Our favorite things to do in the New Orleans area for every month of the year! All below events and activities are in New Orleans, or within a 2-hour drive. For anything within an hour of the city, you can usually use Uber or Lyft. For anything over an hour outside of the city, look into rental cars (and some activities may have a shuttle option).
Krewe De Joan D’Arc—a fantastic Medieval walking parade that basically serves as the official kick-off to Carnival season. French Quarter, New Orleans on January 6th.
The King Cake Festival—a sampling of king cakes from all over the city. King Cake is a fluffy cinnamon-y cake that is more or less the official food of Carnival, and everyone has their own opinion of whose is best. The event benefits children and babies at Oschner Hospital, and is free and open to the public. Champions Square, New Orleans in late January.
Mardi Gras Parades—while Mardi Gras’s date changes every year, our favorite parades typically happen at some point in February and we’d highly recommend catching them! Our favorites: Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, Krewe du Vieux, Muses, ‘tit Rex, & Bacchus. Click on each name to see the route and scheduled dates, and please note that parades happen throughout the city and transportation to and from can be a real pain if you don’t plan ahead.
Mardi Gras Day—this will fall in either February or March, and everyone has a different opinion on the best way to spend it. Personally, we always catch the St. Anne Parade in the Bywater, and walk along through the Marigny and into the French Quarter. You’ll get to see amazing costumes, dance in the street, view the crowds below from the balcony of Mimi’s in the Marigny, etc. There are like 20 other ways to spend Mardi Gras Day and not enough space to share them all, so do your research!
One note on Mardi Gras: there seems to be a lot of confusion among tourists on what & when Mardi Gras is. To clarify, Carnival is a season and Mardi Gras is the last and biggest day, sometimes referred to as either “Mardi Gras Day” or “Fat Tuesday”). The season starts January 6, and Mardi Gras is in either February or March. The biggest events and parades take place in the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras Day and on the day itself. Click here to view all the upcoming dates for Mardi Gras Day!
Mardi Gras Day—see above!
St. Patrick’s Day Irish Channel Parade—a Garden District Parade for St. Patrick’s Day! Uptown New Orleans in mid-March.
Old Town Slidell Antique Fair—New Orleans is OLD and there’s definitely a culture of celebrating old architecture, homes, and the items within them. Check out one of the larger local antique fairs in Old Town Slidell, which is about a half hour drive from the center of New Orleans (out of town folks—Uber or Lyft is likely your best bet here). Slidell, Louisiana in late March and mid-October.
French Quarter Festival—a big free festival in the center of the French Quarter with lots of food and music and local vendors! The website says it is the largest free music festival in the United States. You should go! French Quarter in early April.
Strawberry Festival & Picking—about 50 minutes from New Orleans is a town called Ponchatoula, which is locally famous for its strawberries. You can go for the super popular weekend-long Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival and eat the best strawberries ever, or you can go picking strawberries in one of the farms most days between late March through April! We’d recommend Ms. Heather’s Farm. If you’re visiting New Orleans and are bringing or renting a car, this is an easy day trip! Ponchatoula, Louisiana in late March to early May.
Festival Internationale de Louisiane—one of South Louisiana’s most famous festivals celebrating the culture of Acadiana, right in Lafayette. There’s incredible food and lots of live music. If you’re staying in New Orleans, we’d recommend renting a car for the commute and booking a hotel room in Lafayette, as it’s about a 2 hour drive from New Orleans. Lafeyette, Louisiana in late April.
Jazz Fest—probably one of the most famous international festivals hosted in New Orleans. There’s always a massive lineup that includes everything from small local bands to big name headliners. Lots of incredible food. Dear God, the food. This is an extremely expensive time to book accommodations in the city, so we recommend getting your tickets early and planning far in advance. This festival is two weekends—the last weekend of April & first weekend of May. Midcity, New Orleans in late April & early May.
Jazz Fest—see above
Bayou Boogaloo—located in Midcity on Bayou St. John, Bayou Boogaloo is a laid back music and food festival that is free and open to the public. It’s a great way to spend a sunny afternoon soaking up the sun and eating some great local dishes. Midcity, New Orleans in mid-May.
Treme / 7th Ward Arts & Cultural Festival—a small relaxed music festival celebrating two of New Orleans’ oldest neighborhoods. Treme, New Orleans in late May.
Greek Fest—enjoy Greek food, music, and WINE right on Bayou St. John in Mid-city. It’s Memorial Day Weekend, which means it’ll be hot as hell, so stay hyrated while you get your OPA! on.
New Orleans Pride—celebrate LGBTQ+ New Orleans with the pride parade! There are several events that happen this weekend as well but they’re always changing, so check in on the official website to make your plans! Downtown New Orleans in early June .
Cajun Zydeco Festival—Zydeco is a uniquely South Louisiana music genre that is a real treat to experience. Check out this festival and enjoy some of Louisiana’s best Zydeco musicians. Armstrong Park, New Orleans in mid-June.
Tales of the Cocktail—one of the biggest celebrations of cocktails and hospitality in the world. Thousands of visitors pour into the city for a week of events, tastings, and workshops. Find out more on the official website. Locations throughout New Orleans in early July.
Essence Festival—a huge music festival put on by Essence Magazine, celebrating African-American artists, entertainment, and empowerment. Headliners have included Beyonce, Missy Elliot, and Mary J Blige. Downtown New Orleans in early July.
Satchmo SummerFest—music festival named after Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. It’s always got a fantastic lineup featuring incredible regional musicians. Small general admission fee. Downtown New Orleans in early August.
Red Dress Run—a fundraiser that involves throwing on a red dress, drinking beer, and running (or walking, or stumbling) through downtown New Orleans. Make sure you register so that you can contribute to the fundraiser, which benefits several small local charities. Downtown New Orleans in mid-August.
Southern Decadence—New Orleans’s biggest LGBTQ+ festival. It’s basically one big block party, where the French Quarter is filled with LGBTQ+ hopping from bar to bar or attending events such as the Horse Meat Disco at the Ace Hotel. Check in on the official website for event updates. Throughout Downtown New Orleans in late August.
Restaurant Week New Orleans—restaurant week in one of the most culinarily renowned cities in the world is pretty dope. Many restaurants will have pre-fixe menus, and you can check out the full restaurant lineup on the official website. Located throughout the city in mid-September.
Nola on Tap—New Orleans has an incredible collection of local breweries, and this festival lets you celebrate and sample all of them! Midcity, New Orleans in mid-September.
Gretna Heritage Festival—get a taste for a small town festival in Gretna, located on New Orleans’ West Bank. The festival features local music, lots of wildly delicious food, and showcases a few of the cultures that you’ll find in the area, with “The Italian Village” and “German Beer Garden.” Gretna, Louisiana in late September.
Oktoberfest—celebrate South Louisiana’s German culture, eat all the sausage, and drink all the beer! Midcity, New Orleans in early October.
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival—like the name implies, it’s blues and BBQ! Lots of music and good eating. Downtown New Orleans in mid-October.
New Orleans Film Festival—celebrating both big and small budget films, with a focus on community and diversity. Downtown New Orleans in mid-October.
Black Pot Festival—celebrating food and culture of South Louisiana with a cook-off and music. There is a campsite that is first come first serve, for anyone interested in camping out for the weekend. If you’re staying in New Orleans, we’d recommend renting a car for the commute and booking a hotel room in Lafayette, as it’s about a 2 hour drive from New Orleans. Lafayette, Louisiana at the end of October.
Voodoo Festival—large music festival that usually has a very impressive lineup. Music ranges from local bands to big name headliners (last year we saw Lizzo and Janelle Monae!). There’s a stage for just about everything, from EDM to rock. You’ll want to buy single day or weekend-pass tickets in advance. New Orleans’ City Park in late October.
Boudin, Bourbon, & Beer Fest—Boudin is a DEEELIIIISH Louisiana sausage that’s filled with meaty rice goodness. 70 chefs come together to put a spin on it and your ticket gets you entry and the ability to fill your belly. And there’s bourbon and beer. And it’s for a good cause! Please note: event is 21+. Champions Square, New Orleans in early November.
Oak St. Po’ Boy Festival— A po’boy is the best sandwich ever, and this festival brings together restaurants from around the city to show off their po’ boys on adorable little Oak St. It does get pretty freaking packed, so maybe arrive early? Uptown Riverbend, New Orleans in mid-November.
Fair Grounds for Thanksgiving—We’re always busy with family stuff, but a ton of our friends go to the Fair Grounds race track every Thanksgiving and it sounds really really really fun. It’s basically a Bloody Mary-fueled costume party where you can also bet on horse races. Midcity, New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day.
Celebration in the Oaks—some of the oak trees down here are like REAL OLD. Like 600+ years. Every winter, City Park glams up its massive oak trees with incredibly beautiful lights. It takes about an hour to walk through the whole installment, and you can get wine or hot chocolate and also see some music. It’s very very fun. New Orleans’ City Park from late November through December.
Luna Fete—this is basically a celebration of New Orleans architecture with a holiday light show put on by the Arts Council. It’s absolutely gorgeous and a great way to spend part of your evening. It does change a bit every year, so check in on the official website for details and updates. Downtown New Orleans in mid-December.
Roosevelt Hotel Decorations—the Roosevelt Hotel gets decked out as a winter wonderland for the month of December. Definitely stop in and enjoy it all, preferably with a sazerac in hand from the Sazerac Bar in the lobby. Downtown New Orleans all December.
Bonfires—we light massive bonfires down here to help light the way for Papa Noel (Santa Claus). Festival of the Bonfires is a weekend of music, with bonfires being lit each evening to celebrate the tradition of Christmas bonfires. There is also the Christmas Eve Bonfires, which is a big lighting on the levee and the traditional day for the bonfires. The bonfires are in Lutcher, which is about 50 minutes away from New Orleans, so you’ll want to plan transportation. Lutcher, Louisiana mid-December and Christmas Eve.