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There’s no need to break the bank when you come to New Orleans. In a city that prides itself on hospitality, you’re sure to find plenty of affordable ways to play during your visit. Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival ©Eric Simon Shake a leg at a free fest. Local favorites include the Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival (in March), French Quarter Festival (in April) and the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo (in May). Get to know NOLA’s art side by browsing at galleries on Julia Street and Royal Street. Loyola University’s Collins C. Diboll Art Gallery also offers free admission. Join a tour group to see New Orleans’ famous aboveground cemeteries. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, located in the Garden District, is one of the most photogenic and has been seen in many Hollywood films. City Park ©Chris Granger Stroll through one of New Orleans’ urban oases, including City Park, Audubon Park, Crescent Park, Louis Armstrong Park and the recently completed Lafitte Greenway. Flickr©Bon Operatit! Hear opera on Bourbon Street, courtesy of the trio Bon Operatit! They perform twice monthly at the Puccini Bar at the Four Points By Sheraton French Quarter Hotel. Tour French Quarter homes with one of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s expert docents. Admission is just $5 per person. Take a self-guided walking tour of the Barataria Preserve swamps of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve. Stop by the visitor center in the French Quarter first for maps and other info. Mardi Gras display ©Arnaud’s Restaurant View Mardi Gras costumes and memorabilia in the Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum at Arnaud’s Restaurant. Go on a self-guided tour of the Old Ursuline Convent, a French Colonial masterpiece that is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley. ©Young Leadership Council Enjoy free jazz, rock and blues concerts at Louisiana Music Factory, a legendary Frenchmen Street music store featuring many albums by local musicians. Embark on a self-guided literary tour of New Orleans that includes the homes of Tennessee Williams (722 Toulouse), William Faulkner (624 Pirate’s Alley), Truman Capote (711 Royal), Thornton Wilder (623 Bourbon), Walker Percy (1820 Milan) and Anne Rice (1239 First). St Louis Cathedral ©Chris Granger Take a self-guided or docent-led tour of St. Louis Cathedral, a 1724 church overlooking Jackson Square in the French Quarter. Catch live music on Frenchmen Street, site of one of the highest concentrations of venues in the city. Café Du Monde ©Denise Chambers Pick up a bag of beignets at Café Du Monde or Café Beignet. These deep-fried dough confections, topped with powdered sugar, are often described as “French donuts.” Find great deals, free cooking demonstrations and free concerts at the Crescent City Farmers Market, held four days a week at locations throughout New Orleans. St. Charles Avenue Streetcar ©Chris Granger Ride the streetcars with the Jazzy Pass, available via the New Orleans RTA’s GoMobile smartphone app. A one-day pass costs just $3. Check out street musicians in Jackson Square, Washington Artillery Park and Royal Street in the French Quarter — and if you like what you hear, feel free to tip. Algiers Point levee ©Chris Granger Rent a bicycle and ride along the Algiers Point levee, easily accessible via the Algiers/Canal Street Ferry. Take a break from the heat with a snoball. Similar to its cousin the snow cone, these shaved-ice treats are a New Orleans original found at street-side stands throughout the city. ©Louisiana State Museum Tour the Mardi Gras galleries of the Louisiana State Museum’s Presbytere, where you’ll find floats, costumes and artifacts dating back decades.
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