Special Events in New Orleans

January
Celebration in the Oaks
Location: City Park
504-482-4888
Celebration in the Oaks lights up City Park's collection of ancient live oaks with millions of lights. Visitors can walk the two-mile stretch or drive or ride a horse drawn carriage.

February - March
Mardi Gras
Location: A variety of locations throughout New Orleans
New Orleans' Mardi Gras is the world's most famous street party... and with good reason! The annual celebration of excess overtakes the French Quarter and crowds the streets with wildly costumed revelers!

April
French Quarter Festival
Location: French Quarter
You can't get more New Orleans than this showcase for hundreds of local musicians on 14 stages throughout the historic Vieux Carré. There's jazz, from Dixieland to contemporary and brass bands, classical, Cajun and Zydeco, rhythm and blues, gospel and everything else in between. One can sample classic New Orleans cuisine from nearly 60 food and drink booths, tour private patios, enjoy fireworks over the Mississippi River, participate in children's activities, join in a second-line parade, attend art exhibits & music workshops and lots more.

May
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
Location: French Quarter
New Orleans is a place of pilgrimage for foodies and wine enthusiasts throughout the year, but never more so than during the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience... this non-stop celebration of the joys of the grape and the sublime ecstasies of fine food. The Wine & Food Experience constitutes five basic events - Vintner Dinners, The Royal Street Experience, Seminars, Grand Tastings, and Brunch. Each of these is an event unto itself, and all are eagerly anticipated.

June
Great French Market Tomato Festival
Location: French Quarter
Only in a city as consumed with food as New Orleans could you have an eagerly awaited festival honoring the tomato. The city's chef's- amateur as well as professional- will be out in force to sample and rate the first crop of native tomatoes. Silliness you say? Just another excuse for New Orleans natives to party? Well, there may be a hint of truth to those sentiments, but there's also no denying the importance of the tomato to the city's culinary culture.

July 4th
Go 4th on the River
Location: Woldenberg Park
504-378-2694
When New Orleans throws a party, everybody shows up! Expect this Go Fourth on the River celebration to be more of the same, as thousands flock to the Crescent City to watch a truly spectacular display of fireworks echoing off the man-made canyons of downtown New Orleans and reflecting off the Mighty Mississippi. New Orleans celebrates our nation's Independence with a full day's worth of events. The entire riverfront gets into the act, with many area businesses hosting special Independence-themed shows.