New Orleans Spring

Events Not to Miss This Spring in New Orleans

New Orleans Spring
Photo by Chris Granger

New Orleans loves to throw a party, and this is especially true in the spring, when the weather is pretty much perfect, and there are dozens of festivals featuring the best of live, local music and honoring every type of food we love. There’s something to do every weekend starting in March and through June, and many events are free. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss this spring.

Wednesday at the Square

On Wednesdays, March 6 through April 4, 2024

Unwind with a cold beverage on any given Wednesday at the Square, a free concert music series held in the spring in Lafayette Park (located one block off of Poydras Street, between St. Charles Avenue and Camp Street) every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m., in the heart of the Central Business District. From March through April, these outdoor concerts feature a variety of jazz, rock, swam pop, brass, Latin rhythms, and more.

Bring a chair or a blanket, or head to the front of the stage to partake in some dancing. You can bring your dog, and there are vendor booths surrounding the park where you can buy food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (no outside food or beverages, please).

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week

Monday-Saturday, March 11-16, 2024

Things take a more serious turn with the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW). The weeklong series of events is produced by the A.B. Freeman Business School at Tulane University and The Idea Village, and takes place citywide. NOEW features notable speakers, covering such topics as business and innovation.

St. Patrick’s Day

Sunday, March 17, 2024

There’s plenty of Irish in this town, so the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day is an important one for the city of New Orleans. Several parades kick off, including the infamous Irish Channel parade, where float riders pass cabbages to the screaming crowds. Also, the Downtown Irish Club Parade rolls from the Bywater to the French Quarter, making several pit stops on its way to Bourbon Street.

St. Joseph’s Day

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The New Orleans Catholics celebrate St. Joseph’s Day with elaborate altars that are open to the public and communal meals held at Catholic churches throughout the city (and even some private homes). You can usually find the up-to-date list closer to the event in local newspapers and on Nola.com.

The tradition began in the late 1800s, when Sicilian immigrants settled in New Orleans in large numbers. The altars are a thing of beauty, laden with flowers, food, candles, wine, and statues. Because the day honors St. Joseph, who has relieved a famine in Sicily, food is the focal point, and a meal is usually provided as part of the festivities. You can also take some of the traditional Italian cookies with you, along with a prayer card and a fava bean, the “lucky bean” associated with St. Joseph because they sustained the Sicilians throughout the famine.

Also, don’t miss the Italian-American St. Joseph’s Parade on Saturday, March 16, 2024. It’s hosted by the American Italian Marching club and starts at 6 p.m. at the intersection of Convention Center Blvd. and Girod Street downtown, then making its way into the French Quarter. The parade rolls with over a dozen floats, several marching bands, and marchers dressed in black tuxedos and doling out silk flowers and lucky beans.

Tennessee Williams Literary Festival

Wednesday-Sunday, March 20-24, 2024

The Tennessee Williams Literary Festival celebrates this city’s love affair with the written word, as well as writers’ love affair with New Orleans. Notable authors will be in attendance, hosting seminars, workshops and lectures. Plus, this being the Tennessee Williams Festival, there is, of course, a “Stella” and “Stanley” contest, which involves folks screaming out the iconic scene from A Streetcar Named Desire to appreciative crowds on Jackson Square.

Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival

Wednesday-Sunday, March 20-24, 2024

The city will also host the Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, an alternative literary event that celebrates LGBTQI+ authors. The festival will include panel discussions, master classes, and a fair amount of networking opportunities between authors, editors and publishers.

Congo Square Rhythms Festival

Saturday-Sunday, March 23-24, 2024

It’s a celebration of global and local music, and offers both amazing food and a fantastic lineup of music. Held in Armstrong Park and presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, this free festival features Mardi Gras Indians, African dance, brass bands, soul-funk, as well as indigenous music of Honduras, and highlife from West Africa. The large art market and a Soul Food Court complete the experience.

Super Sunday

Sunday, March 24, 2024

The annual gathering of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes is perhaps the most open means of accessing this unique element of New Orleans backstreet culture. You might see the Indians out and about on St. Joseph’s Day (which falls on Tuesday, March 19, 2024), and the tribes will be out in larger numbers on Super Sunday, which usually falls on the third Sunday of March.

While the Mardi Gras Indians have their set routes and parade areas, no one event packs the tribes into one public space like Super Sunday. In this case, said public spaces are A.L. Davis Park, at the corner of Washington and LaSalle streets; and Bayou St. John in Mid-City, at the intersection of Orleans and Moss streets, on the bayou’s banks and the Orleans Street bridge. The Indian procession usually leaves the gathering spot around 1 p.m.

We can’t stress this enough: Be respectful if you go. Take pictures at a distance, and don’t get in the way of marching Indians or their friends, family and attached bands. Super Sunday has been overrun with spectators in the past few years, so please do your part to enjoy this amazing cultural event responsibly.

To learn more about the Mardi Gras Indians please visit the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the historic Tremé neighborhood.

Freret Street Festival

Saturday, March 30, 2024

This free neighborhood festival has been growing since the mid-1990s, with about 200 vendors participating and three music stages.

Hogs for the Cause

Friday-Saturday, April 5-6, 2024

April starts with a popular event called Hogs for the Cause, a meat-centric annual fundraiser for pediatric brain cancer held at the UNO Lakefront Arena. Dozens of barbecue chefs compete in seven categories, including fan favorite, whole hog, ribs, and sauce. Check the event’s website for this year’s music lineup and early-bird ticket deals.

French Quarter Fest

Thursday-Sunday, April 11-14, 2024

Next up is the immensely popular and free French Quarter Fest. Held on the second weekend of April, it’s been around for almost 40 years, featuring the best the city has to offer in food and drinks, and several stages of non-stop live music. In the past years, you could dance in the streets of the French Quarter to Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers, Galactic, Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Lost Bayou Ramblers, and many more top-notch acts. Expect an excellent lineup this year as well.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Thursday-Sunday, April 25 – May 5, 2024

The last weekend of April and the first weekend of May mark one of the biggest, most anticipated, and always well-attended events this side of Mississippi. Visitors from all over the world flock to the Fairgrounds for the food and the music of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which is celebrating over 50 years of successful and exciting existence. The music is the focal point, of course, but don’t miss the second lines, the art vendors, and the local food favorites like Crawfish Monica and cochon de lait po-boys.

Hancock Whitney Zoo-To-Do

Friday, May 3, 2024

Late spring also brings us Whitney Zoo to Do, an annual fundraiser for the Audubon Nature Institute and the chicest gala in town. It’s held on the Zoo’s grounds and features live music, a silent auction, and food and cocktails from dozens of the best restaurants and bars in the city.

Bayou Boogaloo

Friday-Sunday, May 17-19, 2024

This Mid-City-based music and food festival is held on the banks of Bayou St. John over the third weekend of May. Bayou Boogaloo grew from the post-Katrina scrappy little neighborhood festival to a four-stage, multiple-vendor extravaganza. Since its inception in 2006, the festival now draws upwards of 35,000 people and has become as much a fixture on the festival calendar as its Mid-City neighbor, Jazz Fest, and the city’s street-party season opener, French Quarter Fest.

Head to the sprawling, picturesque banks of Bayou St. John between Dumaine Streets and Lafitte Avenue to sample some of the best food New Orleans has to offer from the likes of Boswell’s Jamaican Grill and Ajun Cajun plus adult beverages from Pal’s, Pearl Wine Company, and others. The fest’s bucolic setting gives the three-day festival its own unique character. And, just like in the previous years, the festival is kid-friendly (no pets, please), and has a stellar lineup of live music on three stages, including the best of the brass bands, zydeco, Mardi Gras Indians, and other incredible New Orleans and Louisiana acts.

Greek Fest

Friday-Sunday, May 24-26, 2024

Greek Fest takes place over the Memorial Day weekend at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (1200 Allen Toussaint Blvd.). This annual tradition beloved by locals is worth the trip to Lakeview for its food, music, cooking demos, Hellenic dance performances, and even a toga contest. Expect traditional Greek music featuring bouzouki guitar, dancers in traditional costumes, and kid activities. Greek staples like souvlaki, baklava, spanakopita, and gyro will be served (day and weekend passes available).

As you can see, the spring season in New Orleans is loaded with activities and events, and with the right planning and the willingness to eat and dance with gusto, you can have the best time the city has to offer!

Are you visiting New Orleans this spring?

Take advantage of Alder Hotel’s specials, group rates, and best-rate guarantee for greater savings to spend on New Orleans famous cuisine and enjoy everything this magnificent city has to offer. Reserve your room today!

Also, consider booking a guided tour of the famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans. And, for easy, informative sightseeing, we recommend the City Sightseeing New Orleans city tour on the open-top, double-decker bus. It runs every 30 minutes through the Garden District, French Quarter, and CBD. You can hop on and off anytime!

Happy spring!

Jazz Fest 2024: What You Need to Know

Image courtesy of New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024 on Facebook

There are many jazz festivals the whole world over, yet there is only one of the genre in the city that birthed it: the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which has been around for over five decades and still takes over the city during the last weekend in April, the first weekend in May, and pretty much all days in between (Thursday, April 25 – Sunday, May 5, 2024).

It is fair to say Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest are the two keystone entries of the New Orleans events calendar. Where Mardi Gras is a celebration with deep Catholic and pagan roots that is indelibly branded by the city of New Orleans, Jazz Fest is rather a celebration of New Orleans itself.

That’s the backstory on the “& Heritage” part of the description in the official Jazz Fest title: The event has become less about showcasing jazz per se, and more about showing off the city that gave us jazz.

Because New Orleans is so central to pop music, almost any act and genre you can imagine has strutted across the Jazz Fest’s on 14 stages — and yes, there are that many stages popping off at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (1751 Gentilly Blvd.) during the 2024 Jazz Fest. As a result of this sheer scope and size, in many ways, Jazz Fest feels like too overwhelming of an event to properly tackle, especially for those who are attending for the first time.

Regarding the festival’s musical acts, there are plenty of commentators who think festival organizers have unfairly stretched the definition of what music falls under the jazz and heritage rubric. We’re not here to debate that topic, but rather point out that there is undoubtedly a wide variety of genre presence at Jazz Fest, which only adds to the looming sense of choice overload.

With all of that in mind, there are some sound tactics for making Jazz Fest more manageable. Here are some of our time-tested strategies.

Ride a Bike

While this choice isn’t going to work for everyone — some visitors simply don’t have urban cycling experience or are scared of the prospect — we can’t stress just how much biking can improve the Jazz Fest experience. Even the most diehard Jazz Fest boosters will admit parking can be a nightmare during the festival. Parking enforcement officers are on high alert — we’ve never seen the impound lot on Claiborne Avenue get quite so busy as it does during Jazz Fest.

Of course, you can pay for parking. Folks who live near the Fairgrounds will turn even the smallest plot of the backyard into an impromptu parking lot (rates vary, but around $30 per day seemed to be the going rate in the past).

There are other ways of outflanking the parking issue, including the official Jazz Fest shuttle, taxis (both cars and bicycle rickshaws), rideshare, and the streetcar. Note that if you take the streetcar, you’ll still have to walk about a half mile to the festival entrance. (Take the number 48 line that runs on Canal Street and get off at the final stop at City Park/Art Museum.)

But we really love getting to Jazz Fest on two non-motorized wheels. Bike lane infrastructure can now bring riders to the gates of Jazz Fest. If you’re staying in the French Quarter, the bike ride to the Fairgrounds covers a 10-15 minute straight shot up Esplanade Avenue.

Plus, there is extensive bicycle “parking” (overlooked by security staff) on site. While we can’t guarantee what the weather will be like during Jazz Fest weekends, in general, late April and early May form a lovely climate window in New Orleans.

In addition, being on a bicycle gives visitors a better sense of the city. You can see New Orleans at the street level without the loss of time walking might engender. There’s an intimacy to biking in the city that’s tough to replicate from a car.

Shaping Your Cube

The Jazz Fest lineup is famously scheduled into “cubes” for attendees. Devising a schedule for seeing all of your favorite acts can be a fun logistical challenge, but don’t forget that the stages of Jazz Fest are spread out over a decently large area. If you’re in the middle of the crowd at one of the main stages, it can take about 10 or 15 minutes just to extricate yourself from the center of mass.

Note that Sundays and Thursdays always feel a little bit less crowded at the racetrack, although that “little bit less” is admittedly a relative number — there are no real “light” days at Jazz Fest.

The way you assemble your cube is up to you, but here are some pointers we’ve picked up on over the years:

  • Stick to your cube, but don’t do so religiously. Part of the fun of Jazz Fest is simply letting the music take you wherever it wants to go.
  • Don’t ignore smaller stages. We found one of our great unexpected Jazz Fest shows at the Kids Tent. We also always find the Fais Do-Do stage to be a consistently good break in our routine — basically, you can never go wrong dancing to Cajun or zydeco music.
  • Visit the Gospel Tent at least once. We’ve consistently found that even those who know next to nothing about gospel music have their spirits lifted and their musical boundaries expanded in this venue.

Cool Off

It can get hot in Jazz Fest. A few good means of beating the heat include:

  • Enjoying the air conditioning in the Grandstands
  • Hitting the mist tents by the Gentilly Stage and #2 food vendor area
  • Sitting down and relaxing in the vicinity of the Louisiana Folklife Village
  • Getting strawberry lemonade and Mango Freeze! (And of course, hydrating with water)
  • Staying out of the scrum for bigger headliners

Priorities, Priorities

While the price of Jazz Fest tickets continues to climb, the fact of the matter is you can still see some grade-A headliners for a bargain rate compared to similar (or even smaller) festivals. Many locals treat Jazz Fest as a chance to see big acts on the relative cheap. On the flip side, if you live in or near the city, you can see the New Orleans musicians throughout the year at local venues, which means there’s less pressure to see them on the Fairgrounds.

If you’re coming in from out of town, you may have the opposite scenario prioritized — you can see big-name acts anywhere, but this is your best chance of seeing Louisiana music on its native soil. In addition, smaller local acts often occupy stages that are less crowded, and everyone enjoys a break from the seething masses.

With all of that said, don’t forget that during the “off days” in between the two festival weekends, many smaller and mid-sized acts will be playing gigs around town. If you miss them at the Fest, you may well catch them on Frenchmen Street.

With that said, there’s something about seeing local acts at Jazz Fest. The big-name headliners are used to huge audiences. A local Louisiana act would be playing to wow the world, and some of those sets end up being nothing short of legendary.

What to Know About the 2024 Jazz Fest

  • Jazz Fest expanded to eight days this year, adding the opening day of Thursday, April 25, to the schedule.
  • Jazz Fest went cashless last year, and remains so. Ticket, food, beverage, craft, and merchandise booths no longer accept cash payments. If you come to the event with only cash, the Festival will offer two cash exchange booths near key vending locations so you can get a prepaid card for your cash.
  • This year, Jazz Fest features over 5,000 musicians across 14 stages.
  • The festival will be the largest one in its 53-year history. Eight is the most number of days for the event, and this year there will be the most food vendors and food items ever. And there also will be 260 art and craft vendors, the highest number ever.
  • Single-day tickets are $95 through April 24 and $105 at the gate. Tickets for children ages 2-10 are $5 at the gate.
  • “Locals Thursday” will be April 25 this year, with tickets at $50 for Louisiana residents.
  • This year Jazz Fest is introducing a 4-day GA+ weekend pass with access to an exclusive GA+ lounge with private restrooms, a full-service bar, and a shaded area to relax.
  • Tickets for Thursday, May 2, the day topped by The Rolling Stones, are sold out, including multiple-day passes.
  • The Rolling Stones headline Thursday, May 2, at 5 p.m. That day of the festival will operate normally until about 3:30 p.m. Then, when the Stones go on at 5 p.m., they’ll be the only band playing on the Fair Grounds.
  • Besides The Rolling Stones, the lineup includes Foo Fighters, Queen Latifah, Heart, The Beach Boys, Jon Batiste, Neil Young Crazy Horse, The Killers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind & Fire, and hundreds more.
  • This year, Jazz Fest will celebrate Colombia’s musical and cultural diversity at the Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion. During the festival, 17 bands and a wide variety of artisans from throughout Colombia will present their sounds and traditions.
  • The Jazz & Heritage Gala kicks off Jazz Fest with the celebration of Louisiana music and cuisine on April 24 at Generations Hall (310 Andrew Higgins Blvd.).

Are You Attending Jazz Fest?

We’d love for you to stay with us! Take advantage of our specials, group rates, and best-rate guarantee for greater savings to spend on New Orleans famous cuisine and enjoy everything this magnificent city has to offer. Reserve your room today!

How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans


Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash

There’s plenty of Irish in this town, so the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day is an important one for the city of New Orleans. Several parades kick off, including the infamous Irish Channel Parade, where float riders pass cabbages to the screaming crowds. Also, the Downtown Irish Club Parade rolls from the Bywater to the French Quarter, making several pit stops on its way to Bourbon Street.

Here’s what to expect during the nearly two weeks’ worth of festivities, including block parties, balcony parties, and, of course, parades.

St. Patrick’s Day Events in New Orleans

Downtown Irish Club Annual Grand Marshall Party Bus

Saturday, March 9, 2024, 1:30-4 p.m.

The club will be meeting at the Ugly Dog Saloon (401 Andrew Higgins Blvd.) and will head out on a party bus for a “mobile bar crawl.” There are about five scheduled pub stops before the bus returns the revelers to the Ugly Dog Saloon. You don’t have to be a club member to ride, though you are asked to wear “traditional Irish colors, your parade tuxedo, or kilt for this ride.” The cost is $25 per person and includes free Guinness at each stop and on the bus. You can reserve your seat on the club’s website.

Germans Go Irish

Sunday, March 10, 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Deutsches Haus (1700 Moss St.) in the Bayou St. John area of Mid-City is throwing a party to celebrate Ireland’s Patron Saint as they do in the small villages in the Old Country: with a Céilí (a gathering). Expect traditional Irish food like cabbage, soda bread, and Guinness beef stew served over colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes), plus Celtic musicians, Irish dancers, bagpipers, and other family-friendly activities. The event is free except for the Beth Patterson concert at 5:30 p.m. (You can get tickets online on the venue’s website or at the door).

Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Saturday, March 16, 2024, 1-6 p.m.

The parade begins on the corner of Felicity and Magazine streets around 1 p.m. The parade rolls up Jackson Avenue, turning onto St. Charles Avenue, turning onto Louisiana Avenue, and back onto Magazine Street. Throws include green beads and doubloons, plus the makings of Irish stew (minus the beef). So watch out for flying cabbages (yes, seriously). There is also a block party located at Annunciation Square, near Chippewa and Race streets.

Parasol’s Block Party

Saturday, March 16, 2024, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Parasol’s (2533 Constance St.) annual party Uptown features live music, food, easy parade access, and yes, green beer. It’s a popular party, so wear green and arrive early.

St. Patrick’s Day Italian American Viewing Balcony Party

Saturday, March 16, 2024, 7-10 p.m.

Cornet Restaurant (700 Bourbon St.) hosts a balcony view of that night’s Italian American Parade with three hours of unlimited drinks and Cajun and Creole food in the French Quarter. Tickets are $150-$200. Please note that Cornet is also hosting a St. Patrick’s Day balcony party the day after, on Sunday, March 17 (the setup, hours, and offerings are the same).

Downtown Irish Club St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Sunday, March 17, 2024, 6:30 p.m.

This annual parade starts as usual at Washington Park in the Marigny (700 Elysian Fields Ave.) after a pre-gaming at Marigny Brasserie (corner of Frenchmen St. and Royal St.) beginning at 4 p.m. The route remains the same every year, as are the bar stops. The after-party at the Ugly Dog Saloon will feature live music.

As you can see, there’s plenty to see and do to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and it’s not limited to Uptown or the French Quarter. Speaking of, check out our guide on how to spend St. Patrick’s Day without leaving the French Quarter, plus our list of highly recommended Irish pubs in the French Quarter.

Are you visiting New Orleans this spring? Take advantage of Alder Hotel’s specials, group rates, and best-rate guarantee for greater savings to spend on New Orleans famous cuisine and enjoy everything this magnificent city has to offer. Reserve your room today!

Also, consider booking a guided tour of the famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans. And, for easy, informative sightseeing, we recommend the City Sightseeing New Orleans city tour on the open-top, double-decker bus. It runs every 30 minutes through the Garden District, French Quarter, and CBD. You can hop on and off anytime!

Happy spring!

Things to Do in New Orleans: Year-At-A-Glance

Things to Do in New Orleans: Year-At-A-Glance

Things to Do in New Orleans: Year-At-A-Glance

The New Orleans dance card is full all year round, from major music and culture events like Jazz Fest to honoring just about every type of food we enjoy in Louisiana with its own festival, to the unique traditions like Super Sunday and Reveillon. Check out these annual events grouped by the season.

Winter

The weather is mild, the streetcars are decked with wreaths, and the city is alight with the holiday sparkle. The family-friendly Celebration in the Oaks and NOLA Christmasfest keep the dazzle going. The Christmasfest is the only indoor Christmas festival in the area, taking over the Convention Center starting in the third week of December and wrapping on New Year’s Eve. The fest features giant slides, inflatables, rides, a gingerbread house display, and New Orleans’ only ice-skating rink.

Celebration in the Oaks is a beloved New Orleans tradition that has been around for decades. It’s a dazzling display of holiday lights scattered throughout the 25 acres of the City Park, including the Botanical Garden, Storyland, and Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.

The park is swathed in hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, with hundreds of visitors strolling through the grounds, riding the historic carousel and the miniature train, photo-opping with the iconic Mr. Bingle, and enjoying the caroling and the holiday shopping. Celebration in the Oaks typically opens on Thanksgiving weekend and runs up to the first week of January.

During the second weekend of December, the LUNA Fête light show illuminates the Convention Center. The annual large-scale light and sound installations are fascinating, and the fest is free and family-friendly.

The bonfires on the bayou, concerts at St. Louis Cathedral, and Reveillon dinners are also the New Orleans holiday traditions that make the season so special.

The New Year’s Eve celebrations in New Orleans include the Dick Clark Rockin’ New Year’s Eve at the historic JAX Brewery in the French Quarter, with a fleur-de-lis drop at midnight to the countdown on Jackson Square, followed by the fireworks over the Mississippi River and the night of revelry.

Just when the rest of the country settles down we’re just getting started, with the Twelfth Night marking the beginning of the Carnival season (always on January 6) with three parades. Phunny Phorty Phellows board the St. Charles streetcar line Uptown and ride it to Canal Street and back, with toasts and revelry along the way.

In the French Quarter, the Krewe of Joan of Arc walking parade rolls from JAX Brewery and celebrates St. Joan’s birthday with medieval pageantry. Société Des Champs Elysée rounds up the night of festivities. Time for the first beads of Mardi Gras and King cake!

Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) always falls on a Tuesday, but the actual dates, occurring sometime between February 3 and March 9, change every year depending on Easter, tied to the Catholic calendar and counting 47 days before Easter Sunday. In 2025, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4, and there’s much to see and do.

Once that’s over, it’s time to celebrate Valentine’s Day in one of the most romantic cities in the country! Need ideas of what to do as a couple near the hotel, in the Uptown area of New Orleans? We have suggestions!

February also marks the popular Tet Fest, which celebrates the Lunar New Year with the help of the largest Vietnamese communities in the country.

Spring

The lovely weather brings the festival season this time of year, with the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival (don’t miss the “Stella!” shouting contest on Jackson Square), Wednesday at the Square, and the Congo Square Rhythms Festival in March.

Also on the menu is the massive annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, including several parades and block parties, and the Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday, a treasured tradition dating back to the 19th century and held on Sunday closest to St. Joseph’s Day (March 19).

The spring’s heaviest hitter is, of course, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, with its multiple stages and excellent lineup. The Bayou Boogaloo is held over three days in late May on the picturesque banks of Bayou St. John in Mid-City, and the Freret Street Festival in March is getting bigger every year.

Then there is the immensely popular French Quarter Festival, held in April. It’s one of the largest free music festivals in the U.S., with multiple stages set throughout the French Quarter.

Crescent City Classic, the annual 10K run, is one of the largest athletic events in New Orleans. It’s usually held on the Saturday before Easter Sunday each year. Runners take off from Jackson Square, run through the French Quarter and the Tremé, then up the majestic Esplanade Avenue all the way to City Park. And don’t miss NOLA on Tap (the largest beer fest in the Gulf South that benefits the LA SPCA).

Ready for more parades? New Orleans is one of the most Catholic cities in the country, and it celebrates Easter (Sunday, March 31, 2024) with three big parades, brunches, and parties all over the city.

Summer

Hotel rates are at their lowest and there’s plenty to do indoors to escape the heat. Presented by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the Louisiana Cajun Zydeco Festival is a free weekend event held at Louis Armstrong Park in June. The best restaurants and bars in town celebrate Restaurant Week New Orleans in June, the ever-growing Tales of the Cocktail in July, and COOLinary New Orleans with prix fixe menus in August. You can also browse the galleries on the White Linen Night (or a week later and also on a Saturday, the Dirty Linen Night).

The city comes to life for the Satchmo SummerFest and a slew of events over the Fourth of July and the Labor Day weekends, like Go 4th on the River and the ESSENCE Festival at the Superdome.

The French Market Creole Tomato Festival is one the smaller fests to enjoy, and Running of the Bulls brings Encierro to New Orleans, except the bulls are the Big Easy Rollergirls! And, speaking of running, the Red Dress Run, held on the second Saturday of August, is a fun fundraiser to don the red outfit and brave the heat.

Fall

The temps are down and it’s time to hit the city’s parks and squares, starting over the Labor Day weekend with the massive and fabulous Southern Decadence, a popular festival that celebrates LGBTQIA+ with block parties, shows, and a parade.

The endless stream of fests continues with Tremé Fall Festival, Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, and the National Fried Chicken Festival. There’s also the New Orleans Film Festival, which is one of the largest film festivals in the South and is the longest-running festival of its kind in the state.

November brings more food festivals — the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival and the Beignet Festival at the New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds. Phew!

Also, New Orleans throws its version of Oktoberfest over the three weekends at Deutsches Haus in Mid-City, to celebrate the city’s rich German history, followed by one of the best-attended art events in the city, Art for Art’s Sake.

Held on the first Saturday in October, Art for Art’s Sake has grown and into a citywide phenomenon since the ‘80s, packed with openings at Julia Street galleries and special events along Magazine Street.

The fall in New Orleans also means the Saints football. New Orleans does Halloween like no other city, including the kid-friendly Krewe of Boo.

Rounding up the fall festivities is a four-day feast of events, when the Tigers of Grambling State meet the Jaguars of Southern University for the annual Bayou Classic, starting with a Thanksgiving parade and featuring a slew of amazing marching bands.

Thanksgiving Day is also a traditional opening of the season at the racetrack, when the locals and visitors alike don their most elaborate and outrageous hats and stream to the Fair Grounds, kicking off the holiday season in a uniquely New Orleans style.

As you can see, there’s something always going on in New Orleans throughout the year, and we’d love to see you no matter what season. Take advantage of Alder Hotel specials, group rates, and best-rate guarantee for greater savings to spend on New Orleans famous cuisine and enjoying everything this magnificent city has to offer. Reserve your room today!

Also, consider booking a guided tour of the famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans. And, for easy, informative sightseeing, we recommend the City Sightseeing New Orleans city tour on the open-top, double-decker bus. It runs every 30 minutes through the Garden District, French Quarter, and CBD. You can hop on and off anytime!