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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.
Held around Independence Day, this three-day festival brings in more than a half-million visitors and draws top names in R&B, pop, and hip-hop to the Caesars Superdome. The event also includes presentations by prominent African American figures, author talks, wellness seminars, parties, food and wine events, family activities, and so much more.
With stages set up throughout the Quarter and on the river at Woldenberg Park, the focus here is on free local entertainment—and, of course, food. A lot of locals consider this April festival the best in the city.
Since a $27-million post-Katrina renovation returned this stately venue to the game, this fabulous stage in the sculpture-filled Armstrong Park grounds have been hosting the New Orleans Opera Association, dance performances, local music productions, theater, and much more. With a state of the art sound system, a digital cinema screen, enhanced lighting, a new orchestra shell, and cutting-edge ballet flooring, the 2,100-seat theater is a fabulous venue for a special night out.
The biggest event on the city's cultural calendar is also the oldest—it's been around for nearly two centuries. Parades roll almost nightly for the last few weeks of the Carnival season, which starts on Twelfth Night and culminates on Mardi Gras. This extraordinary day, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the last blow-out party before Ash Wednesday ushers in the considerably more reserved season of Lent. Mardi Gras is a city holiday, with the streets taken over by costumed revelers, floats, marching bands, and throngs of partiers. Plastic beads are the currency of the day. Every year, Mardi Gras falls on a different date, but it's always in either February or March.
Top-notch local, national, and international musical talent takes to several stages the last weekend of April and first weekend of May. The repertoire covers much more than just jazz, with big-name rock and pop stars in the mix as well as dozens of lectures, cooking demonstrations, quality arts and crafts booths, and awesome food to boot. Next to Mardi Gras, the two-week Jazz Fest is the city's biggest draw; book your hotel as far in advance as possible.
The city's most iconic sandwich gets its deserved place in the sun at this popular Carrollton neighborhood food and music festival. A diverse lineup of 40 local chefs and restaurants offer more than 100 varieties of po'boys during a Sunday in November. Bring a friend to share sandwiches if possible, and get to the event as it opens to avoid long lines.
