There’s no doubt that New Orleans is one of the top Festival Capitals of the World. From music at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Fest, Essence Music Fest and Voodoo Festival to exotic food specialties at the New Orleans Food and Wine Experience, Po-Boy Festival and others, the city offers exciting celebrations. There’s also historic literary and film traditions like the annual Tennessee Williams Festival, FringeFest and the New Orleans FilmFest and of course, there’s the biggest festival of them all – Mardi Gras.
While we missed Mardi Gras this year (it went through March 4, 2014), the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival which was from March 19-23, 2014 and the Foodfest on March 22, 2014, we thought we’d recap some of the festivals in April and also give you the list of the top festivals for the rest of the year.
In April, they had the Freret Street Festival on April 5, 2014. Held in the funky, Uptown arts corridor. The Freret Street festival brings music, food, arts, and the very best of one of New Orleans’ hottest neighborhoods.
They also had the French Quarter Festival from April 10-13, 2014, where they had Creole and Cajun foods together with live music throughout the Quarter. A few people I know attended the Jazz and Heritage Festival from April 25 through May 4, which is their annual spring celebration of food, music, art and fun. Below are a few shots taken by Amy Higgins during her jaunt to the festival. They were so fun, we had to share them here. Man, does it look like they had a great time!
Below is a list from May through December. Also note the New Orleans online (www.neworleansonline .com) page for festivals and more information in-depth, a great resource for arts and activities in this fabulous city.
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May 16-18, 2014
Relax alongside beautiful Bayou St. John as Bayou Boogaloo, a FREE music, art and food festival, celebrates our Mid-City neighborhood.
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May 21-24, 2014
Join thousands of wine and food lovers at the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience.
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May 23-25, 2014
Opa! Come dance, eat and be merry, Greek Style, by the Bayou St. John every Labor Day weekend.
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June 14-15, 2014
Laissez le bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll, and they do – for FREE! – at the Cajun-Zydeco Festival. Two days of swingin’ Cajun and Zydeco music, fabulous food, colorful crafts and “passin’ a good time” in the French Quarter.
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TBA
Where else but in New Orleans will you find a festival celebrating tomatoes? It happens annually when the Creole tomato harvest comes in and what better place than in the French Market, the oldest urban outdoor market in the U.S.
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June 19-22, 2014
Grab your girlfriends and head down to the ultimate “gals” getaway during this weekend-long celebration of women.
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July 3-6, 2014
Spend your 4th of July holiday in New Orleans to celebrate the talent of Essence music festival.
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July 11-14, 2014
It’s considered the “French Independence Day” and it comes only a few days after our own. Come celebrate Bastille Day in New Orleans, the most French of American cities, with food, fireworks and fun!
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Get your running shoes on and prepare to be chased through the French Quarter by the Big Easy “RollerBulls” as New Orleans harmlessly duplicates the thrill of Spain’s Running of the Bulls.
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July 17-21, 2014
Only in New Orleans, where the cocktail was first created, could there be a week-long celebration of exotic libations.
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August 2014
Beat the heat by staying “cool” within an affordable price range as some of New Orleans’ top restaurants offer deep discounts on their fabulous culinary selections.
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TBA
Three days of outdoor concerts, music history seminars, jazz exhibits, a jazz mass, a second-line parade, and local food.
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August 2, 2014
Three days of outdoor concerts, music history seminars, jazz exhibits, a jazz mass, a second-line parade, and local food.
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August 9, 2014
Put on your red dress – yes, you men too! – and join in with the 3-H Club as they run for charity while celebrating the joys of beer and life’s other pleasures.
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August 9, 2014
Save your dirty linens from the weekend before for this event! The most quirky and fun annual art walk through Royal’s Street famous galleries and shops.
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August 27 – September 1, 2014
Dubbed “Gay Mardi Gras,” this celebration of GLBT culture features elaborate costumes and high fashion.
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Every summer in La Nouvelle Orléans, we offer a festival of fabulous French films that are artistic and groundbreaking in the great tradition of Truffaut and others. For all you Francophiles and film aficionados this is not to be missed!
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This American roots music festival recognizes the architects of rock-n-roll, blues, jazz, country, swamp pop, reggae and soul.
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On the last weekend of September and every weekend during October, visitors can enjoy a piece of Germany in the heart of New Orleans.
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Come out and enjoy the fabulous seafood our city is famous for and be assured that it’s as good as the music you’ll be hearing at this annual September event in the Fulton Street Mall.
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October 17-19, 2014
This FREE weekend festival presents many of the top performers from southern Louisiana and Mississippi, plus delicious food and unique visual art.
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New and established filmmakers premiere their latest full-length features, shorts and animation and music videos. Get inspired through the art of film.
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October 31, 2014
Thought Halloween was just a silly holiday for trick or treating? Think again. Halloween in New Orleans is an all out celebration complete with a parade, music festival, cemeteries, and plenty of voodoo magic.
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October 31-November 2, 2014
Held each October around Halloween, Voodoo Music Experience brings together great music, food & crafts.
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A feast for the ears, the eyes and the soul with its examination of all things literary.
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November 8-9, 2014
Come see where the popular HBO TV series is made and taste one of the ‘hood’s most popular culinary delicacies – a spicy, steaming hot bowl of good ole’ Creole gumbo.
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November 19-23, 2014
Bring your unproduced play or one-person show or just bring yourselves and enjoy the premieres of new works that may one day light up the marquee along the Great White Way.
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Meat, cheese, veggies and plenty may-nez, as we say here, as well as anything else that can be stuffed between two halves of a French bread loaf. Come out to the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival and find out what the fun’s all about.
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December 1-31, 2014
Get a taste of the Holiday Spirit – experience some New Orleans-style Christmas cheer.
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December 31, 2014
Start the New Year off right in New Orleans with one of the greatest New Year’s Eve parties in the country complete with great live music, food, and fireworks.
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Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
