"The Festival Capital of Louisiana," Lake Charles hosts over 75 festivals each year, the most famous being Mardi Gras, the second largest in the state. The annual celebration attracts revelers with Cajun cook-offs, a children's carnival and a lighted boat parade. The city celebrates its local heritage with "Contraband Days," a two week long party in honor of the pirates that once sailed the local lake. The Central School Arts & Humanities Center is a stop on the African American Heritage Trail.