12 Things to Do This March in New Orleans

March marks Women’s History Month, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate in New Orleans. The Jazz & Heritage Foundation presents Chanteuse: Celebrating New Orleans Women in Music concert series each spring. Support a variety of woman-owned businesses, which range from bakeries and boutiques to tour companies and restaurants, this Women’s History Month in New Orleans.

Lovers of literature rejoice - the New Orleans Book Festival returns this March 12-15. This multi-day event will include readings, panel discussions, symposia, keynote speeches, and a family day with book readings and distributions. Authors include Stacey Abrams, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ken Burns, and many more. Admission to New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University is free and open to the public.

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) returns this March 9-14 with programming across the city from major partners. The week culminates in the NOEW Summit at Loyola University New Orleans. NOEW supports emerging entrepreneurs through discussions, debates, competition, and education.  Many events are free to attend while some require tickets.

We love Wednesday at the Square for many reasons:  it’s a fundraiser for the Young Leadership Council, it features great local musicians and vendors, it’s free to attend, and it’s held every hump day, like a balm for your midweek blues. The 2026 spring series kicks off on March 11 and concludes on May 6. Stay tuned for the artist lineup.

St. Patrick’s Day weekend in New Orleans is a chance to drink green beer at Pat O’s and catch a cabbage from a street parade. Mark your calendars for the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade (March 14), the Downtown Irish Club Parade (March 17), and more festivities around St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans.

Banana Ball has become the fastest and most entertaining game in sports, and it's coming to Caesars Superdome this March 14-15! With its fast-paced rules and emphasis on continuous play, Banana Ball is all about delivering a high-octane and entertainment-packed game with unique rules, like if a fan catches a foul ball, it counts as an out! The Savannah Bananas will play the Party Animals in both games. Find more information on tickets here.

The Danny Barker Banjo + Guitar Festival returns from March 24-29. This festival pays homage to New Orleanian musician, writer, instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and lyricist, Mr. Danny Barker. Just as versatile as Barker was himself, the festival features a mixture of programming including live music performances, panel discussions and workshops, special events and outings, second lines, and more.

Celebrated each year around St. Joseph’s Day, Uptown Super Sunday features Black masking Mardi Gras Indian tribes decked out in colorful, hand-sewn suits. Anyone can stop by to watch as the groups dance, march, and walk alongside one another in this celebration of African American, Native American, and New Orleans culture. On March 15, the festival begins at noon at A.L. Davis Park (at Washington & LaSalle Streets). The parade is at 2 p.m.

Returning for its 40th year, attend the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival from March 25-29. Readers, writers, theater lovers, and fans of the festival’s namesake will enjoy a series of panel discussions, readings, interviews, and social events. The Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival, created specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, will be held in a similar format from March 27-29.

March is a great month to check out live theater. Two Broadway shows stop at the Saenger Theatre this month: "The Phantom of the Opera" from March 4-15 and "The Great Gatsby" from March 24-29. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago comes to town on March 21. Find more theater in our 2026 Winter Theater Guide here. 

Crawfish season is in full swing come March, and New Orleans is full of seafood shops and restaurants that’ll satisfy all your cravings. Grab ‘em boiled, sautéed, baked, or fried, or get ‘em raw for a crawfish boil of your own. Also, this March, plan to grab a fish plate from a local school or church on any given Friday.