top of page
Search

Fest Season in New Orleans

  • Writer: Guide Michelle
    Guide Michelle
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

Join me on a food or cocktail tour during your down time from Festin'!


There's a ton of festivals in New Orleans in the Spring and I'm part of the lucky crew that has worked many of them, so I have an inside scoop. The city just wrapped up 2 weekends of Jazz Fest so I thought it was a good time to reflect on Fest Season in NOLA & offer some tips.


Jazz & Heritage Fest

French Quarter Fest

Festival International de Louisiane

Essence Fest

Hogs for the Cause

New Orleans Film Festival

Bayou Boogaloo

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

Fried Chicken Fest

French Market Creole Tomato Fest

Running of the Bulls

Tales of the Cocktail

Satchmo SummerFest


French Quarter Festival was first produced in 1984 and now has more than 20 stages throughout the French Quarter that celebrate local music and represent every genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Zydeco, classical, cabaret, and international. Food booths throughout the fest bring favorites from restaurants and caterers all over Louisiana. And the best part? It is FREE! You can come and go as you please: go see a band in the morning and take a break then return for more music and food at night. It's spread throughout the French Quarter so you can take a mid-day break to shop, return to the hotel for a nap and shower or get some A/C in a bar. It always takes place in April, but the weekend (Thurs. - Sun.) varies- it will be Apr 8-11th, 2027.

New Orleans French Quarter Festival music
Jackson Square stage at French Quarter Fest

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is over 50 years old and has a following that could almost be called cult-like. From humble beginnings, it has grown into a major worldwide attraction, drawing loyal attendees who travel every year from across the globe. Aside from the music, the food is a major draw, as are the artists who come to sell their craft. It always takes place the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May and the uninitiated should keep a close eye on the website for Early Bird tickets/passes and the annual "dropping of the cube" when the line up is announced so you can plan which weekend (if not both) you want to travel down to attend. It all goes down at the Fairgrounds, so don't plan to stay in or near the French Quarter and be able to get to there easily. Renting a bicycle is your best bet!

Festival International in Lafayette
Festival International in Lafayette

Festival International de Louisiane

This was my first year driving the 2 hours to Lafayette, the heart of Cajun Country, to catch some of this four day fest. Competing with the first weekend of Jazz Fest, it's the largest international music festival in the US but it feels intimate and has a cult following. And it's FREE! Food and 5 stages of international music (and plenty of Louisiana bands) make it worth the excursion! Downtown Lafayette, with it's university town atmosphere, is charming and vibrant- there's plenty to do in the area before the stages open on the weekdays.


PS - I followed my trip to Lafayette with a quick excursion to Kite Fest in Baton Rouge! I had a blast!


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page