EvENts 2026 CALENDAR OF EVENTS JANUARY » Allstate Sugar Bowl – Jan. 1 Fun fact: It’s also the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. » French Quarter Easter Parade » Hogs for the Cause » Overlook Film Festival Fun fact: This festival bears the same name as the spooky hotel from "'The Shining."' OCTOBER » New Orleans Music Month » National Fried Chicken Festival » Gretna Fest » Art for Art’s Sake » Tremé Fall Fest » Gentilly Fest » Oktoberfest » Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival » Krewe of BOO! Fun fact: This is New Orleans’ very own spooky parade and it’s free. » Krewe of Joan of Arc – Jan. 6 » Teaser Fest -Jan. 15-18 » Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus – Jan. 24 » Krewe du Vieux -Jan. 31 » Rockin'1000 -Jan. 31 » Zurich Classic MAY » New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – April 23-May 3 » Zoo-To-Do » Bayou Boogaloo » New Orleans Greek Festival » Sail 250 -May 28-31 FEBRUARY » Krewes: Muses, Endy-mion, Bacchus, Orpheus, Rex, Zulu -Feb. 12-17 » Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras Day – Feb. 17 » Tet Fest Fun fact: Tet Fest marks the Vietnamese New Year. JUNE » New Orleans Pride » Black Pride Weekend » French Market Creole Tomato Festival » New Orleans Restaurant Week » New Orleans Juneteenth Festival » » » » » » Praise Fest Top Taco NOLA Funk Fest NOLA Reggae Fest Halloween New Orleans New Orleans Film Festival MARCH » New Orleans Book Festival – March 12-15 » Irish Channel Parade – March 14 » Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival – March 25-29 Fun fact: 2026 is the 40th anniversary of the festival. NOVEMBER » Bayou Bacchanal » Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival » Oak Street Po-Boy Festival » Celebration in the Oaks » Bayou Classic » Beignet Fest » LUNA Fête » Fit Fête Park Marathon & Half Marathon -Nov. 14-16 JULY » Go Fourth on the River » ESSENCE Festival of Culture » Running of the Bulls » Tales of the Cocktail » Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival (SASFest) – March 27-29 Fun fact: Part of the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, it celebrates LGBTQ writers. AUGUST » Museum Month » COOLinary New Orleans Fun fact: Enjoy specially priced menus all month long. DECEMBER » Celebration in the Oaks, continues » R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl » Manning Family Children's Holiday Parade » Algiers Holiday Bonfire & Concert » Greenway Supernova » NOLA ChristmasFest » Holidays New Orleans Style Fun fact: Enjoy caroling, home tours, traditions, and more all month. » Congo Square Rhythms Festival Fun fact: This festival celebrates African drumming traditions in Congo Square. » New Orleans French Film Festival » » » » » Satchmo Summerfest Red Dress Run White Linen Night Dirty Linen Night NOLA Pickle Fest Fun fact: New Orleans has lots of festivals named after food, but this one’s all about pickleball. APRIL » Crescent City Classic – April 4 » Gay Easter Parade – April 5 Fun fact: This parade is just one of many family-friendly parades on Easter Sunday. SEPTEMBER » Southern Decadence » WWE Money in the Bank -Sept. 6 » NOLAxNOLA -Sept. 24-30 Fun fact: This celebration of local live music offers back-to-back shows over festival dates. » French Quarter Festival – April 16-19 Fun fact: This is the largest free festival in Louisiana. » New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – April 23-May 3 Scan for More Events! NEWorLEANs.CoM 41
New Orleans Official Visitors Guide 2026 Winter/Spring: Page 41
