In New Orleans, we honor just about every local food there is (and some drinks) with a festival, not to mention the packed party schedule that never lets up, from the Carnival to Super Sunday to the Saints football season. In other words, the Crescent City’s dance card is pretty much always full, even when the heat and humidity descend on the city in late spring and till mid-fall. Here are just a few highlights of all that’s going on in New Orleans year-round.

Spring

March 1 – May 31

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 the 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. 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.

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

Summer

June 1 – August 31

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 of Culture at the Superdome.

The French Market Creole Tomato Festival is one of 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 for.

Fall

September 1 – November 30

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 LGBTQ+ 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 the longest-running festival of its kind in the state.

Fall brings more food festivals — the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival and the Beignet Festival at the New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds. The Freret Street Festival at the end of October is getting bigger every year. 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 into a citywide phenomenon since the ‘80s, packed with openings at Julia Street galleries and special events along Magazine Street.

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

During the second weekend of November, the LUNA Fête light show illuminates Gallier Hall and the surrounding area. The annual large-scale light and sound installations are fascinating, and the fest is free and family-friendly.

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.

Winter

December 1 – February 28

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.

Christmasfest is the only indoor Christmas festival in the area, taking over the Convention Center starting in the third week of December and wrapping up at the end of the month. 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 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 January 1.

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.

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 four 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. The Funky Uptown Krewe follows the Phunny Phorty Phellows, also on a streetcar.

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 2027, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, February 9, 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 for 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, held in New Orleans East, which celebrates the Lunar New Year with the help of the largest Vietnamese communities in the country.

Plan Your Visit Today!

As you can see, we have a lot going on all year round! No matter when you visit, take advantage of Hotel St. Marie’s specials, group rates, and best-rate guarantee for greater savings to spend on New Orleans famous French Quarter 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!

New Orleans is the belle of the South, perfumed with magnolias and veiled with mysterious secrets, and her crown jewel is the French Quarter. Small wonder it’s become the destination of choice for fun-loving ladies from near and far.

Hotel St. Marie makes a great base camp; it’s right by Jackson Square, where colorful fortune-tellers ply their trades. But you don’t need a soothsayer to predict what the future holds. You’re here to eat, drink, and be merry (and do a little power shopping). This guide helps you chart your course, but it’s only a starting point. Once you get the lay of the land, make it up as you go along. Discovering hidden gems on your own is part of the fun of the French Quarter.

Rise and Shine at Cafe Du Monde

Since 1862, New Orleanians have been dipping sugar-dusted beignets into steaming cups of cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde (800 Decatur St.), where jazz combos provide a jaunty soundtrack and silver-painted mimes across the street stand still as statues. It’s a great introduction to the charms of the Quarter, and the perfect place to caffeinate for your adventures.

Browse the French Market and Stroll the Riverwalk

Cafe Du Monde is the gateway to three centuries of history in the French Market (1100 N. Peters St.), where you’ll find a lively flea market packed with affordable New Orleans souvenirs and handmade crafts by local artisans. Grab a sweet treat from Loretta’s Pralines, then stroll along the Mississippi and watch the passing parade of tourist-carrying riverboats and working vessels.

Have a Boozy Lunch or Brunch

For old-school elegance at bargain prices, you can’t beat the two-course prix fixe lunch at Antoine’s (713 St. Louis St.). Or live large at the Sunday jazz brunch at Arnaud’s (813 Bienville St.), and splurge on signature dishes like savory crabmeat cheesecake, topped off with bananas Foster prepared tableside with fanfare and flames.

Go on a Shopping Spree

Release your inner diva at Fifi Mahoney’s (942 Royal St.), home of the wildest wigs on the planet and scads of glam accessories. And don’t miss Trashy Diva (537 Royal St.), which specializes in vintage-inspired dresses that make women of all sizes and shapes look like Hollywood stars. You can also head to Chartres Street, the part past Jackson Square toward Canal Street, which is packed with interesting boutiques.

Sip Classic Cocktails in Elegant Bars

It may be a U.K. import, but the Pimm’s Cup went viral in the 1940s at the Napoleon House (500 Chartres St.), which remains the go-to spot for the summery, herbaceous, gin-based cocktail. Sip a couple of cucumber-garnished Pimm’s, then keep the buzz going with the namesake drink at French 75 (813 Bienville St.). Named one of the Top 5 Bars in the country by Esquire, its signature cocktail blends Courvoisier VS, lemon and sugar with Moet & Chandon champagne.

Dine in a Swanky Restaurant

A woman cannot live by po-boys and muffulettas alone. Doris Metropolitan (620 Chartres St.) caters to adventurous carnivores with aged Japanese beef and exotic entrees like “Falls off the bone,” short ribs cooked 24 hours and served with root puree. And seafood lovers swoon over the menu at Tableau (616 St. Peter St.), which offers a truffled crab claw appetizer and Gulf fish almondine.

Go Dancing on Frenchmen Street

After all that eating and drinking, it’s time to burn off some calories. There’s no shortage of places to hit the dance floor on Frenchmen Street, the city’s premier live music corridor. Though it’s no longer a “local’s secret,” you’re guaranteed to have a blast at more than a dozen clubs in a few short blocks where the music goes well into the wee, wee hours. Top hotspots include Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen St.), The Spotted Cat Music Club (623 Frenchmen St.), and d.b.a. (618 Frenchmen St.)

Remember, you can walk to all these venues from your hotel! Take advantage of the Hotel St. Marie specials, group rates, and best-rate guarantee for greater savings to spend on New Orleans famous French Quarter cuisine and enjoy everything this magnificent city has to offer. Reserve your room today!