French Quarter Festival
The wildly popular French Quarter Festival takes over the Vieux Carré April 10 – 13 with performances by a wide range of artists including Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins, Anders Osborne, George Porter, Jr., The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, John Cleary and many, many more. And what would a New Orleans festival be without great food? This year, fill up on menus from Addis NOLA, Boulevard American Bistro, Nori Guys, Smoke & Honey, Sun Chong, Cochon King BBQ, just to name a few. Pack your sunscreen and be ready to dance in the streets! frenchquarterfest.org
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The spring powerhouse festival known as “Jazz Fest” among its many fans, returns for two weekends, April 24 – May 4. Headliners for 2025 include Pearl Jam, Lil Wayne, Kacey Musgraves, Burna Boy, Dave Matthews Band, Laufey, Lenny Kravitz and more. Food faves like the cochon de lait poboy, crawfish sack/oyster patties/shrimp beignets (aka the trinity), and crawfish Monica will be available for devotees, along with some newcomers making a splash, like the grilled shrimp pikliz and toasted corn ribs. So let your fest flag fly and get ready for a great time! nojazzfest.com
Essence Festival
The Essence Festival of Culture, July 3-6, features an all-star line-up of musicians, artists, filmmakers, motivational speakers, community events and, of course, eclectic parties from the Caesars Superdome and throughout the city. An Expo experience highlights speakers, small businesses, activists and leaders from across the U.S. Visit the festival website for the latest information and line-up of amazing events. essence.com/festival
Bayou Boogaloo
This Mid-City spring music, food and fun on the water takes over Bayou St. John May 16-18. Flotillas of rafts and homemade barges, dancing along the bayou, cabaret acts, festival food and more have fans returning each year. Produced by Friends of Bayou St. John, proceeds from the festival support litter abatement and clean up efforts along the bayou. thebayouboogaloo.com
NOLA Juneteenth Celebration
New Orleans’ Juneteenth Celebration, held each year in Congo Square on June 19 (the historic day that commemorates the official end of slavery in the U.S.) is a day to honor Black culture and community, and celebrate with music and performances, speakers, and local art and artists. nolajuneteenthfestival.org
Overlook Film Festival
Horror film fans won’t be able to look away during this year’s showcase of short and feature-length films at screenings across the city, as well as fan events, live shows, games, parties and much more spooky, scary fun. Mark your calendars for April 3-6 as the Overlook (aptly named after the featured hotel in the cult favorite movie and Stephen King novel The Shining) descends upon “the most haunted city in America.” overlookfilmfest.com
New Orleans Pridefest
The highlight of New Orleans Pride month is the annual Pridefest, this year on June 14, held across several blocks of the Marigny. LGBTQIA friends, family and allies, artists, makers, speakers and more gather to celebrate, party, and come together in community, with more than 80 vendors and headliner Big Freedia featured at last year’s festival. More details to come, so stay tuned! nolapridefest.com
Freret Street Festival
If you’re looking for one of the newest and best mega-street fairs, this Uptown celebration is for you. The Freret Street Festival takes over the six-block corridor of Freret Street between Napoleon and Valmont with more than 200 local artists and vendors, three stages with 20 bands and musicians, Mardi Gras Indians and live performances, as well as highlighting the 46+ shops and businesses along the throughfare. This one-day event, March 29, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., highlights local acts, art, restaurants and food for a neighborhood celebration like no other. freretstreetfestival.org
New Orleans Greek Festival
The New Orleans Greek Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary of bringing the best homemade Greek cuisine and culture to the Hellenic Cultural Center stage each Memorial Day weekend. This year’s event, May 23-25, will feature many fan favorite foods and pastries, crafts, dancing, music and the Greek Festival Walk/Run. Opa! gfno.com
Crawfest at Tulane University
Kick off the spring festival season with a feast. Tons of crawfish (plus music, food, arts and crafts) are on the menu at this annual student-run festival, held this year on April 5 on Tulane University’s campus. tulanecrawfest.com
NOLA Crawfish Festival
This big boil event returns for its 10th anniversary for three days between Jazz Fest weekends, April 28-30 at The Broadside in Mid-City. Wear your best crawfish eating attire as the event cooks up thousands of pounds of crawfish and fixings, along with a full line-up of live music, cold beverages and more. @nolacrawfishfest
Hogs for the Cause
BBQ, bacon, bands and more, all for a great cause! Hogs for the Cause, April 4-5 at UNO Lakefront, is a barbecue-lovers dream festival. More than 90 cookoff teams compete for bragging rights, a Bulleit whiskey lounge features shade and cocktails, and three stages showcase 20+ bands. Plus, the two-day event raises fund for pediatric brain cancer, the leading cause of terminal cancer in children, with the festival having raised $12 million to date. hogsfest.org
Creole Tomato Festival
Celebrate prime tomato season with Louisiana’s own Creole variety claiming the spotlight. The French Market hosts the event, June 8-9, with Creole tomato tastings, fresh produce for sale, food booths and live music. frenchmarket.org
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is a four-day wine and food celebration, June 12-15, at locations across the city. The experience brings together local, national and international experts and includes wine tastings, expert labs, festive dining, and a boisterous burlesque brunch, and is a must for food lovers, wine aficionados and more. nowfe.com
Party for the Planet
Audubon Nature Institute’s Party for the Planet sponsored by Entergy features educational experiences. audubonnatureinstitute.org
New Orleans City Park Spring Garden Show
New Orleans City Park’s Botanical Garden hosts its annual Spring Garden Show on April 5. The event, sponsored by the LSU AgCenter along with the Louisiana Master Gardeners and Metro Area Horticulture Foundation, features more than 50 vendors with plant sales and gardening supplies, plus live entertainment, lectures, cooking demonstrations and more.
neworleanscitypark.org
Hit the Road!
Closer to home…
Baton Rouge Blues Festival
April 4-6 | Baton Rouge
Swamp blues, food, drink and Baton Rouge culture. brblues.org
Boudin Festival
April 4-6 | Scott
Boudin, boudin and more boudin! Plus, music, family friendly events and more. scottboudinfestival.com
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
April 11-13 | Ponchatoula
Foods celebrating the season’s best berry, plus music, family fun, a parade and more. lastrawberryfestival.com
Festival International de Louisiane
April 23-27 | Lafayette
A celebration of international music, food, flavor and more. festivalinternational.org
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
May 2-4 | Breaux Bridge
Cajun culture and music, Zydeco, swamp pop, and lots of crawfish. bbcrawfest.com
Louisiana Peach Festival
June 7 | Ruston
Peaches, peach-inspired food and drink, local art and culture, and live performances lapeachfest.com
The best of Gulf Coast fests…
Sandestin Wine Festival
April 10-13 | Sandestin, Florida
Food, fun, and, of course, wine. sandestinwinefestival.com
South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival
April 24-27 | South Walton Beach, Florida
Chefs, food, wine and sunshine. sowalwine.com
Flora-Bama Interstate Mullet Toss & Greatest Beach Party
April 25-27 | Perdido Key, Florida
Flinging fish and beachy fun. florabama.com
Pirate Day in the Bay
May 16-17 | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Costumes, pub crawl, a pirate treasure hunt and more. mkotsh.com/pirate-day-in-the-bay
Sand in My Boots Festival
May 16-18 | Gulf Shores, Alabama
Music, food and more on the beach. sandinmybootsfest.com
