This page has expired. It may contain outdated information.
Last Updated: Friday, March 15, 2024 2:01 PM by Lauren Saizan
March in New Orleans is festival central. We’ve got literary fests, music fests, food fests, and St. Patrick’s Day parades. Combine that with the mild, sunny spring weather and you couldn’t pick a better time to visit New Orleans. Check out our top picks for the month and book your visit today.
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 14-16. In partnership with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, the multi-day event will include readings, panel discussions, symposia, keynote speeches, and a family day with book readings and distributions. Admission to New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University is free and open to the public.
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) returns this March 11-16 in coordination with New Orleans Book Festival. NOEW supports emerging entrepreneurs through discussions, debates, competition, and education.
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 2024 spring series kicks off on March 6 and concludes on May 8. Stay tuned for the artist lineup.
NOLA Food Fight returns on Thursday, March 14, to a new location: the Shrine on Airline. The gastronomic extravaganza, organized by Yeah You Right Events, is an all-you-can-eat food fest all in support of the PLEASE Foundation – a local non-profit dedicated to providing mentorship, leadership training, and scholarships for at-risk teens attending college-preparatory high schools in the New Orleans area. General admission tickets are $85.
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 16), the Downtown Irish Club Parade (March 17), and more festivities around St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans.
The Danny Barker Banjo + Guitar Festival returns from March 6-10. 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.
Held at the New Orleans Museum of Art each spring, “Art in Bloom” showcases spectacular floral designs created by garden clubs, floral designers, and creative talents from New Orleans and beyond. Take in fabulous floral installations throughout the museum, learn directly from today’s top design talents, and celebrate spring during the luncheon and fashion show. Art in Bloom returns March 13-17, 2024.
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 24, the festival begins at noon at A.L. Davis Park (at Washington & LaSalle Streets). The parade is at 2 p.m.
Returning for its 38th year, attend the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival from March 20-24. 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 22-24.
Spring theater is in full swing this March, from Broadway to the opera. Enjoy performances including Les Ballets de Monte Carlo in LAC (Swan Lake) on March 2, “Beautiful: the Carole King Musical” from March 7-31, “Black Panther™ In Concert” from March 9-10, and more.
Congo Square Rhythms Festival returns to Congo Square March 23-24, 2024. Presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the fest is free to attend and features brass bands, Mardi Gras Indians, New Orleans funk and African dance, delicious cuisine, and an arts market. Check back here for the live music schedule.
A New Orleans tradition, the Crescent City Classic 10K is held over Easter weekend. With the warm spring air and runners dressed in costume, it’s fun for the whole family–and even includes a festival at the finish line with live music, food, and more. Register here and get ready to run on March 30.
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 Friday.
Spring is the perfect time to venture outside the city limits. Take a short road trip to Zip NOLA in LaPlace, the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, MS, or the state capital in Baton Rouge. Festivals abound throughout Louisiana in spring, so consider visiting for, Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Chalmette, Sicilian Heritage Fest in Independence, or Spring Antique Street Fair in Slidell. Learn more here.
Lauren Saizan is a New Orleans native raised in the Gentilly neighborhood. In addition to being the editorial and online content manager for New Orleans & Company, she is also a member of Mélange Dance Company. Lauren has performed professionally in many venues across the city, including the Sydney & Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Longue Vue House & Gardens, and Marigny Opera House. When not writing or dancing, she can be spotted sipping the Blue Eyes tea at French Truck, attending a concert downtown, or visiting a local library.
FREE E-NEWSLETTER
