Eat Your Way Through NOLA This Fall

Fall in New Orleans means cooler temps, lots of excuses for outdoor dining, and some truly fun and festive culinary events. So pack your appetite and be sure to check out some of the exciting happenings below. 

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FALL FOOD FESTIVALS | BEST NEW RESTAURANTS | CULINARY ATTRACTIONS | FALL CUISINE MUST-EATS

MUST-DO FALL FOOD FESTIVALS IN NEW ORLEANS

National Fried Chicken Fest  

National Fried Chicken Festival is back this October 5-6 at the New Orleans Lakefront. Chicken wings, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, chicken and waffles, and more will be available for your choosing. There will be live music and plenty of space to spread out and relax. Tickets for the fest are $10 daily; cost may rise as we get closer to the fest. 

Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest 

This October 11-13, Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest returns with three days of music, food, and art. Performers include Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Irma Thomas & the Professionals, Sierra Green & The Giants, and dozens of others. Let’s not forget the food—it’s equal parts music and barbecue festival! Enjoy free admission to the festival all weekend long, which takes place at Lafayette Square Park. 

Top Taco   

Each year, some of New Orleans’ best restaurants, taquerias, and bars head to Top Taco to battle it out for the title of Top Taco Champion while festgoers reap the rewards of their labor. In addition to the unlimited taco and tequila tastings from some of your favorite eateries across the Crescent City, Top Taco also features live music performances, special guest appearances, interactive activities, and more. Top Taco is October 24 at Lafreniere Park in neighboring NOLA suburb Metairie and tickets start at $85 for unlimited tacos and drinks. 

Oak Street Po-boy Fest 

On Sunday, October 27, several blocks of Uptown New Orleans will transform into a foodie’s paradise. Enjoy fresh seafood, roast beef, and vegetarian versions of the classic sandwich, plus live music and more. Get your tickets in advance here.

Beignet Fest

Beignet Fest returns to New Orleans City Park on November 16. This sugary sweet festival is dedicated to the classic New Orleans doughnut: the beignet! Enjoy traditional beignets as well as creative ones, like Oreo-stuffed beignets, and savory options like crawfish beignets. Funds raised go to support the Beignet Fest Foundation, which empowers children with developmental delays. General admission tickets are $20 and VIP tickets are $50.

Tremé Creole Gumbo Fest

Returning to Armstrong Park from November 9-10, Tremé Creole Gumbo Fest has all the gumbo you could imagine. Come hungry for seafood gumbo, okra gumbo, chicken andouille gumbo, vegan gumbo…plus additional food from po-boys to shrimp ’n’ grits. Beverages, an arts market, and a nonstop lineup of performances make this one of the best fall festivals in town. Did we mention it’s free to attend?

Réveillon Dinners

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.

TRY THE BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN NEW ORLEANS

While New Orleans has many well-known and well-loved historic restaurants (see some of our favorite iconic spots here), the restaurant industry here is always growing and evolving, with exciting new dining destinations popping up all the time. Most recently, we’ve seen openings such as Nobu in the newly renovated Caesars Casino, upscale steakhouses like Brasa and Morrow Steak, inventive tasting menus at Wild South and Étoile, seafood-focused contemporary Mexican from James Beard nominee Ana Castro at Acamaya, casual neighborhood spots like St. Pizza and Mason Hereford’s meat-and-three concept Hot Stuff, and even a “bewitching and hex-curious” themed combination of Filipino and Vietnamese flavors at Tatlo in the French Quarter. See even more of our favorite recent openings here.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW AT NEW ORLEANS' CULINARY ATTRACTIONS

Southern Food & Beverage Museum

This culinary museum is a glimpse of nostalgia with its Popeye’s Chicken exhibit and ode to Southern cooking. It’s a place that’ll make you smile with lots of culinary history and even hosts cooking classes taught by the Deelightful Roux School Of Cooking.

Speaking of Cooking classes…

Have you ever wondered what’s in the secret spice of gumbo, the creamy sauce of red beans & rice, or the flambé of a Bananas Foster? Taking a cooking class in New Orleans is essential to getting that insider knowledge of our signature cuisine. Most classes will be a hands-on experience where you enjoy the fruits of your labor and take recipes home with you. There are demonstration-only classes as well. Browse our guide to cooking classes here.

ENJOY OYSTER SEASON

No matter the day of the week, oysters are a good idea in New Orleans. Beginning in September, we get a parade of “R” months, which means the oysters are especially flavorful. Check out our guide to the best oysters and get slurping.

OR DIG INTO GUMBO SEASON

Is there anything more New Orleans than a sizzling pot of gumbo? When fall comes, the gumbo pots come out and you can find this signature dish all over town. There’s even a festival in November dedicated to it! Learn about all the different types of gumbo and where to find it in our Ultimate Guide.