When the summer lull is over and the temps are milder, the city gets ready to ramp it up with Halloween and a calendar full of foodie-haven and music festivals. There’s a festival, sometimes two, going on every weekend! Here are the fall highlights of what’s happening in New Orleans.
The Labor Day weekend kicks into high gear with Southern Decadence, which celebrates LGBTQIA+ culture and attracts participants from all over the world.
September continues with NOLAxNOLA. Pronounced “NOLA by NOLA,” it’s a celebration of New Orleans music, venues and artists. Supposed to be even bigger this year, NOLAXNOLA is not to be missed. For this year’s artist roster and participating venues list, check out the event’s website.
September closes out with the NOLA Coffee Festival. This annual festival-slash-trade show celebrates all things coffee. Although the event is a two-day one, consumer day is September 28, 2024. That’s when you can sample the products, attend classes on home brewing, and more. Held at the Convention Center.
October events are next, starting with the always well-attended Art for Art’s Sake. It’s an opportunity to browse the shops and galleries along the commercial stretch of Magazine Street. Expect extended hours, special deals, live music, and beverage sampling.
Do you like fried chicken? How about beer? The National Fried Chicken Festival at the Lakefront keeps getting bigger, drawing well-known fried chicken vendors coming from all over the region to represent different cooking styles of this classic Southern dish. This year, expect over 40 vendors and four outdoor stages.
October fun continues with the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival. This free fest happens every year in the CBD, in Lafayette Square. Join the fun for two stages of music, a dozen of the best barbecue vendors in the region, and a large art market.
Don’t forget, New Orleans throws its own lavish version of Oktoberfest over the three weekends in October at Deutsches Haus in Mid-City.
The New Orleans Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in the South and is the longest-running festival of its kind in the state (35 years in 2024). The festival has grown to the point of attracting thousands of attendees and industry insiders, plus more than 400 filmmakers and over 200 films annually.
Next up is NOLA Funk Fest. Held at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, this three-day fest will feature the city and nation’s best funk acts on two stages, plus exhibitions and talks.
Halloween kicks into high gear with the kid-friendly Krewe of Boo, courtesy of Kern Studios.
At Top Taco, festival-goers sample unlimited taco tastes and signature cocktails from some of the best restaurants in New Orleans, voting for their favorites to crown four categories of awards: Top Creative Taco, Top Traditional Taco, Top Vegetarian Taco, and Top Cocktail. The fest is held in Lafreniere Park in Metairie. Expect three stages of music, mezcal tastings, and a tequila lounge.
October continues with Tremé Fall Festival brings entertainment from New Orleans musical royalty and food trucks and vendors from some of New Orleans’ best eateries in one the nation’s first African American neighborhoods on October 26, 2024.
October also gives us the popular Oak Street Po-Boy Festival and closes out with Halloween. New Orleans puts its own spin on the Halloween fun with a slew of balls, costume parties, a parade, haunted tours, and a huge block party on Frenchmen Street.
November kicks off with Bayou Bacchanal. This two-day fest will be held in Armstrong’s Park Congo Square and will celebrate the city’s Caribbean heritage, Carnival-style.
The annual Tremé Creole Gumbo festival serves up the perfect trifecta of gumbo, brass bands and cooler temps, returning to celebrate over a decade of existence at Louis Armstrong Park.
Back again this year, LUNA Fête light show will illuminate Lafayette Square and will spread to Piazza d’Italia, located downtown. The annual large-scale light and sound installations are breathtaking, and the fest is free and family-friendly.
Adding to the year-round roster of music and food-centric festivals, Beignet Festival celebrates both sweet and savory renditions of the beloved pastry.
Don’t miss Thanksgiving at the Fair Grounds Race Course! Per a long-standing New Orleans tradition, it’s customary to turn out at the track on Thanksgiving Day to watch the opening-day races while sporting fabulous hats. The racetrack also serves a sumptuous holiday buffet, plus a fancy dinner with all the holiday trimmings at the Clubhouse.
Every Thanksgiving weekend, the Bayou Classic draws the fans and alumni of Southern University and Grambling State University to New Orleans to partake in one of the country’s greatest college sports rivalries. This involves a fan fest, a parade, and the always-amazing Battle of the Bands before the big game at the Superdome.
Finally, November kicks off the beloved New Orleans tradition of Celebration in the Oaks, a dazzling holiday lights festival scattered throughout the 25 acres of the City Park, including the Botanical Garden, Storyland, and Carousel Gardens Amusement Park. This is how you know the winter holidays are upon us!
New Orleans offers tons of fun festivals and events for people of all ages and interests, appealing to both locals and tourists alike. If you are visiting the Big Easy in the fall, be sure to book your stay at The French Market Inn, a charming historic hotel in the New Orleans French Quarter located close to all of the festivals and excitement.