Celebrated Events
New Orleans is a city well-loved for its special events, festivals and celebrated traditions. There really is never a dull moment in a city that creates a festival for just about anything. Food, music and industry in particular are often central to our festivities - sometimes we even combine them into one, like the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival!
Check out this list of stuff to do - no matter the season or occasion; we really do take any chance we can to celebrate life! For a full listing of events in town, visit the New Orleans Tourism website.
Here are some of our favorites…
Mardi Gras - Mardi Gras needs no introduction. The Mardi Gras season begins shortly after Christmas and lasts until “Fat Tuesday,” the day before Ash Wednesday. While most will automatically think of Bourbon Street and its Mardi Gras festivities, the holiday is a city wide celebration that is more than just a big party. Mardi Gras is rooted in hundreds of years of tradition and is led by dozens of “krewes” that celebrate the season with a series of galas, balls, and parades. The holiday has a family feel in the Uptown area near Tulane. Hop on the streetcar and join in the fun!
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - One of the biggest food and music festivals in the world, Jazz Fest is a two week experience of what New Orleans does best - food and music! A half million people will descend on the festival, which boasts over 10 stages and hundreds of musical performances. Also, some would argue that the food, not the music, is the best part of the festival. Visitors to the fest are also impressed by the crafts and goods available at Congo Square, the Native American Village and the Louisiana Folklife village. The 2008 Jazz Fest is shaping up to be the best yet, with performances by Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Buffet, Widespread Panic and over 400 musical performances!
French Quarter Fest - Considered by many to be the “local’s Mardi Gras” French Quarter fest is a springtime tradition in New Orleans. The Fest celebrates its 25th year in 2008 with over 150 musical performers and hundreds of food venues throughout the French Quarter over a three-day weekend in April. Many prospective students will work in a trip to the FQF with their visits to campus during Destination Tulane! The festival celebrates its namesake - one of America’s greatest neighborhoods, the French Quarter.
The Sugar Bowl - The New Orleans Superdome is home to the BCS Sugar Bowl, held on New Years Day every year. The dome, which is home to both the Saints and the Tulane Green Wave, gets a full house as college football fans pack the stands for this Bowl Championship Series game. In 2008, New Orleans was also home to the Bowl Championship Game also held at the Dome.
Crescent City Classic - While we love to eat, New Orleanians also like to stay healthy. Runners from across the city and around the country flock to New Orleans in the spring for the annual Crescent City Classic. The road race takes its runners through a number of New Orleans’s historic neighborhoods and ends its 10k trek amongst the majestic live oaks of City Park.
Voodoo fest - One of the newer music festivals in New Orleans, Voodoo fest celebrates its 6th year this October. The Voodoo Music Experience, held at the fairgrounds, has a huge national draw with bands inducing Ben Harper, Rage Against the Machine and Wilco playing at last years show. Check out the artist’s village as well as the great collection of local food from around the city.
Celebration in the Oaks - City Park's annual holiday lights display includes refreshments, children's rides and seasonal music.
Wednesdays at the Square - The only thing better than music in New Orleans is free music in New Orleans. One of the best things about our events is that many of them are totally free including the 12-week Wednesdays at the Square concert series. Local and nationally known artists take the stage every Wednesday in April, May and June at Lafayette Square in downtown New Orleans. Local artisans can display their crafts and a wide range of local restaurants have food samplings available.
Po Boy Fest - In New Orleans, we don’t have sandwiches, we have po-boys. And we take our po-boys very seriously. The Po’boy Festival is a new one this year and takes over Oak street a few blocks off campus. The festival showcases the culinary creations of many of New Orleans best po boy chefs. From oyster, shrimp and crawfish to roast beef, Italian and sausage, the po’boy fest is sure to please any taste. Don’t miss the end of festival po boy awards!
New Orleans Food and Wine Experience - This annual May festival brings together more than 175 Wineries from around the world. Tag that along with food tasting from many of New Orleans finest restaurants, and you can see why this festival is one of the most popular of the year.
Fulton Street Live! - A new addition to the downtown scene, Fulton Street combines great live music with exquisite dining.
Swamp Fest - Tulane’s Uptown location is perfect for a quick walk across the park to the Audubon Zoo. A popular time to go is during the Audubon Zoo’s yearly Swamp Fest, which takes place in November. The festival is a celebration of true Louisiana swamp life - complete with Cajun food and music and a great collection of Southeast Louisianan’s best arts and crafts. And what swamp fest would be official without some hands-on encounters with the swamp animals in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit.
White Linen Night - White Linen night takes place in the trendy Warehouse District of Downtown New Orleans. The night is a block festival of local art, as each gallery in the district opens their doors for an evening of music, food and gallery tours. The event, traditionally held in August, brings more than 16,000 people to the art galleries on Julia, Magazine and St. Josephs street.
Tennessee Williams Literary Fest- This annual literary fest is held over a five-day period in March and brings together some of the most noted authors, scholars, writers and performing artists from Louisiana, the US and the world. The Festival centers on a number of theatrical performances, plays and exhibitions, lectures and panels: a perfect tour of the literary South for any student at Tulane interested in Creative Writing or English.
