New Orleans in December is one for traditions, both old and new. This year, enjoy holiday traditions like Réveillon dinners, Celebration in the Oaks, NOLA ChristmasFest, and the Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade. Whether you’d like to book a room at a particularly festive hotel or simply stop in to see the lights, there’s something for everyone this holiday season in New Orleans. Here are our top things to do this December.

Celebration in the Oaks

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A beloved New Orleans tradition, Celebration in the Oaks lights up City Park every holiday season, and this year is no different. Hop in your car and wind your way through two and a half miles of the park illuminated with lights displays. Or, walk through the illuminated Botanical Gardens and channel your inner child at Carousel Gardens Amusement Park. This holiday tradition will run from November 28, 2025 through January 1, 2026. Tickets are on sale November 1.

Holiday Shopping

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Find info on pop-up holiday markets and special shopping events here. Throughout the month, browse bookstores, boutiques, museum gift shops, and art markets of New Orleans to find unique gifts for your loved ones this holiday season. How about a set of glassware from Sazerac House for the home bar? Or a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork made by a local artist? There’s no shortage of creative gift ideas when it comes to holiday shopping in New Orleans. 

Children's Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade

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Children's Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade
Hartley Wasser, New Orleans & Co.
Manning Family Children's Holiday Parade

The fourth annual Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade will roll on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 12:30 p.m. You can expect large, pageant-style floats with animatronics, local musicians atop the floats singing carols, helium balloons, and Santa Claus, of course! You won’t want to miss this world-class holiday parade. 

NOLA ChristmasFest

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The indoor Christmas festival known as NOLA ChristmasFest returns to the Convention Center with lots of seasonal cheer. An ice slide, ice skating rink, yuletide market, gingerbread village, and photos with Santa are just a few of the highlights. NOLA ChristmasFest is open December 20-29.

Algiers Bonfire + Concert

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Though the tradition began in the River Parishes, there’s a celebration in New Orleans every December that kicks off the holiday season. Hop on the ferry and cross the Mississippi from the French Quarter over to Algiers Point. Each December, this quaint community hosts their own event celebrating the time-honored Louisiana tradition with performances from local groups, food, drink, and art vendors, and the lighting of the bonfire, which structure varies by year. The Algiers Bonfire + Concert returns on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 2-7 p.m.

Plays, musicals, dance, and theater

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Shoshana Bean as "Jersey" and Maleah Joi Moon as "Ali" in "Hell's Kitchen"
Photo credit: Marc J. Franklin
"Hell's Kitchen"

December is the perfect month to find live theater in full swing here in New Orleans. Enjoy Broadway in New Orleans at the Saenger Theater with "Back to the Future: the Musical" from December 9-14 and "Hell's Kitchen" from December 30 - January 4. Bring the whole family to experience the magic of the holidays with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra as they perform the film score along with the delightful family-friendly classic, “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” Check out our fall theater guide here and plan to see a show or two this December. 

Réveillon

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Réveillon is a holiday dining tradition that historically began at midnight on Christmas Day. Dating back to the 1800s, Creole New Orleanians would feast on lavish meals following midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Restaurants across the city have adopted this tradition, offering decadent multi-course Réveillon feasts throughout the entire month of December. Check here to see who's participating.

Holiday Home Tours

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Every year during the holidays, New Orleanians decorate their homes in the most festive seasonal décor, and some even open their doors for public viewing. The Preservation Resource Center’s Homes of the Garden District features a selection of private Garden District homes, live musical performances, a festive boutique, and more on December 13 and 14.

Then on December 21, the Patio Planters community organization offers their self-guided French Quarter Holiday Home Tour, featuring several elegant and historic residences throughout the Vieux Carré. This home tour raises funds for Caroling in Jackson Square, which takes place later that day in the French Quarter.

Holiday Concerts

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Get into the spirit of the season with holiday concerts. If you love those classic holiday tunes, you won’t want to miss the Louisiana Philharmonic’s Classical Christmas or Holiday Spectacular. Lastly, you can also enjoy the aforementioned Caroling in Jackson Square on December 21. 

Holiday Lights

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Hotel Monteleone Holiday Lights
Photo Credit: Justen Williams
Hotel Monteleone Holiday Lights

New Orleans is a festive city year-round, and the holidays are no different. Visit the city’s most popular sights for a look at how we decorate for the season. St. Louis Cathedral is a great starting point, followed by Canal Street, and the lobbies of various hotels. Greenway Supernova, a lights festival on the Lafitte Greenway, returns from December 11-13.

Saints + Pelicans + College Bowl Games

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Fall sports are in full swing come December, and our two professional leagues are very busy playing at home. The Saints will host the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets at Caesars Superdome this December. Over at the Smoothie King Center, the Pels have several home games scheduled for December. College football fans can also enjoy the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on December 23 and the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2026. 

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa Celebrations

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Latkes from Marjie’s Grill
Paul Broussard
Celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in New Orleans

Celebrate the tradition of Hanukkah from December 14-22 in New Orleans with lots of latkes and seasonal cheer. Find more info on Hanukkah in New Orleans here. Look to the Ashé Cultural Arts Center for Kwanzaa celebrations held in the last week of December. 

New Year's Eve

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New Orleans is a great place to ring in the New Year, with celebrations galore featuring live music, delicious food, and fireworks, of course. In the French Quarter at Woldenberg Park, New Orleans Eve features live performances from DJ Captain Charles, Sweet Crude, and Dumpstaphunk. This open-air concert is free to attend, and attendees may bring camp-style chairs as well as outside food and drink. The concert begins at 9 p.m. and goes until the countdown at midnight.

Earlier in the day, the Louisiana Children’s Museum hosts Noon Year's Eve, a celebration for kids during the day before the adult celebrations kick off that night. Check here for the latest on New Year’s celebrations, and may the party begin! 

For even more events, activities, and can’t-miss celebrations this holiday season, visit https://holiday.neworleans.com.