What You Need to Know About the French Quarter Fest

Photo by Zack Smith Photography. Courtesy of French Quarter Festivals, Inc.

French Quarter Fest is back, and it’s its 42nd anniversary, no less. For four days (Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 19, 2026), a big chunk of the French Quarter — also known as the Vieux Carré, French for the “old square” (or “old quarter”) — will be transformed into a series of festival stages, each showcasing a different brand of music either rooted in or heavily influenced by, the sounds of Louisiana. Here’s a quick look at what you need to know about French Quarter Fest 2026.

What Is New in 2026?

This year, the festival organizers are providing more space by expanding to the new site at the Woldenberg Riverfront Park near Governor Nicholls Street wharf, allowing more space for food and music along the Mississippi River.

According to the organizers, there are some stage location changes. The Pan-American Life Insurance Group Stage will return at Governor Nicholls Park at the foot of Esplanade, and will feature four full days of programming.

Due to construction at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the Louisiana Fish Fry Stage will temporarily move to the riverfront in front of the Audubon Aquarium. The stage will feature an expanded mix of DJs and brass bands, with the schedule also extended to four days.

The House of Blues Voodoo Garden Stage will feature an expanded music lineup with four full days of stage programming and a Thursday night FQF After Dark show.

Although the New Orleans Jazz Museum is undergoing reconstruction, it will remain a major site for programming Friday through Sunday, including performances at the Loyola University Esplanade in the Shade Stage and the Songwriter Stage.

There’s also a 5K race this year, taking place on Saturday, April 18. Registration is now open, with details available at https://runsignup.com/fqf5k.

Music Lineup

The who-is-who of the local music scene is returning or joining this year, over 300 acts total. Expect beyond excellence when it comes to the French Quarter Fest music lineup. That includes Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Hasizzle with TBC Brass Band, Cyril Neville, and Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, along with a highly anticipated debut from Dawn Richard. Grammy-winning native PJ Morton is the headliner, marking his first appearance since 2014. Check out the full music schedule on the fest’s website.

Food Vendors

As in the previous year, expect a mouthwatering melting pot of traditional New Orleans dishes such as fried shrimp or catfish, stuffed crabs, locally brewed beers, meat pies, crawfish macaroni and cheese, and hot sausage po-boys. Beyond that, there will be plenty of global flavors.

The organizers promise “over 275 culinary experiences.” (Here’s the vendor info.)

A new vendor this year is Chicken’s Kitchen. Our favorite vendors that are returning include Vaucresson Sausage, Ms. Linda the Yakamein Lady, Thai Nola, Southern’s, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, Loretta’s Authentic Pralines, and many more.

The Mike’s Amazing Culinary Stage also returns with live cooking demonstrations and storytelling that celebrate New Orleans’ rich food traditions. Mike’s Amazing team will be sharing recipes and pairing ideas.

There’s also a new beverage from a major festival sponsor, Abita. The company will debut Upbeat Vodka Cocktails.

Special Events

Every year, the festival features special events. Here are the 2026 highlights.

The French Quarter Festival Kickoff Parade and Opening Day Ceremony

The annual parade is held this year on Thursday, April 16, at 10 a.m. The parade departs from the 200 block of Bourbon Street down to St. Ann Street, where it turns and makes its way to Jackson Square for the Annual Opening Day Ceremony.

Dance Classes

The French Market Traditional Jazz Stage and the Chevron Cajun-Zydeco Showcase will feature dancing and classes in traditional Jazz, 1920s Charleston, swing, Cajun jitterbug, and zydeco. Classes are taught by professional dancers and are free and open to the public. Check out the lesson schedule on the festival’s website.

French Quarter Fest After Dark

The festival offers nighttime programming at various local venues from 9 p.m. to midnight to keep the good times rolling after the last festival stage closes at 8 p.m.

… And more

On top of all this, the festival features installations, exhibits, immersive experiences, kids’ events, the 2026 French Quarter Fest Official Poster signing, interviews, and more.

Getting Around

Getting around the Fest should be fairly easy if you’re walking or biking. Parking will be limited, so arrive early and try these lots: French Market, 500 Decatur Street, 300 North Peters Street, 211 Conti Street, The Garage at Canal Place, plus street parking within walking distance.

We do suggest that instead of driving, you use RTA buses, streetcars, rideshare services, bikes, cabs, or the ferry to get to the festival. In addition to increased traffic, some streets will be closed for the duration of the festival, beginning at approximately noon until 8:30 p.m.

A Few Facts About French Quarter Fest

Here are a few facts about the fest:

  • The Fest celebrates local music and represents every genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Zydeco, classical, cabaret, and international. It’s a medley, and a great way to sample the local music scene.
  • It debuted in 1984 as a way to bring residents back to the Quarter following the World’s Fair and extensive sidewalk repairs in the French Quarter.
  • The Fest employs more than 1,800 local musicians, with over 60 local restaurants participating as culinary vendors.
  • The food and beverage vendors are set up in several locations throughout the French Quarter: Jackson Square, the Jazz Museum at the Mint, JAX Brewery, and Woldenberg Riverfront Park.
  • You can buy the official 2026 poster at one of the four merch booths at the festival, as well as online.
  • To streamline your music experience and navigation, you can download the app on the fest’s website (either for IOS or Android).
  • The live-music hours every day of the festival are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • No coolers and ice chests, please. Help keep the festival free by purchasing food and beverages at the festival.
  • And yes, the fest is free unless you opt to buy a pass for a VIP experience.

Planning a Visit to New Orleans?

We’d love for you to stay with us! And if you do, consider booking a guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans.

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, and your kids won’t have to do all this walking.

Take advantage of The Brakeman Hotel 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!

 

Jazz Fest: What You Need to Know

Image courtesy of New Orleans Jazz Fest 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 23 – Sunday, May 3, 2026).

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 on Jazz Fest’s 15 stages — and yes, there are that many stages popping off at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (1751 Gentilly Blvd.) during the 2026 Jazz Fest. As a result of this sheer scope and size, in many ways, Jazz Fest feels like too overwhelming 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.

Shape 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 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 during 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 for relatively 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 2026 Jazz Fest

  • Jazz Fest will remain cashless. 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 15 stages.
  • The festival will be one of the largest in its 55-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 will also be over 250 art and craft vendors.
  • “Locals Thursday” will be April 23 this year, with discounted tickets for Louisiana residents.
  • This year, Jazz Fest will celebrate Jamaica’s musical and cultural diversity at the Cultural Exchange Pavilion. During the festival, dozens of bands and a wide variety of artisans from throughout Jamaica will present their sounds and traditions.
  • The Jazz & Heritage Gala kicks off Jazz Fest with the celebration of Louisiana music and cuisine on Wednesday, April 22, at Generations Hall (310 Andrew Higgins Blvd.).
  • Check out the event’s FAQ section for more details.

Coming to Jazz Fest This Year?

We’d love for you to stay with us! And if you do, consider booking a guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans.

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, and your kids won’t have to do all this walking.

Take advantage of The Brakeman Hotel 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!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans

Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash

There are plenty of Irish roots in this town, so the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day (Tuesday, March 17, 2026) 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 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

The 2026 date and route are TBA.

The club typically meets in a bar downtown and heads 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 gathering spot. 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 to march 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 8, 2026, 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 concert, which typically starts 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 14, 2026, 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 14, 2026, 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.

Downtown Irish Club St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 7 p.m.

This annual parade begins on the corner of Burgundy and Piety streets in the Bywater, then proceeds roughly up Royal Street, across Esplanade Avenue to Decatur Street, and up Canal Street to Bourbon Street. The parade makes several pit stops on its way to Bourbon Street.

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.

St. Louis No. 1 Cemetery

Are you visiting New Orleans this spring? Take advantage of The Brakeman 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 in January

So, it’s January. While the rest of the country is taking a breather from the holiday season, packing away the decorations and preparing to hibernate, New Orleans keeps going. The temps are cooler yet pleasant, Mardi Gras decor is popping up on lawns and porches, King Cakes are being snatched off the bakery shelves, and our collective stamina doesn’t get (or want) a break.

If you are lucky to be visiting in January, read on to get the highlights on what to do in New Orleans during that magical month, from ringing in the New Year to kicking off Mardi Gras with style.

Ring in the New Year with the Fleur de Lis Drop and a party on Jackson Square

Every year, Dick Clark Rockin’ New Year’s Eve production hosts its official Central Time Zone party in New Orleans near the historic JAX Brewery starting at 9 p.m. The show is coordinated with parties in New York and Los Angeles, and features a musical lineup and special guests. The fleur-de-lis drop at JAX Brewery is live-cast.

Jackson Square, a historic and iconic meeting space of the city of New Orleans, is teeming with revelers at this time. If you don’t mind crowds, it’s free and it’s fun, with live music and a festive atmosphere. The end-of-the-year countdown, which culminates in the fleur-de-lis drop, is followed by the fireworks over the Mississippi. (Check out this guide for more things to do on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans.)

Watch the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s New Year’s Eve Parade

Since 1935, the Sugar Bowl has been played in New Orleans, and while that event has since become the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the daytime New Year’s Eve Parade associated with the game continues in more or less the same vein. The extravaganza is done Mardi Gras-style, so expect big floats, marching bands, plenty of throws (trinkets tossed to spectators), and a general overload of glitz and pageantry.

The parade typically begins at 2:30 p.m. at the “bottom” of the Quarter, where it meets Faubourg Marigny, at the intersection of Elysian Fields Avenue and Decatur Street. Then it proceeds into the French Quarter and rolls past some of that neighborhood’s most iconic landmarks, including the French Market and Jackson Square.

Eventually, the parade passes the WDSU stage at the Allstate Fan Fest on Decatur Street inside the JAX Brewery parking lot, where all performers do a two-minute show. The parade ends at Canal Street.

Attend the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1

Always happening on the first day of the new year, the Allstate Sugar Bowl is a popular college football tradition. The Fan Jam tailgate party is held at Champions Square, and the game is played at Caesars Superdome.

Watch the Twelfth Night parades on January 6

Twelfth Night, or the Epiphany, always falls on January 6, regardless of the year (it falls on a Tuesday in 2026). It’s the official first day of the carnival season that kicks off with four annual parades. It’s also the first day you can eat King Cake lest you be judged by the traditionalists out there (though many stores start carrying the carnival treat before then).

Phunny Phorty Phellows rides the streetcar from Uptown to Canal Street and back, starting at 7 p.m. They are followed by the Funky Uptown Krewe, which takes the same route.

The beloved walking Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc parade rolls at 8 p.m. from JAX Brewery in the French Quarter, and the Société Des Champs Elysée parade takes place starting at 7:30 p.m. on N. Rampart Street and Esplanade, going to the CBD. Every year, it follows the N. Rampart/St. Claude streetcar route.

For more info on what each parade is like and the 2026 dates and times, check out our guide to kicking off the Mardi Gras season.

Attend the Commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans on January 8

The annual Commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans is celebrated on January 8 every year (Thursday in 2026) by the Monument at Chalmette Battlefield (8606 West St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette). This annual wreath-laying ceremony honors the troops of the Battle of New Orleans, plus there are kid-friendly crafts and cooking demos. Park staff and volunteers are dressed in period clothing to represent American and British soldiers and civilians, and there are military drills and period weapons firing. Admission is free. 

Join the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration

On this day, the city of New Orleans throws a block party and a parade on the historic Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and hosts a celebration program at Al Davis Park. In 2026, MLK Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 19.

Cheer on the Saints and Pelicans

It’s both the Saints and the Pelicans seasons in full swing. So if you are a fan, you will have a ton of fun on game days, whether you are watching them live or at one of the city’s many sports bars. Either way, the place will be brimming with camaraderie, cheer, stylin’ outfits in team colors, and probably, shenanigans.

Sample King Cake

Widely considered the official dessert of Mardi Gras, this is an absolute must-try if you’re in town after January 6. While some bakeries, like the Bywater Bakery and the Manny Randazzo King Cakes in Metairie, make some of the best, many local supermarkets and grocery stores carry different brands of King Cakes, with a staggering variety of fillings (or lack thereof for the purists among us), so finding this delicious seasonal treat won’t be difficult.

Eat and drink, of course!

Stay warm and cozy while you eat and drink your way through the city, near The Brakeman in particular. In the French Quarter alone, you can find some excellent spots for gumbo and classic café brûlot, and, of course, Café Du Monde and several Café Beignet locations are within walking distance, where you can warm up with the beignets and a cup of café au lait.

Also close, in the downtown area of the Central Business District (CBD), awaits the wonderful Roosevelt Hotel. Many hotel lobbies decorate for the holidays, but The Roosevelt is a surefire annual winner with its opulent stunner of a lobby. While there, stay cozy with a beverage of your choice at the glamorous Fountain Lounge or the famous Sazerac Bar, both easily located in the hotel’s lobby.

Phew, that should keep your dance card filled on your January visit. And be sure to check out our resource for French Quarter Hotels to book your stay close to all the action, or make a reservation at The Breakman on our website.

Kicking Off the 2026 Mardi Gras Season

This year, the festivities go into overdrive a little earlier as Fat Tuesday falls on February 17, 2026. It seems like we finally got to exhale after the winter holiday season and take a break from the festivities, but it’s time to buckle up and switch gears to all things purple, green and gold.

The temps are pleasant, the city is buzzing, and the always spectacular and unforgettable experience awaits. Here’s what you need to know about kicking off this Mardi Gras season.

Twelfth Night (Tuesday, January 6, 2026)

The first day of the carnival season, known as Twelfth Night, or the Epiphany, kicks off with four annual parades (always on January 6). Phunny Phorty Phellows ride the streetcar from Uptown to Canal Street and back, starting at 7 p.m. They are followed by the Funky Uptown Krewe, which will be taking the same route.

The beloved walking Krewe of Joan of Arc parade rolls at 8 p.m. from JAX Brewery in the French Quarter, and the Société Des Champs Elysée parade takes place starting at 7:30 p.m. on N. Rampart Street and Esplanade, going to the CBD. Like in previous years, it follows the N. Rampart/St. Claude streetcar route.

Must-see early parades

Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus

Saturday, January 24, 2026, 7 p.m. (Bywater, Marigny)

The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus will walk-n-roll with yet another sci-fi theme and the usual menagerie of mythical creatures, space monsters, movie characters, and lots and lots of Princess Leias. The krewe hasn’t capped the membership, at least not yet (with 2,800 members and over 150 sub-krewes), so expect a long procession of walking sub-krewes with out-of-this-world floats and other creatively decorated contraptions that include bikes, trailers, and even shopping carts. The parade theme for 2026 is Rebellions Are Built on Hope.

The krewe eschews using petroleum products, preferring greener methods to power their floats. Most throws are also handmade, including the custom bead medallions, stuffed animals, and the Sacred Drunken Wookiee stickers. Chewbacchus starts in the Bywater, on Franklin Street and St. Claude Ave, spending the bulk of the parade walking down St. Claude and Elysian Fields avenues. It ends at Conti Street and Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

Krewe Bohème

Friday, January 30, 2026, 7 p.m. (Marigny, French Quarter)

This new-ish marching parade, started in 2019, rolls through the Marigny and the French Quarter, led by a Green Absinthe Fairy (in place of the usual king and queen) and followed by several inner krewe marching clubs, including Krewe of Goddesses, the Merry Antoinettes, the Bayou Babes, and Glambeaux.

Krewe du Vieux

Saturday, January 31, 2026, 6:30 p.m. (Marigny, French Quarter)

Note: May not be suitable for children. 

Krewe du Vieux (KDV) is infamous for its biting political satire, adult themes, and irreverent takes on the city’s daily struggles. Its 17 sub-krewes are mostly the walking kind, interspersed with small-scale floats and some of the best brass bands in the city. KDV rolls in the Marigny and the French Quarter and has some of the carnival’s most creative handmade throws.

krewedelusion

Saturday, January 31, 2026, 7 p.m. (Marigny, French Quarter/CBD)

The krewedelusion parade followed KDV along the same route for years, but branched out recently and rolled on a different day and on a different route. Looks like in 2026, it’s back to the same-night schedule. This satirical parade krewe is comprised of “inner krewes” including Krewe du Jieux, The Baby Dolls, Krewe of Bananas, and more. Krewe’s slogan is “Organization is Delusion.” The theme is kept secret till the day of the parade.

The inner krewe, The Trashformers, will collect unwanted beads, cans, plastic cups, and other parade debris in an attempt to reduce the parade’s already pretty small carbon footprint. The parade begins at Franklin Avenue and Royal Street in the Marigny, and then proceeds to the French Quarter.

‘tit Rex

Sunday, February 1, 2026, 4:30 p.m. (Bywater/Marigny)

This micro-krewe parade is unique in a way that it takes an opposite approach to the super krewes competing to set records for the extravagance as well as the number of floats, riders, and throws. Instead, this walking parade capped its float number years ago and focuses on all things small-scale.

All miniature floats (around 35) have shoeboxes as their base, similar in concept to what the local kids make for school projects, but to a much more advanced degree of artistry. There were elaborate double-deckers in the past years, as well as puppets, and even a helium balloon-powered float.

The floats are hand-pulled by about 120 unmasked, formally dressed members. All throws are handmade and tend to be miniature (the bead throws, for example, are usually the size of a bracelet or smaller).

Over the years, the parade had acquired a loyal following, with the spectators setting up miniature scenes of dolls partying on ladders along the route. The parade is generally kid-friendly, although there’s an occasional raunchy take on the theme, and always a lot of political satire.

The parade rolls in the Bywater and the Marigny, starting by the St. Roch Tavern and ending at the AllWays Lounge for the annual ball. (The parade’s name comes from the Cajun abbreviation of petite, used as a prefix.)

Book a hotel close to the action

When it comes to experiencing New Orleans Mardi Gras fully, it’s all about location. Since the majority of the action is just steps from the parade routes, the ideal New Orleans hotels are located in the French Quarter and downtown (or, in our case, in Tremé, just steps away from the French Quarter).

If you’re looking for historic French Quarter hotels that capture the timeless beauty of New Orleans and are located in the heart of Mardi Gras activities, The Brakeman, Place d’Armes Hotel, Prince Conti Hotel, Hotel St. Marie, and French Market Inn are perfect places to stay. But you’ve got to plan ahead because the best Mardi Gras hotels book up quickly. So, make your New Orleans room reservations today to secure your spot!

Eat King Cake

Widely considered the official dessert of Mardi Gras, this is an absolute must-try if you’re in town for the Carnival.

Choose from several different types of King Cake at the Bywater Bakery (3624 Dauphine Street). The flavors may change, but in the past years, there were pecan praline, cream cheese, strawberry, custard, and cinnamon-apple stuffed cakes featured.

If you ask New Orleans natives and long-time transplants, a large percentage of them will count Manny Randazzo King Cakes (3515 N. Hullen Street) at the top of their list, and you would have to trek to Metairie to get your hands on these cakes. However, many local supermarkets and grocery stores carry different brands of King Cakes, with a staggering variety of fillings (or lack thereof for the purists among us), so finding this delicious seasonal treat won’t be difficult.

More Mardi Gras fun

Can’t get enough Mardi Gras? We got you. Here are some additional guides and tips to steer you in the right direction.

Happy Mardi Gras, y’all!

Satchmo SummerFest Celebrates Louis Armstrong’s Legacy

Photo courtesy of Satchmo SummerFest on Facebook

Satchmo SummerFest started in 2001 as a tribute to Louis Armstrong, one of New Orleans’ most prominent native residents, on his 100th birthday (“Satchmo” was one of Armstrong’s several nicknames). Ever since the fest remains the August highlight and just the respite we need from the long weeks of summer.

The annual festival, traditionally held over the first weekend of August in the French Quarter (falling on Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, 2025, this year), is easy to navigate and get to. The fest will be spread over two stages at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (at the Old U.S. Mint).

While the 2025 music and vendor lineups are TBA, the always-stellar music lineup has included in the past the Big 6 Brass Band, Treme Brass Band, Preservation Brass, Jeremy Davenport, Charmaine Neville, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, and more.

Among the festival’s traditional special events, the annual Jazz Mass will again be held at St. Augustine church (1210 Governor Nicholls St.) on Sunday, August 3, at 10 a.m. It’s a popular event, so arrive early if you plan to attend.

Immediately following mass, join the “Satchmo Salute” second line parade, which will make its way from the church to Armstrong Park before secondlining down to Esplanade Avenue and the festival’s grounds at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

For schedule, lineup and updates, please check the event’s website or its Facebook page.

You may also want to know:

  • Admission is free.
  • There will be shaded picnic tables on the grounds for dining.
  • Parking: For street parking, you may want to look along the stretch of the French Market and at the foot of Esplanade Avenue. There is also a 24/7 parking lot by the French Market along the river. Enter from St. Peter Street.
  • Pops’ Playhouse for Kids at the Jazz Museum will have children’s activities.
  • No coolers or ice chests, and no outside food or drink, please.

Festival details:

What: The annual Satchmo SummerFest

When: Saturday-Sunday, August 2-3, 2025

Where: New Orleans Jazz Museum (at the U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., French Quarter)

Admission: Free

Schedule and food vendors: https://satchmosummerfest.org/

Coming to New Orleans in August?

We’d love for you to stay with us! And if you do, consider booking a guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans.

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, and your kids won’t have to do all this walking.

Take advantage of The Brakeman Hotel 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!

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 (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. 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 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 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 closes on 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.

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 2026, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, February 17, and there’s much to see and do.

But before that, 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 (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. 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.

Ready for more parades? New Orleans is one of the most Catholic cities in the country, and it celebrates Easter (Sunday, April 6, 2026) 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.

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 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 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.

During the second weekend of November, the LUNA Fête light show illuminates Gallier Hall. 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.

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 The Brakeman Hotel’s 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!

New Orleans Summer Festivals

 

Photo courtesy of Satchmo SummerFest on Facebook

Despite the soaring temps, New Orleans’ summer party schedule is packed with excellent festivals and other fun events. So, if you plan to visit anytime this summer, here’s a slew of festivals to choose from. Officially, summer 2025 is defined as June 20 – September 22, 2025, but we included some events that fall outside these dates, just because we think you should know about them!

Kick off the summer fest season with the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE), held on Wednesday through Sunday, June 11-15, 2025. In its 33rd year in 2025, NOWFE is a smorgasbord of food and wine tastings, tours, master classes, and the annual champagne-soaked burlesque brunch. Each year, hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate, offering menus featuring local flavors and innovative new creations inspired by diverse cuisines.

Top chefs from around the city create unique culinary experiences, so much so that the event regularly makes a few national “best of” festival lists. The organization behind this popular event is a nonprofit that donates 100% of its proceeds to beneficiaries ranging from food banks to culinary schools. You can see all the events and get tickets online.

Launched in 2011, New Orleans Pride (Friday-Sunday, June 13-15, 2025) is a celebration taking place in the French Quarter to celebrate and honor LGBTQ+ communities and their allies in New Orleans and surrounding areas. It is the only official Pride Festival in New Orleans, the largest in Louisiana, and one of the fastest-growing Pride celebrations in the nation.

Special events include the Pride Gala, the PrideFest block party at the Phoenix bar, and the annual parade. The parade is held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, starting at 5 p.m. in the Marigny and rolling through the French Quarter.

Up next is the French Market Creole Tomato Festival, which honors the arrival of the beloved Creole tomato. Celebrating its 39th anniversary in 2025, the free festival will again feature live music stages, cooking demos, kids’ activities, farm stands, food vendors, and more. The 2025 dates are Saturday-Sunday, June 7-8.

Restaurant Week New Orleans, held on Monday through Sunday, June 16-22, 2025, features multi-course, special menus and dining deals in numerous participating restaurants, from upscale Creole eateries to neighborhood bistros. Keep up with this year’s list of participating restaurants and their menus, and don’t miss a chance to try a new spot or revisit your favorite.

The last of June festivals, the New Orleans Juneteenth Festival, is happening on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Come to Congo Square in Armstrong Park to commemorate this remarkable date with this free festival, held from noon to 7 p.m.

The annual Independence Day weekend is shaping up to be spectacular as usual, filled with special events, fireworks, and — this being New Orleans — great food and music. Kick off the festivities with Go 4th on the River celebration, a free Dueling Barges fireworks show over the Mississippi River at the Riverfront.

Gear up for the best in R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and blues with the ESSENCE Festival of Culture (Thursday-Sunday, July 3-6, 2025), held at the Caesars Superdome and the Convention Center. Beyond the concerts held each night of the fest at the Superdome, the free daytime activities at the Convention Center include motivational seminars, beauty and style presentations, celebrity interviews, cooking demos, and lots more.

Going into July, Running of the Bulls brings Encierro to New Orleans on Friday-Sunday, July 11-13, 2025, except that the bulls are the Big Easy Rollergirls. San Fermin in Nueva Orleans pays annual homage to the world-famous Encierro of Pamplona, Spain, running through the streets of New Orleans starting at Gallier Hall on Saturday, July 12, starting at 6:30 a.m. The annual opening and closing parties happening that weekend are also great fun (check out the schedule on the event’s website).

If cocktails are your thing, you may want to check out Tales of the Cocktail (Sunday-Friday, July 20-25, 2025), a six-day festival packed with tastings, seminars, and special events that are all centered around exchanging ideas and techniques in the cocktail world. This lively festival is perfect for passionate mixologists, professionals, and enthusiasts alike. The festival’s signature annual blowout is the “best of” Spirited Awards, followed by the always-popular after-party.

Another festival of note is Satchmo SummerFest (Saturday and Sunday, August 2-3, 2025), which started as a tribute to Louis Armstrong over a decade ago, on his 100th birthday. The two-day festival is held at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint at the foot of Esplanade Avenue, and will have music all weekend on its outdoor, tented stages. Other events will include a Sunday morning Jazz Mass at the historic St. Augustine Church in Tremé, seminars and film screenings, kids’ activities, and a second-line parade.

The fun doesn’t stop there. The White Linen Night (Saturday, August 2, 2025) is a free multi-block party and an open house for galleries on the 300-600 blocks of Julia Street in the Warehouse District, with several stages for live music and dozens of food and drink stands. Participants are invited to wear white (hence the name). About 20 galleries on and around Julia St. will be open to the public.

White Linen’s “cousin,” the Dirty Linen Night (Saturday, August 9, 2025), is similar in format, though looser in structure and spanning more territory. It actually wasn’t created to compete with the Warehouse District event, but to promote the many galleries and shops on Royal Street. The multi-block party takes over the 300-1100 blocks of Royal Street and some cross streets and adjoining areas in the French Quarter, including Jackson Square and Dutch Alley.

You and your friends may also have to buy a silly (or glamorous) red dress for this next New Orleans summer festival. The Red Dress Run (Saturday, August 9, 2025) also doubles as a fundraiser, donating to a number of local charities. Both women and men are required to wear red dresses while partaking in a pub crawl-like run. The run traditionally starts at Crescent Park, though the route will not be publicized until the day of the run.

The always fabulous Southern Decadence festival (Friday-Monday, August 29 – September 1, 2025) is traditionally held on Labor Day weekend. This massive four-day festival celebrates LGBTQ+ culture and attracts participants from all over the world. Just like every year, most activities will be centered in and around the French Quarter, with lots of block parties and dance parties at bars and clubs on Bourbon Street, plus two parades.

Although we’re not sure if this event falls under the festival category, there is no better time to try out an award-winning restaurant or revisit an old favorite than August, thanks to the annual COOLinary program. COOLinary was conceived as a promotion to lure diners to local restaurants in the slower summer months, during which restaurants all over the city offer discounted dining deals.

The deals follow the same format every year: a prix fixe three-course dinner and brunch menus, and two- to three-course lunch menus that don’t exceed a certain price. Over a hundred restaurants typically participate.

Take advantage of The Brakeman Hotel 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!

Things to Do This Summer Near The Brakeman Hotel

Summer in New Orleans is packed with celebrations of local food, music, and culture — going well into the fall. Here are our top recommendations for what’s happening this summer near you.

June

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

Wednesday-Sunday, June 11-14, 2025

In its 33rd year in 2025, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) is a smorgasbord of food and wine tastings, tours, master classes, and the annual champagne-soaked burlesque brunch. Each year, hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate, offering menus featuring local flavors and innovative new creations inspired by diverse cuisines.

Top chefs from around the city create unique culinary experiences, so much so that the event regularly makes a few national “best of” festival lists. The organization behind this popular event is a nonprofit that donates 100% of its proceeds to beneficiaries ranging from food banks to culinary schools. You can see all the events and get tickets online.

New Orleans Pride

Friday-Sunday, June 13-15, 2025

Launched in 2011, New Orleans Pride is a weekend-long celebration taking place in the French Quarter to celebrate and honor LGBTQ+ communities and their allies in New Orleans and surrounding areas. It is the only official Pride Festival in New Orleans, the largest in Louisiana, and one of the fastest-growing Pride celebrations in the nation.

Special events include the Pride Gala, the PrideFest block party at the Phoenix bar, and the annual parade. The parade rolls on Saturday, June 14, 2025, starting at 5 p.m. in the Marigny and rolling through the French Quarter.

French Market Creole Tomato Festival

Saturday-Sunday, June 7-8, 2025

Traditionally held on the second weekend of June, the annual French Market Creole Tomato Festival welcomes the arrival of Creole tomatoes that Louisiana loves to incorporate into many local recipes. The French Market location and the food offerings make this a popular festival among locals and visitors alike.

Celebrating its 39th year in 2025, the festival features live music at the market and in Dutch Alley, kids’ activities, and a second line. There are cooking demos in addition to an extensive menu of Creole tomatoes incorporated into gelato, crepes, crawfish pies — you name it. (Here’s the 2025 food vendor list.) Of course, you can also get Creole tomatoes from the participating farm stands.

Kick off the Creole Tomato Festival with the Ripe & Ready second line on Saturday, June 7, at 10:30 a.m. It’s open to all, and you’re encouraged to wear “your favorite tomato attire.” The second line will form at Oscar Dunn Park, 700 Decatur Street, across from Jackson Square, and walk to the French Market festival location.

The festival is spread out between the tents and the stages located at the Farmers Market, the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint (this one is indoors), and Dutch Alley. The live music schedule never disappoints.

Restaurant Week New Orleans

Monday-Sunday, June 16-22, 2025

During this time, you can enjoy multi-course, special menus and dining deals in numerous participating restaurants, from upscale Creole eateries to neighborhood bistros. Keep up with this year’s list of participating restaurants and their menus, and don’t miss a chance to try a new spot or revisit your favorite.

New Orleans Juneteenth Festival

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Come to Congo Square in Armstrong Park to commemorate this remarkable date with this free festival, held from noon to 7 p.m.

July

Independence Day

Friday, July 4, 2025

New Orleans celebrates July 4th like anywhere else in America, but with a flavor all its own. There will be fireworks above the Mississippi River and much partying as usual. As part of the annual “Go 4th on the River” celebration, the “Dueling Barges” will again put on a spectacular fireworks show set to patriotic music.

There are plenty of great spots to watch the display, but a French Quarter balcony is one of the most desired viewing spots in the city. You can grab excellent vantage points on the Riverfront, and in the Marigny and Bywater too.

The Woldenberg Park on the shoreline of the Mississippi River is also an excellent spot to throw a picnic while you wait for the fireworks, as well as another waterfront park, Crescent Park. Coolers and chairs are welcome.

ESSENCE Festival of Culture

Thursday-Sunday, July 3-6, 2025

There’s a lot to love about the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, beyond the fact that it is the largest annual African American culture and music event in the world. It’s one of the finest gatherings of musicians in a city that is well-known for throwing together excellent gatherings of musicians.

Beyond the concerts held each night of the fest at the Superdome, the festival’s free daytime experiences at the Convention Center include motivational seminars, beauty and style presentations, celebrity interviews, cooking demonstrations with top chefs, and lots more.

Expect a stellar music lineup of major headliners and the best of the local talent. This year, the festival is celebrating its 31st anniversary.

The traditional Sunday Gospel Celebration at the Convention Center will feature the greatest gospel hits, and ESSENCE After Dark, a series of late-night jam sessions, comedy shows, underground performances, live podcast recordings, and more, is returning once again to the Superdome.

Don’t wait! Get your tickets online. You can also download the festival’s app. And please remember that all events held at the Convention Center during the day are free and open to all (registration is required, though, for anyone over 18).

San Fermin in Nueva Orleans (Running of the Bulls)

Friday-Sunday, July 11-13, 2025

Plenty of people know that Encierro de Pamplona is a major event in the Spanish tourism calendar, but not as many folks realize New Orleans hosts its own bull run. Except here, the “bulls” are roller derby girls, dressed in the traditional colors of Spain’s bull run and wearing horned helmets, who whack the participants — dressed all in white with red scarves and handkerchiefs — with wiffle bats.

This year, the Saturday, July 12, 2025, run takes place at the new venue, Gallier Hall, starting at 6:30 a.m. The annual El Txupinazo party also takes place there, on Friday, July 11, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m. This is a ticketed event and 18+ only.

Check out the schedule on the event’s website for the annual opening and closing parties happening that weekend. You can also get your tickets online.

Tales of the Cocktail 

Sunday-Friday, July 20-25, 2025

Some of the world’s most famous cocktails were invented in this city: the Sazerac, Brandy Milk Punch, and Ramos Gin Fizz, to name a few. Having a drink in New Orleans isn’t just fun — it’s also a celebration of our unique history.

Still, New Orleans can’t just let a cultural touchstone lie without holding a festival, and thus, Tales of the Cocktail, a celebration of mixed drinks in all of their vast diversity. Every year, the party draws in thousands of bar owners, distillers, mixologists, authors, tastemakers, and enthusiasts who are interested in networking, sharing knowledge, showing off their skills, learning, and, well, drinking.

This six-day event is filled with seminars, workshops,  tastings, book signings, bartender contests, networking, and much more. The Tales’ 2025 theme is “Evolve,” and the festival’s signature annual blowout, the “best of” Spirited Awards, will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2025, followed by the always-popular after-party.

During the festival, Tales of the Cocktail hosts dozens of events. Please note that tickets for events are sold individually, so you can build your own itinerary. The prix fixe tasting menus and food-pairing dinners are especially popular, and the tours and cocktail-themed parties also tend to sell out quickly, so we highly recommend getting your tickets as early as you can.

August

COOLinary

Friday, August 1 – Sunday, August 31, 2025

The premise of COOLinary is simple: Dozens of area restaurants offer prix fixe menus to customers at a discount. Sometimes, a significant discount — this is a New Orleans event that’s as popular with the locals as tourists, and many city residents take advantage of Coolinary to engage in a bit of gastronomic splurging.

Interested? Check out the COOLinary website and see what restaurants are participating (and for which meals; some spots, for example, only offer a COOLinary menu during lunch). You don’t have to do anything else but show up and get fed; usually, the Coolinary menu is included as a special insert or addition to the regular menu.

Museum Month

Friday, August 1 – Sunday, August 31, 2025

If you’re in town this August, be sure to take advantage of the Museum Month deal. During the month of August, museum members have the opportunity to visit all participating institutions, FREE OF CHARGE, using their current membership throughout the month of August.

You must be a member of a local museum to take advantage of this deal. This is a great opportunity to explore on the budget. In the past, participating museums in (and near) the French Quarter include the Beauregard-Keyes House, Audubon Insectarium, Contemporary Arts Center, The National WWII Museum, Old Ursuline Convent Museum, New Orleans Jazz Museum, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, and Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

Fidelity Bank White Linen Night

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Back in the days before air conditioning, New Orleanians kept cool and looked fresh in the face of August swelter by wearing light-colored linen clothing. Back in the days before White Linen Night, local art galleries felt the pinch of the August tourism slowdown.

In order to combat said slowdown, and to showcase local summer fashion, White Linen Night was created. Art galleries and restaurants on the 300-600 blocks of Julia Street in the Warehouse District throw their doors open for a night of wine, art perusing, dining, and more wine — plus modeling of, naturally, the latest in white linen fashion.

Satchmo SummerFest

Saturday-Sunday, August 2-3, 2025

An initiative from the folks at French Quarter Festivals, Satchmo Summer Fest is a celebration of the city’s most famous musical son (Louis Armstrong, nicknamed “Satchmo”) and New Orleans music in general. As New Orleans festivals go, this one is pretty beloved — it’s family-friendly, kicks off within the French Quarter with a popular parade, the lineup is truly local, and it’s free. More than almost any other festival we mention, this one feels like a New Orleans street party (again, for families), and it definitely should not be missed if you’re in town.

Red Dress Run

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Probably the last thing any sane human being wants to do in the midst of a New Orleans August is run, but then again, the folks involved with the New Orleans Hash House Harriers (NOH3) have always been a little crazy. The Red Dress Run is your chance to see a bunch of locals of all genders don red frocks and go careening through the city on a madcap 2-3 mile course.

The said route is kept secret until the day of the run, but racers always pass through the Quarter. Come out, wear crimson, have a beer (many of the runners will be joining in with you), and enjoy the show.

Dirty Linen Night

Saturday, August 9, 2025

The more rebellious sibling to White Linen Night, Dirty Linen is a similar gallery evening, but in this case, the galleries are located in the Quarter along 300-1100 blocks of Royal Street, and the vibe is a little more counterculture. Peruse food trucks, galleries, and bars, help yourself to the wine the gallery owners brought along with them, and enjoy an unbridled celebration of the creativity of the city.

Southern Decadence

Friday, August 29 – Monday, September 1, 2025

New Orleans’ largest LGBTQ+  event is a citywide party that celebrates the huge impact the local gay and lesbian community has on the city at large. Almost a week’s worth of partying will kick off within the Quarter, spreading across New Orleans as more and more guests swoop into town for several days of… well, as the title says, decadence.

More suggestions on what to see, eat, and do this summer

For more inspiration and information, check out our guides!

Activities

Things to Do in New Orleans: Year at a Glance
Exploring the French Quarter and Nearby With Kids

Attractions:

Guest Guide to The Brakeman Hotel Tremé New Orleans
Top Attractions Near The Brakeman Hotel
Must-See Museums Near The Brakeman Hotel
Exploring St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Dining

Must-Try Dishes Near The Brakeman Hotel
Late-Night Dining Near The Brakeman Hotel

Entertainment

Where to Hear Live Music Near The Brakeman Hotel
Best Bars Near The Brakeman Hotel

Coming to New Orleans this summer?

Take advantage of The Brakeman Hotel 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!

Happy summer!

Late-Night Dining Near The Brakeman Hotel

The neighborhoods that surround The Brakeman Hotel — the French Quarter and the Marigny, plus Tremé (where the hotel is located), eagerly lend themselves to staying out till you can greet the daybreak in last night’s clothes. To keep up the stamina, however, one must eat, right?

Fortunately, late-night restaurants that pepper the area offer a wide variety of options for noshing round midnight, whether you’re hankering for a burger and fries, need to sample jambalaya before your red-eye flight back home, or are looking for something a little more upscale to polish off the evening in style.

Check out this list of the spots we recommend if the late-night cravings hit. (And by late night we mean after 10 p.m. and well past midnight.)

French Quarter

Clover Grill

900 Bourbon St.

Both the staff and clientele of this Bourbon Street burger joint look like a casting call for a John Waters movie, and the atmosphere is just about as fun. Located across from a thriving gay nightclub, the tile-and-chrome diner is as heavy on camp as it is on calories. Everyone from drag queens to cab drivers keeps the orders for burgers, fries and omelets coming in all night. Open 24 hours.

Coop’s Place

1109 Decatur St.

What appears to be another of the many dark barrooms along Decatur Street reveals an excellent late-night menu of local dishes, including the best inexpensive jambalaya around. Look for pasta dishes loaded with local seafood and tasso (a flavorful Cajun ham smoked on premises), blackened redfish, and a fried alligator appetizer that for once actually tastes like something besides batter. Open till 11 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Deja Vu Restaurant and Bar

400 Dauphine St.

This 24-hour full-service restaurant and bar in the French Quarter is always available and ready to accommodate. You will find a wide variety of options on the menu ranging from traditional New Orleans fare to downhome comfort food, all reasonably priced. Deja Vu serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day long and is available for dine-in, carry-out or delivery.

Killer PoBoys

811 Conti St. (in the back of Erin Rose bar)

If you want to depart from the traditional po-boy, pop into Killer PoBoys. They play around with the ingredients here — the black beer beef debris, served with pickled peppers and green beans, is to die for, while the roasted sweet potato po-boy with pecan spread is great for herbivores. Open till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

(Killer Poboys has a main branch, also in the French Quarter, at 219 Dauphine St. The menu at both locations changes, so this is just a sample of what awaits.)

Palm&Pine

308 N. Rampart St.

The delicious seasonal menu includes small plates like brussels sprouts and steak tartare. Mains are a robust medley of meat and fish, with a focus on southern BBQ and Gulf offerings. Open till 11 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Port of Call

838 Esplanade Ave.

If a half-pound hamburger with a side of a loaded baked potato sounds tempting, you’re not alone. You might have to endure a little bit of wait but it will be worth it as this place has been keeping things simple and delicious since the 1960s. Just slide up to the bar while you wait and sip one of the famously strong concoctions like Neptune’s Moonsoon or The Red Turtle. Open till midnight Thursdays through Saturdays.

Quartermaster Deli

1100 Bourbon St.

This French Quarter institution is open 7 days a week, 24 hours. It’s a to-go-only operation, but the menu is as delicious as it is long. Among the favorites are homemade mac-and-cheese, 1/2 pound choice burgers, overstuffed po-boys (especially the roast beef and the hot sausage), entrees like barbecue chicken, New Orleans meatloaf, and hamburger steak. The Deli is also an essential stop if you need some groceries, liquor, or sundries.

The Bombay Club

830 Conti St.

Located in the elegant Prince Conti Hotel, the Bombay Club offers some of the most refined food you’ll find in the French Quarter after 9 p.m. Ribeye, seared Gulf fish and curried cauliflower are a few examples of the dishes served in a British imperial setting of polished wood and well-made cocktails. Dinner is served till 11 p.m.; the bar is open till midnight Wednesday-Sunday.

The Will & The Way

719 Toulouse St.

Open till 1 a.m. every night of the week, The Will & The Way is your go-to for sophisticated bar food — charcuterie and cheese boards, meat pies, house pickle plates, a house burger, and loaded Korean hot fries.

Three Legged Dog

400 Burgundy St.

This place is an unassuming bar with classic pub grub and really good crawfish boils, when in season. Open 24 hours.

Turtle Bay

1119 Decatur St.

The 24/7 Turtle Bay is famous for its 20-ounce rib eye served with potato skins and garlic bread, big enough for two to share. The thin-crust pizza comes with lots of toppings, and there is a handful of signature burgers on the menu along with the classic pub grub like wings and nachos.

Verti Marte

1201 Royal St.

A miracle of space management, this tiny corner deli serves an enormous array of sandwiches, po-boys and hot plates ranging from blackened catfish and creamed spinach to a dense block of utterly comforting macaroni and cheese. You also can’t go wrong with its epic specialty sandwiches like the vegetarian Green Giant and the mountainous All That Jazz — with grilled ham, turkey and shrimp, plus two cheeses, grilled veggies, and the special “wow” sauce. There is barely enough room to stand and order, never mind sit and eat, so all orders are to go. Open 24 hours.

Marigny

13 on Frenchmen

517 Frenchmen St.

With its unbeatable location on Frenchmen Street, this bar is a gem of casual late-night dining. The menu is typical bar food of wings, tater tots, po-boys, and burgers, but there are also some vegetarian and vegan options.

Anna’s

2601 Royal St.

Formerly Mimi’s, Anna’s has food pop-ups like tacos by Tacos Para La Vida on Tuesdays through Fridays. Open till 2 a.m. every night.

Buffa’s

1001 Esplanade Ave.

A funky mainstay that exists just on the other side of the Quarter in the Marigny, Buffa’s is essential for eccentric servers, New Orleans locals, great burgers and etouffee, and live music. Open till 2 a.m. every day.

Dat Dog

601 Frenchmen St.

Dat Dog is located on the music club-heavy part of Frenchmen Street. Not only Dat Dog’s dogs and sausages are pretty amazing but there’s balcony seating overlooking Frenchmen, and the second floor is filled with decorations culled from the Krewe of Chewbacchus (the city’s science fiction/fantasy-themed Mardi Gras krewe). Open till midnight on Mondays through Thursdays, and on Sundays. On Fridays and Saturdays, the party goes on till 3 a.m.

Tremé

Candlelight Lounge

925 N. Robertson St.

Mainly a local bar with excellent live music, Candlelight Lounge is also an option for Creole food. Open till 2 a.m. every night except Wednesdays.

Kermit’s Treme Mother in Law Lounge

1500 N. Claiborne Ave.

This iconic New Orleans institution was well run for decades by the late R&B and jazz legend Ernie K-Doe and his wife Antoinette. When both passed, Kermit Ruffins bought it and continued the tradition with live music and BBQ. You may know Ruffins for his music, but he’s an experienced and enthusiastic BBQ chef as well.

Planning a Visit to New Orleans?

We’d love for you to stay with us! And if you do, consider booking a guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to experience the hauntingly beautiful past of New Orleans.

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, and your kids won’t have to do all this walking.

Take advantage of The Brakeman Hotel 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!