Description

Planning a trip to New Orleans for Gretna Fest? Get the best rates on hotels in the French Quarter and other New Orleans hotels on NewOrleans.com. 

It started out as a quaint, small-town street fair more than 15 years ago, but the Gretna Heritage Festival has grown into a major Fall festival in South Louisiana just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. From a one-day, one-stage free concert, "Gretna Fest" now hosts more than 130,000 attendees over three days with eight stages of live music and a giant tent filled with local food vendors in a cultural celebration that spans nearly 25 blocks of the city.

Expect a greatest hits lineup of familiar and famous touring acts (The Doobie Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, and the Charlie Daniels Band have headlined the festival in the past) and a carnival fairway packed with thrill rides and chance games. More than 80 arts and crafts vendors are set up around the festival grounds.

Gretna Fest is, first and foremost, a celebration of the region's diverse multicultural heritage. The German Beer Garden is one of the highlights of Gretna Fest – a nod to the city's history as a German enclave settled in 1836. (Gretna is the home of Louisiana's German American Museum.) The Garden hosts the official opening of Oktoberfest with a ceremonial keg tapping, plus German music and food, including bratwurst, German apple cake and hot pretzels.

The Italian Village showcases the area's strong Italian heritage with local musicians like Louis Prima Jr. and Carlo Ditta and a St. Joseph's Altar piled with Italian delicacies. The newest addition to the Fest — the Latino Village – highlights the music and food of the region's growing Hispanic population, while Boomtown Casino sponsors Asia, a section of the festival grounds devoted to authentic Asian food.   

Check the Calendar of Events to find out more about what’s happening in the Big Easy!

Details

Event Dates: October 5-7, 2012

Cost: $15.00 for adults. Children 12 and under are free. $40.00 for a weekend pass.