The Contraband Days Louisiana Pirate Festival runs through Sunday, May 12.

The festival began Tuesday with two small events but kicks into high gear Thursday with the opening of the Todd Armstrong Carnival and a National Day of Prayer event.

Jean Lafitte and his band of pirate will take over the city around 5 p.m. Friday. Local mayors will the plank at 7 p.m.

General admission is $5 per person but kids 5 and under will get in free. Parking is $2 per day.

For carnival rides, tickets are $1 each and officials said that each ride uses two to five tickets. A 22-ticket booklet is available for $20.

Unlimited ride bracelets will be available again this year.

The bracelets are $15 per person on Thursdays, $25 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and $10 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On May 12, the cost will be $30 for four armbands or $20 per person.

Complete Schedule

Reoccurring Events

7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday — Nancy Melton & Friends Spring Watercolor Show (Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church Student Center, 221 Aqua Drive)

Thursday, May 2

(Alcohol-Free Evening)

11:30 a.m. — Profit N Loss National Day of Prayer

4 p.m. — Festival gates open

4 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

Musical Entertainment

6:30 p.m. — Audio Adrenaline Kings & Queens Tour: Audio Adrenaline, Seventh Day Slumber,? Group 1 Crew, Manic Drive (Sudduth Coliseum)

Friday, May 3

3 p.m. — Shock H2O HT Redfish Tour weigh-ins (Civic Center grounds)

4 p.m. — Festival gates open (food booths, Pirate Marketplace)

5 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

5 p.m. — Lake Charles cannon firing to protect the City (seawall)

6 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

6 p.m. — Buccaneers begin shore landing (seawall)

7 p.m. — Jean Lafitte and Buccaneers force mayors to walk the plank

7:30 p.m. — Ventriloquist/ comedienne Lynn Trefzger (Rosa Hart Theater). This event requires a separate ticket. Go to http://www.banners.org/oneevent.cfm?event_id=156 for details

Musical Entertainment

KZWA presents the “Show Me Baby” Tour featuring:

7 p.m. — Rude (amphitheater)

9 p.m. — Midnight Star (amphitheater)

Saturday, May 4

7:30 a.m. — Tour Laffite Bike Ride (Civic Center)

9 a.m. — Contraband Spike N Splash (Interstate 10 beach)

10 a.m. — Festival gates open (food booths, Pirate Marketplace)

Noon — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

1 p.m. — Arm wrestling tournament (Civic Center grounds)

1 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

3 p.m. — Shock H2O HT Redfish Tour weigh-ins (Civic Center grounds)

5 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

6 p.m. — Full Throttle Wrestling

8 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

Musical Entertainment

1:30 p.m. — St. Louis Catholic Show Choir (amphitheater)

3 p.m. — Matt McElveen & The Kids (amphitheater)

5 p.m. — Mark Reeves & Twisted X (amphitheater)

7 p.m. — Shailee Cole (amphitheater)

9 p.m. — Larry Tillery (amphitheater)

Sunday, May 5

10 a.m. — Pirogue building contest (Civic Center grounds)

10 a.m. — Contraband Spike N Splash (Interstate 10 beach)

Noon — Festival gates open (food booths, Pirate Marketplace)

Noon — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

1 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

3 p.m. — Bed races (Civic Center grounds)

4 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

4:30 p.m. — Pirogue races (Civic Center grounds)

6 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

Musical Entertainment

4 p.m. — Rusty Metoyer & Zydeco Krush (amphitheater)

5 p.m. — Chris Ardoin (amphitheater)

Monday, May 6

6 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

Tuesday, May 7

6 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

Wednesday, May 8

6 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

Thursday, May 9

4 p.m. — Festival gates open (food booths, Pirate Marketplace)

4 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

6 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

7 p.m. — Rock The Dock (amphitheater)

7 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

8 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

Friday, May 10

4 p.m. — Festival gates open (food booths, Pirate Marketplace)

5 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

5:30 p.m. — Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge (Civic Center grounds)

6 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

7 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

8 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

Musical Entertainment

6 p.m. — Jo-el Sonnier (amphitheater)

6:45 p.m. — T-Graham Brown (amphitheater)

8:15 p.m. — Charlie Worsham (amphitheater)

10 p.m. — Kentucky Headhunters (amphitheater)

Saturday, May 11

8 a.m. — Contraband Days 5-Miler (Capital One Building)

10 a.m. — Festival gates open (food booths, Pirate Marketplace)

10 a.m. — Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge (Civic Center grounds)

10 a.m. — Car show (Civic Center grounds)

11 a.m. — Children’s Pirate Costume Contest (amphitheater)

Noon — Todd Armstrong Carnival opens

1 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

2 p.m. — Strut Your Stuff Powerboat Exhibition (seawall)

3 p.m. — Boat parade (seawall)

4 p.m. — Bar-b-que Cook-off award presentation

5 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

8 p.m. — Aussie Kingdom (Civic Center grounds)

10:15 p.m. — Fireworks (seawall)

Musical Entertainment

12:30 p.m. — Leah Thompson

1:30 p.m. — Ganey Arsement & the Lakeside Gamblers (amphitheater)

3 p.m. — Jackie Callier, Ivy Dugas & the Cajun Cousins

3 p.m. — Tiki Island Radio: Renn Loren & Tiki Town Castaways, Dani Hoy, Matt Hoggatt, Davis McKenney (Budweiser Stage)

4:30 p.m. — Jamie Bergeron & Kickin Cajuns (amphitheater)

6 p.m. — High Performance (amphitheater)

7:30 p.m. — Damon Troy (amphitheater)

9 p.m. — Jo-el Sonnier (amphitheater)

Sunday, May 12

Noon-8 p.m. — Todd Armstrong Carnival

2013 Contraband Spike & Splash Schedule

Friday, May 3

3 p.m. — Volleyball – Corporate Challenge 4 on 4 (Mardi Gras Krewes/Military teams to compete all groups invited)

5 p.m. — Special Jet Ski arrival at sea wall with Buccaneers

8 p.m. — Athlete Social at Contraband Days (VIP Tent Area)

Saturday, May 4

9 a.m. — Jet Ski motos

9 a.m. — Volleyball – Professional division begins

11 a.m. — Volleyball – Special Contest on Center Court

2 p.m. — Freestyle Watercross

3 p.m. — Pro Beach Volleyball semifinals

4 p.m. — Amateur team finals

Sunday, May 5

11 a.m. — Pro Beach finals

11 a.m. — Pro Watercross Racing championships

(American Press Archives)