It's fast and furious with fests this time of year and the French Quarter takes it to the streets with its chance in the spotlight. But there's much more to do so take advantage of the weather and go.
Preservation Brass performs at the NewOrleans.com Stage in Jackson Square during the 2024 French Quarter Festival in New Orleans on Thursday, April 11, 2024.
The powerhouse festivals of the Crescent City take off this weekend with the FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL through Sunday, filling the Vieux Carré with a celebration of New Orleans culture and music on 20-plus stages showcasing jazz, brass bands and zydeco, plus more. More than 60 Louisiana restaurants will offer cuisine ranging from succulent seafood to meat pies, po-boys, barbecue and frozen goodies to beat the heat. There are also a host of after-dark events. The music starts at 11 a.m. each day. Get more info on the party by the Mississippi River here.
Mon dieu! The French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes performs "THE LAFAYETTE TOUR" Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way. The "musical and visual journey" celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette's triumphant tour half a century after the Revolutionary War that included a stop in New Orleans, where he stayed at the Cabildo. The music includes works related to the period of the war hero's life while an immersive sound and light elements retrace his travels and life. Tickets start at $48. Consultez les informations ici.
The New Orleans Healing Center on St. Claude Avenue is home base for the 2023 New Orleans Poetry Festival.
THE NEW ORLEANS POETRY FESTIVAL, the 10th annual wordsmith event, includes open mics, readings, a memorial second-line, workshops and more through Sunday, mostly at Café Istanbul in the New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St. Claude Ave. Poets from around the world, plus an international night of French poetry and more are on the extensive calendar. Attendance is free but donations are accepted. Check the website for an extensive look at events.
Ripe strawberries are displayed at the Harris Farms booth during the Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula Sunday, April 16, 2023. Harris Farms was named the festival's 2023 grand champion for their strawberries. (Photo by Scott Threlkeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Feel like taking a spin and getting red, ripe and rowdy? Head across Lake Pontchartrain to Tangipahoa Parish for the annual PONCHATOULA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, Louisiana's largest free harvest festival. The annual celebration of the place Friday to Sunday, centered on Memorial Park. Sample food including seafood baked potatoes, strawberry shortcake and strawberry daquiris, plus music all day on two stages, carnival rides, arts and crafts and crown-wearing festival royalty at the Strawberry Parade Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Admission is free. Vendors accept cash only. Get a big, juicy taste of the fun here.
To culminate National Crime Victims' Rights Week, an ALL-WHITE MEMORIAL LANTERN RELEASE in honor of victims and survivors will be Friday at 6 p.m. at "The Naked Tree" at Orleans Avenue and Norman C. Francis Parkway. Organizers encourage the release of a lantern onto the water of Bayou St. John as "a symbol of love, remembrance and celebration of life." The victims of the Bourbon Street attack at New Year's will also be recognized and honored.
Nineteen thousand eggs were used during the NOMA Egg Hunt and Family Festival in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden in New Orleans
Hop on over to New Orleans Museum of Art on Saturday at 10 a.m. for the annual EGG HUNT AND FAMILY FESTIVAL in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at City Park. The seasonal celebration includes food, drinks, music, face painting and hunts for children in different age groups. Tickets for the event start at $20. Hunt down all the details here.
A competitor stirs the pot in the University of Holy Cross Crawfish Boil Cook-off in 2023.
University of Holy Cross in Algiers is the hot spot (at least for the crawfish) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday when the annual CRAWFISH BOIL COOK-OFF contest pits teams for top prizes. An all-you-can-eat ticket includes the crustaceans as well as corn, potatoes and sausage. Teams compete in each of those categories. Tickets start at $20 and team entry is $150, all to benefit student scholarships at the 4123 Woodlawn Drive campus. Pinch right here for more information.
The unusually colored Creole Lady
Cajun hibiscus will be the highlight of the HIBISCUS SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE by the New Orleans Hibiscus Society from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Palm Sunday at Bonnabel High School, 2801 Bruin Drive, in Kenner. Bloom entries will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and returned for sale at 1 p.m. Experts in hibiscus care and growth will provide information on the proper balance of nutrients. A special blend of granular fertilizer will be available for sale at the show. Check out the blooms here.
Jonathan and Cadie Bryan
Love in the landscape? How about ROMANCE IN THE GARDEN? The New Orleans Opera Society will featured the husband and wife duo Cadie and Jonathan Bryan for an afternoon of "amorous duets" at the Opera Guild Home Sunday at 1 p.m. She is a Louisiana native who recently wrapped a tour with Andrea Bocelli. He will join the Metropolitan Opera for "Grounded." Tickets start at $35 for the event at 2504 Prytania St. Uptown. Take a peak and the performance here.
Deutsches Haus will host the lecture "DNA TESTING FOR GENEALOGY" by Kendra Anspaugh as part of its "Coming to America" series at 2 p.m. Sunday at 1700 Moss St. Learn about how testing works, what to know, what the test can tell and more. The lecture is free. Check out information on the deoxyribonucleic acid talk here.