendors still prefer it. Wear comfortable shoes, because you’ll log plenty of steps on the grass and along the riverfront. Pack a light layer for November and December festivals, when Northshore mornings can be cool even with sunny afternoons. And book your campsite or cabin before the popular weekends sell out, especially for the Renaissance Festival’s run.
Frequently asked questions
A central full-hookup campground near the I-12 and I-55 junction is your best base. Fireside RV Resort in Ponchatoula keeps you within about 30 minutes of the Wooden Boat Festival, the Renaissance Festival, Three Rivers Art Festival, and the Tangipahoa Parish Fair, so you only set up camp once.
Yes. Fireside RV Resort is about 25 minutes from Madisonville by way of I-12, with full-hookup sites and cabins. It’s an easy drive to the Tchefuncte River waterfront and saves you from the tight downtown parking on festival days.
There’s primitive on-site camping with limited electricity at the festival near Hammond. For full hookups, most visitors stay nearby instead. Fireside is roughly 15 minutes west on I-12, which makes it easy to return for several of the November and December weekends.
Every major fall festival is a 15 to 30 minute drive. The Renaissance Festival is about 15 minutes away, Madisonville and Covington about 25 minutes, Amite about 28 minutes, and Abita Springs about 30 minutes.
Absolutely. Fireside has 10 cabins that sleep six, a great option if you’d rather have a roof than a tent. Pack your own linens, expect a two-night minimum, and book early because cabins go quickly on festival weekends.
You really do. Festival weekends are the busiest of the fall, and a full-hookup resort this close to so many events fills up fast. Reserve as soon as you have your dates, especially for any of the Renaissance Festival weekends.
Ready to set up your fall festival base camp? Fireside RV Resort sits a mile from I-12’s Exit 47 in Ponchatoula, 15 to 30 minutes from every festival on this list. Check dates and reserve your RV site or cabin today, or give us a call at (985) 277-1059. We know you’re gonna love camping with us this fall.
