The Contraband Days Louisiana Pirate Festival kicked 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 pirates are set take over the city around 6 p.m. Friday. Local mayors will the plank at 7 p.m.

General admission is $5 per person but kids 5 and under 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)

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)