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For a relatively small city, New Orleans has a remarkably vibrant and varied performing-arts community. While there are many traditional performance venues around town, one of the most exciting movements in recent years is the fringe theater action along Saint Claude Avenue, in the Bywater neighborhood. The annual Fringe Theater Festival brings pop-up performances, but there are also some permanent venues as well.
Winemakers and oenophiles from all over the world converge each year in late-Spring for five days of seminars, fine food, and the opportunity to sample hundreds of wines. Attendees can purchase individual tickets or multi-event packages. The Grand Tasting, where wines from around the world are poured alongside offerings by some of New Orleans' finest chefs, is a must.
On Labor Day weekend, hundreds of thousands of members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies parade through the Quarter. What began as a small party among friends has evolved into one of the south's biggest gay celebrations. The parade rolls—and as the day wears on, staggers—along on Sunday, but Decadence parties and events begin Thursday evening and stretch throughout the weekend.
Each July, the annual Tales of the Cocktail, billed as "the World's Largest Cocktail Conference," brings thousands of experts and enthusiasts together for an internationally acclaimed nearly week-long celebration dedicated to the artistry and science of making drinks. In addition to enjoying some of "the best cocktails ever made," attendees can participate in dinners, demonstrations, tastings, competitions, seminars, book signings, tours, and parties.
