Special Events
Completely New Orleans
New Orleans is World Famous for Its Amazing Festivals and Celebrations
Of course Mardi Gras and its month long Carnival season are the most famous and best attended. After that comes the Jazz Festival and the French Quarter Fest. And all throughout the year especially in the summer months the city becomes the country’s festival central.
Mardi Gras
We are showing this little girl having fun during a parade to let you know that Mardi Gras is meant for all ages. Despite what you might see in the news about the holiday on Bourbon Street that is a very small portion of it. This is a party the city throws for itself and everyone is invited. There are many parades and many celebrations. People come from all over the world to experience the greatest free show on earth.
Jazz and Heritage Festival
The Jazz Fest, as it’s known in these parts, is half a century old. There is not only Jazz but national and international acts. With dozens of food booths that show case New Orleans and south Louisiana, this is the place to be for those two extraordinary weekends in the Spring. Music, food, arts, dancing, celebration. There is no other festival like it on the face of the earth.
French Quarter Festival
The French Quarter fest had humble beginnings many years ago and now it’s grown to a festival powerhouse with music and New Orleans food. The difference between the Jazz fest and the FQ fest is that all the music is from local musicians. And… it’s completely free.
Satchmo Summerfest
Many of the best festivals in New Orleans happen in the summertime. Yes, we know… it’s hot. But we’re used to it and we love celebrations, good food, good music and good friends. Here we celebrate the great New Orleans trumpeter Louis Armstrong who became one of the greatest world-wide ambassadors of New Orleans, our music and customs.
The Wine and Food Experience
This premier event, showcases what the city does best… eating and drinking. The festival has become one of the most celebrated culinary events in the nation, attracting gourmands and connoisseurs.
Each year, hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate. Menus feature local flavor and innovative new creations inspired by diverse cuisines. Top chefs from around the city create culinary experiences like no other.
Tennessee Williams Festival
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival is a five-day event held each spring in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter that attracts participants from around the world. The image you see to the right is during the Stella contest where contestant get to try out their best Stanley Kowalski yell from Willaims’ famous A Streetcar Named Desire.
Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
What is known in some parts of the country as a “submarine sandwich” and in other parts as a “hoagie,” is called a “po-boy” in New Orleans. And, like many other uniquely New Orleans and Louisiana creations, there is a festival to celebrate it, as well as a colorful story behind it.
Creative variations impress the judges every year. Think softshell crab, cochon de lait, escargot, alligator sausage, duck debris, crawfish boudin, and of course classics like shrimp, oyster and roastbeef- just to name a few!
New Orleans Christmas and New Year's
If you’ve ever thought of doing something completely different for the Holidays New Orleans is definitely the place to come. The Quarter, downtown, the hotels all are beautifully decorated in traditional style. Makes for a cozy celebratory place to be. The weather is nice and sometimes can be cold which is perfect for bundling up and enjoying wonderful food and spirits. The photo is the lobby of The Roosevelt hotel which is always festive and decked out for the season.
Tales of the Cocktail
This is the premier of the cocktails festivals. Tradition tells us that the cocktail was invented in New Orleans. With hundreds of opportunities developed specifically for industry professionals from bartenders to distillers, Tales of the Cocktail® is the drinks industry’s leading conference for exchanging new ideas, products, and techniques. You don’t need to be in the industry to enjoy this one-of-a-kind festival, a good percentage of people who attend are cocktail enthusiasts who come to this event year after year.
French Market Creole Tomato Fest
The French Market Creole Tomato Festival honors Louisiana’s produce, farmers, and our unique cuisine of which the Creole tomato is a star. The free festival is beloved by locals and visitors alike for its quaint and quirky traditions, such as life-sized tomatoes strolling the grounds handing out tomato-shaped fans, and the auctioning off of the first tomatoes of the season to local chefs.
Essence Festival of Culture
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the largest festival in the country, drawing in more than 530,000 attendees annually over the July 4th weekend. The festival mobilizes, informs, and uplifts the largest global gathering of everyday multigenerational Black women in a safe space to achieve new levels of sisterhood, personal development, wealth creation, civic engagement & community leadership.