Fall is one of the best times to visit New Orleans, as visitors can enjoy cooler weather and off-peak season prices for flights and lodging.
Even though it’s technically still low season, there is an abundance of festivals and both outdoor and indoor fun to be had.
From mid-September through mid-November, festivals each weekend celebrate different aspects of the Crescent City’s distinctive culture.
Food lovers should check out the National Fried Chicken Festival on Oct. 5 and 6, an event that annually attracts more than 100,000 people. There are competitions, cooking demos, DJs and, of course, dozens of booths offering their specific take on this classic Southern dish.
Beignet Fest on Nov. 16 in beautiful City Park highlights one of the New Orleans’ best-known delicacies with numerous vendors offering sweet and savory options, along with live music and an artist market. And what are beignets without coffee? The New Orleans Coffee Festival on Sept. 27 and 28 will give you a good buzz. It’s held at the Morial Convention Center, a short walk from the French Quarter.
Free and filling
Because both food and music feed the spirit, many free festivals fuse the best of both worlds. The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival from Oct. 11 to 13 in Lafayette Square Park brings together local and regional blues superstars with Louisiana’s varied barbecue offerings.
Food and music also share the spotlight at the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival on Nov. 9 and 10 in Louis Armstrong Park, adjacent to the French Quarter. Some of the city’s top brass bands provide the soundtrack as vendors dish out gumbo and other Creole favorites in Congo Square.
The fall festival season offers many ways to connect with the city and the region’s cultural contributions and diverse communities. The Treme Fall Fest on Oct. 26 uplifts the artistic and cultural history of the oldest African American neighborhood in the country.
The Nola Zydeco Fest on Nov. 2 is an annual event dedicated to preserving Louisiana Creole French culture through zydeco music and dance. It takes place along the Mississippi River in Crescent Park, located at the foot of Mandeville Street in the Marigny neighborhood.
The Bayou Bacchanal, New Orleans’ version of Caribbean Carnival, will be held in Armstrong Park Nov. 1 and 2.
Fall also means football and Halloween, two things the city takes very seriously. Win or lose, the New Orleans Saints are a citywide passion, so nothing defines the Big Easy in the fall quite like mixing with enthusiastic “Who dat” fans at outdoor tailgates and in the Superdome.
Halloween brings out a creativity that will be on full display on Oct. 19 during the Krewe of Boo, New Orleans’ official Halloween parade. It gives visitors a taste of Mardi Gras, only creepier. The procession, which features floats created by the city’s legendary Kern Studios of Mardi Gras fame, begins in the Marigny and makes its way through the French Quarter — or the “Boo Carre,” as organizers like to call it.
Cocktail culture is embedded in the fabric of the city, so there are some spirit-forward activities for visitors. The world-renowned Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone is commemorating its 75th anniversary throughout September, and hotel guests can sign up for a private, intimate tour and history lesson during the week of Sept. 15 to 21.
Oktoberfest kicks off on Oct. 11 and continues on Fridays and Saturdays in October near City Park in Mid City.
Swifties coming to town for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour (Oct. 25 to 27 at the Superdome) should stop by the Virgin Hotel’s Commons Club for a special burlesque and drag brunch with kitschy drinks named for her songs. Brunches take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday that weekend from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Fall is the perfect time for walking or biking tours to explore New Orleans’ vast cultural history. Take an engaging two-hour walking tour through the Treme with Know Nola Tours or hop on a bike with Flambeaux Tours to learn about the city while cruising through various neighborhoods.
All Bout Dat Tours offers walking tours and van tours chronicling the connections between Black heritage, jazz and spirituality. Take a stroll through the French Quarter with Drink and Learn’s Cocktail Tour to get the hidden stories behind the landmarks and the cocktails connected to them.
Where to stay
This fall, there are new hotels welcoming guests to the city.
The Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn, in the Central Business District, recently expanded to include an 11-room inn above the restaurant, with spacious rooms and amenities that are perfect for bachelorette and wedding parties or for group retreats.
Guests can immerse themselves in New Orleans musical history with a stay at the legendary Dew Drop Inn, a boutique hotel and music venue in the Central City neighborhood where Little Richard, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and other legends graced the stage. The rooms are named after New Orleans cultural icons, and the inn has a swimming pool and restaurant.
