Greater New Orleans Area
LARiverParishes.com; @LARiverParishes
Louisiana’s River Parishes region sits along the Mississippi River, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It consists of the parishes of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James. The area features the historic River Road and has several architecturally significant antebellum homes, landmarks, and other attractions. The parishes offer various meeting and event spaces, ranging from natural landscapes to historic sites, that are ideal for small and mid-sized meetings and events.
“Louisiana’s River Parishes offer planners a destination where rich history, cultural authenticity, and natural beauty provide an unforgettable setting,” says Willma Harvey, director of sales and business development for Louisiana River Parishes.
The 60,000-square-foot Dr. Rodney R. Lafon Performing Arts Center in Luling features a theater, event rooms, exhibition areas, and other components. Also in Luling, the 30,000-square-foot Edward J. Dufresne Community Center includes a 13,900-square-foot gymnasium and 2,055 square feet of meeting space. St. John the Baptist Parish Community Center in LaPlace has 25,177 square feet of flexible event space and state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities. Destrehan Plantation Meeting Facility—part of a circa-1780s plantation—features a 4,585-square-foot historic mule barn and carriageway venue for up to 250 guests.
Local accommodations include Holiday Inn Express & Suites New Orleans Airport South in St. Rose, which has space to host events of up to 100 people. The hotel is one of the host sites of the 2026 Southern Travelers Explore Conference. Other national hotel brands in the area include Ramada by Wyndham Luling and Fairfield Inn & Suites LaPlace.
For curated group experiences, the Andouille Trail culinary tour highlights this local specialty sausage—pronounced “en-doo-wee”—and includes more than 30 tasting stops at such places as Crevasse Restaurant at Poche Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn. For local history and agriculture, groups can visit 31 Farms Perique Tobacco farm in Paulina and learn how this rare, slow-burning tobacco is grown exclusively in St. James Parish. For other activities, Swamp Adventures offers airboat and plantation tours, and Cajun Pride Swamp Tours has a privately owned wildlife refuge for groups to explore. Zip NOLA in LaPlace offers a pelican’s-eye view of the area’s iconic cypress swamps.
