February 13, 2026
March 1
Irish Channel St.Patrick’s Day Parade
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day New Orleans style, and don’t miss the truly original New Orleans take on the St. Patrick’s experience, including the traditional “throws,” when parade participants shower onlookers with trinkets and, in this case, flowers, kisses, cabbage, and much more! The traditional Mass is held before the parade at St. Mary’s Assumption Church (923 Josephine Street) and is open to the public. https://www.irishchannelno.org
March 1
Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday
Super Sunday is a day for the city’s Mardi Gras Indian tribes to put on their colorful suits and strut their stuff while marching in procession through the streets. During their festivities, the participating Mardi Gras Indian tribes, led by their Big Chiefs, often meet other tribes performing colorful dances, chants, and other rituals. Each tribe and their Big Chief try to outdo the others in a friendly competition witnessed by appreciative spectators. One of the celebration locations takes place at Bayou St. John and Orleans Avenue in Mid- City, where the Tambourine and Fan organization stages its annual Super Sunday parade. Various other Mardi Gras Indian gatherings and processions are also staged on Super Sunday at locations around the city, and there are related festivities at the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the Treme neighborhood. Check local listings as the date gets closer. All Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian outdoor gatherings and processions are free and open to the public.
March 1–22
2026 New Orleans Bourbon Festival
Bourbon is a hallmark of New Orleans, a city that knows how to party. Now couple that with a historic relationship to world-renowned food, music and culture. The mission of the New Orleans Bourbon Festival is to provide attendees with an opportunity to enjoy exceptional bourbon and cuisine surrounded by the charm and culture of New Orleans. You can spend one night or more sipping the smoothest bourbons, enjoying delicious food, and mingling with fellow bourbon enthusiasts. You’ll be able to sample a wide selection of bourbons and learn about the history and production of this beloved spirit from industry experts. www.neworleansbourbonfestival.com
March 7
NOLA Holi Festival
Experience the vibrant spirit of Holi in New Orleans’s French Quarter. Get together for the Holi Bhangra Parade preparade party at 750 Decatur Street at 9:00 a.m. Dance along with the parade at 11:00 a.m., heading to Washington Square Park or go directly to the park. Get ready to be doused in colors. Enjoy delicious Indian food from top vendors. See live performances and dance along with Bollywood dance experts. Admission is free. Bring family and friends to experience this unforgettable celebration of color, culture, and unity. www.nolaholi.com
March 9–14
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is an annual weeklong celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship, produced by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development at Loyola University New Orleans. Spanning venues across the city, NOEW 2026 culminates at The NOEW Summit at Loyola University, featuring dynamic programming designed to empower and connect entrepreneurs across the Gulf South. www.noew.org
March 11–May 6
YLC in the Square
Wednesday at the Square, sponsored by the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans, presents a series of free outdoor concerts featuring well-known local musical artists. The weekly concert series highlights a variety of indigenous styles, including jazz, rock, funk, swamp pop, Latin, and more. New Orleans’s most famous brass bands are known to play at this annual series. Plus, admission is free and open to the public. The 2026 Wednesday at the Square Concert Series will take place at Lafayette Square Park. https://www.ylcwats.com
March 17
Downtown Irish Club Parade
The Downtown Irish Club, Inc., is a social organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Irish identity in New Orleans. Since 1976, it has proudly upheld the tradition that “everyone is Irish for a day,” making the membership a vibrant and diverse community. Join the members as they march and revel in Irish spirit on St. Patrick’s Day proper. The parade kicks off in the Marigny Triangle, rolling along Frenchmen, Decatur, and Tchoupitoulas Streets, passing legendary landmarks like Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral before ending in the Central Business District at Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar. Expect plenty of throws, laughter, music, and Irish cheer while celebrating the day in true New Orleans fashion. https://downtownirishclub.com
March 20–29
Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival
This annual event celebrates the life and legacy of a New Orleans legend, Danny Barker, offering music performances, a variety of panel discussions and workshops, interviews, and more. A National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, Barker (1909–1994) had an indelible impact on the cultural fabric of New Orleans. The mission of the Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival is to highlight his multitude of accomplishments: singer, songwriter, educator, raconteur extraordinaire, author, and musician who played guitar and banjo with many top jazz artists in a career that lasted 70-plus years. He also served as a mentor to numerous young New Orleans artists who have since come to prominence. The festival will have events around the city, with the main festivities taking place at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, located at 400 Esplanade Avenue in the French Quarter. www.dannybarkerfestival.com
March 24–April 1
New Orleans Opera Festival
The inaugural New Orleans Opera Festival will celebrate the city’s rich operatic history while redefining its current state, thereby bringing opera out of the box and into the heart of the French Quarter. From ravishing, romantic Strauss to a spine-tingling, site-specific French drama, from a Show Boat fantasia to a pilgrim’s passage through music and memory on foot, bolstered by public master classes and lectures, the 2026 festival promises to enchant, enrich, and inspire. https://www.neworleansoperafestival.org
March 25–29
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival is a French Quarter celebration of literature, theatre, cuisine, and music.It is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026 and, over the past four decades, has hosted thousands of events featuring thousands of literary luminaries as well as stars of the stage and screen. Book and theater lovers come to New Orleans from all over the country and abroad for our writers’ craft sessions, literary panels, theater events, literary walking tours, culinary events, author interviews, and music events. And don’t forget our Stella Shouting Contest! www.tennesseewilliams.net/
March 26–29
Louisiana Crawfish Festival
Come celebrate our most famous mudbug at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival. There will be rides, games, live entertainment, and of course food! The real mission of the Louisiana Crawfish Fest Foundation, though, is to help those in need. The foundation supports community programs in St. Bernard Parish and the surrounding areas. This is meant to not only promote St. Bernard Parish and culture and tourism through the Crawfish Festival, but also to serve as a charitable, patriotic, educational, and public-spirited force in the community. www.louisianacrawfishfestival.com
March 27–29
The Saints and Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival
The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival was founded in 2003, intended to be an innovative way to reach the community with information about HIV/AIDS, in particular disseminating prevention messages via the writers, thinkers and spokespeople of the LGBTQ+ community. It was also formed to bring the LGBTQ+ literary community together to celebrate the literary arts. The festival, held over three days each spring at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, features panel discussions and master classes about literary topics, providing a forum for authors, editors, and publishers to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBTQ+ literature. www.sasfest.org/
March 28–29
2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival
The Congo Square Rhythms Festival celebrates New Orleans traditions that stem from the African diaspora. The festival occurs in Congo Square, where enslaved Africans and free people of color once gathered on Sundays to carry out their traditions of song, dance, and drumming. The festival is free; highlights include African dance and drumming, live music, an arts market and gallons and gallons of gumbo. https://www.jazzandheritage.org/events/2026-congo-square-rhythms-festival
March 28
Mud Fest
Mud Fest is Louisiana Children’s Museum’s signature environmental festival, a place where messy play and New Orleans festival culture meet wetlands education and stewardship. The daylong festival and fun-filled activities transform the celebration into meaningful learning experiences that focus on the ground beneath our feet and the waterways we love. This year, the festivities will feature a day of live entertainment, mud-themed programming, and much more, including a jam-packed lineup of entertainment. https://lcm.org/parties-corporate-meetings-events/mud-fest
April 3–5
Gay Easter Weekend
The flamboyant and fabulous gay Easter Weekend begins with Bunnies in the Big Easy, a charity fundraiser put on by Ambush Magazine that happens on April 3. It includes an open bar and food with the proceeds going to Food for Friends. The Black Tie Club hosts a special wine dinner at Café Sbisa on April 4. The final event is the Gay Easter Parade, put on by Ambush and the city’s LGBT community. The route passes most of the gay bars, restaurants, shops and businesses in the French Quarter. The parade is a rainbow of sequins and glitter, with participants such as the Flamboyant Drag Queens and Kings riding in horse-drawn carriages and convertibles wearing their Easter best. It kicks off with the annual Easter Bonnet Contest at Good Friends Bar, a LGBTQ+ neighborhood establishment at the corner of Dauphine and St. Ann Streets. www.ambushmag.com
April 9–12
Overlook Film Festival
This festival celebrates all things horror in America’s most haunted city. Experience feature length and short films from master filmmakers as well as emerging talents. In addition to films, the festival hosts live shows, radio plays, interactive entertainment, and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences. Most of the screenings and events take place at the Prytania Theatres at Canal Place. There will be a selection of feature length and short films, contemporary to classic, including festival favorites, anticipated new releases, and world premieres in the horror, thriller, and sci-fi genres. www.overlookfilmfest.com/
April 10 and 11
Hogs for a Cause
Hogs for a Cause welcomes 90-plus local and regional barbecue masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. New Orleans musicians as well as national musical acts will keep you dancing all weekend long to whet your appetite before you try food option ranging from Alabama white sauce to cracklin cochon de lait nachos. Hogs for the Cause has become the premier nationwide source of funding for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer. https://hogsfest.org/
April 16–19
French Quarter Festival
Each year, thousands of attendees descend upon the crown jewel of the city. This celebration highlights the food, music, art, and the culture of the city and state. The festival includes more than 20 stages spread across the French Quarter, celebrating local music in all its diversity. Attendees can enjoy performances ranging from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, gospel, zydeco, classical, and more. Complementing the music is a delectable culinary experience. New Orleans’s finest restaurants serve food and beverages at iconic locations like Jackson Square, the Jazz Museum at the Mint, and Woldenberg Riverfront Park. Locals have consistently voted the French Quarter Festival a favorite, earning accolades as the city’s top festival, food festival, and public event. https://frenchquarterfest.org
April 16–19
NOLA Cigar Festival
Experience the essence of New Orleans at the Nola Cigar Festival, where cigar aficionados and enthusiasts gather to celebrate the rich culture surrounding premium cigars. This annual event features an array of vendors showcasing the finest cigars, along with demonstrations, tastings, and educational seminars. Attendees can immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere, connect with fellow cigar lovers, and indulge in the culinary delights that New Orleans is renowned for. https://www.nolacigarfestival.com
April 20–26
Zurich Classic
The Zurich Classic is New Orleans’s premier golf tournament and the only PGA Tour event in the region, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. The Zurich Classic boasts a rich history, with play dating back to 1938 and past winners including golf greats like Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Casper, Davis Love III, David Toms and Vijay Singh. Zurich North America has a special relationship with New Orleans, the host city for the Zurich Classic, and with the Fore!Kids Foundation, which plans and oversees the Zurich Classic and distributes the proceeds to nonprofits. Since 2005, when Zurich became title sponsor of the PGA Tour event, Zurich has stood by the city and its people, from the depths of Hurricane Katrina through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zurich Classic was the first major sporting event to return to the city after Katrina in 2006. zurichgolfclassic.com
April 23–May 3
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
This world renowned festival is held at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, the third oldest racetrack in the country. This music, food, and art festival offers a mixture of local, national, and international artists. With 13 stages of soul-stirring music—jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean, folk, and much more—the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a singular celebration. The 2026 musical lineup includes the Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Teddy Swims, Jon Baptiste, Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, and many more. The festival is a cultural feast in which thousands of musicians, chefs, and craftspeople welcome attendees each year. www.nojazzfest.com
May 2–24
New Orleans Greek Festival
Opa! Baklava, gyros and ouzo daiquiris are on the menu at the New Orleans Greek Festival, held over Memorial Day weekend on Bayou St. John at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. There will be homemade traditional Greek food; wine; pastries; live, traditional Greek dancing; Greek bands playing near the bayou; tours of the cathedral; a marketplace with everything Greek; and a Greek grocery with delectable cheeses, dips, spices, and other goodies. www.greekfestnola.com
Irish Channel St.Patrick’s Day Parade
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day New Orleans style, and don’t miss the truly original New Orleans take on the St. Patrick’s experience, including the traditional “throws,” when parade participants shower onlookers with trinkets and, in this case, flowers, kisses, cabbage, and much more! The traditional Mass is held before the parade at St. Mary’s Assumption Church (923 Josephine Street) and is open to the public. https://www.irishchannelno.org
March 1
Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday
Super Sunday is a day for the city’s Mardi Gras Indian tribes to put on their colorful suits and strut their stuff while marching in procession through the streets. During their festivities, the participating Mardi Gras Indian tribes, led by their Big Chiefs, often meet other tribes performing colorful dances, chants, and other rituals. Each tribe and their Big Chief try to outdo the others in a friendly competition witnessed by appreciative spectators. One of the celebration locations takes place at Bayou St. John and Orleans Avenue in Mid- City, where the Tambourine and Fan organization stages its annual Super Sunday parade. Various other Mardi Gras Indian gatherings and processions are also staged on Super Sunday at locations around the city, and there are related festivities at the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the Treme neighborhood. Check local listings as the date gets closer. All Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian outdoor gatherings and processions are free and open to the public.
March 1–22
2026 New Orleans Bourbon Festival
Bourbon is a hallmark of New Orleans, a city that knows how to party. Now couple that with a historic relationship to world-renowned food, music and culture. The mission of the New Orleans Bourbon Festival is to provide attendees with an opportunity to enjoy exceptional bourbon and cuisine surrounded by the charm and culture of New Orleans. You can spend one night or more sipping the smoothest bourbons, enjoying delicious food, and mingling with fellow bourbon enthusiasts. You’ll be able to sample a wide selection of bourbons and learn about the history and production of this beloved spirit from industry experts. www.neworleansbourbonfestival.com
March 7
NOLA Holi Festival
Experience the vibrant spirit of Holi in New Orleans’s French Quarter. Get together for the Holi Bhangra Parade preparade party at 750 Decatur Street at 9:00 a.m. Dance along with the parade at 11:00 a.m., heading to Washington Square Park or go directly to the park. Get ready to be doused in colors. Enjoy delicious Indian food from top vendors. See live performances and dance along with Bollywood dance experts. Admission is free. Bring family and friends to experience this unforgettable celebration of color, culture, and unity. www.nolaholi.com
March 9–14
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is an annual weeklong celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship, produced by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development at Loyola University New Orleans. Spanning venues across the city, NOEW 2026 culminates at The NOEW Summit at Loyola University, featuring dynamic programming designed to empower and connect entrepreneurs across the Gulf South. www.noew.org
March 11–May 6
YLC in the Square
Wednesday at the Square, sponsored by the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans, presents a series of free outdoor concerts featuring well-known local musical artists. The weekly concert series highlights a variety of indigenous styles, including jazz, rock, funk, swamp pop, Latin, and more. New Orleans’s most famous brass bands are known to play at this annual series. Plus, admission is free and open to the public. The 2026 Wednesday at the Square Concert Series will take place at Lafayette Square Park. https://www.ylcwats.com
March 17
Downtown Irish Club Parade
The Downtown Irish Club, Inc., is a social organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Irish identity in New Orleans. Since 1976, it has proudly upheld the tradition that “everyone is Irish for a day,” making the membership a vibrant and diverse community. Join the members as they march and revel in Irish spirit on St. Patrick’s Day proper. The parade kicks off in the Marigny Triangle, rolling along Frenchmen, Decatur, and Tchoupitoulas Streets, passing legendary landmarks like Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral before ending in the Central Business District at Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar. Expect plenty of throws, laughter, music, and Irish cheer while celebrating the day in true New Orleans fashion. https://downtownirishclub.com
March 20–29
Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival
This annual event celebrates the life and legacy of a New Orleans legend, Danny Barker, offering music performances, a variety of panel discussions and workshops, interviews, and more. A National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, Barker (1909–1994) had an indelible impact on the cultural fabric of New Orleans. The mission of the Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival is to highlight his multitude of accomplishments: singer, songwriter, educator, raconteur extraordinaire, author, and musician who played guitar and banjo with many top jazz artists in a career that lasted 70-plus years. He also served as a mentor to numerous young New Orleans artists who have since come to prominence. The festival will have events around the city, with the main festivities taking place at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, located at 400 Esplanade Avenue in the French Quarter. www.dannybarkerfestival.com
March 24–April 1
New Orleans Opera Festival
The inaugural New Orleans Opera Festival will celebrate the city’s rich operatic history while redefining its current state, thereby bringing opera out of the box and into the heart of the French Quarter. From ravishing, romantic Strauss to a spine-tingling, site-specific French drama, from a Show Boat fantasia to a pilgrim’s passage through music and memory on foot, bolstered by public master classes and lectures, the 2026 festival promises to enchant, enrich, and inspire. https://www.neworleansoperafestival.org
March 25–29
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival is a French Quarter celebration of literature, theatre, cuisine, and music.It is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026 and, over the past four decades, has hosted thousands of events featuring thousands of literary luminaries as well as stars of the stage and screen. Book and theater lovers come to New Orleans from all over the country and abroad for our writers’ craft sessions, literary panels, theater events, literary walking tours, culinary events, author interviews, and music events. And don’t forget our Stella Shouting Contest! www.tennesseewilliams.net/
March 26–29
Louisiana Crawfish Festival
Come celebrate our most famous mudbug at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival. There will be rides, games, live entertainment, and of course food! The real mission of the Louisiana Crawfish Fest Foundation, though, is to help those in need. The foundation supports community programs in St. Bernard Parish and the surrounding areas. This is meant to not only promote St. Bernard Parish and culture and tourism through the Crawfish Festival, but also to serve as a charitable, patriotic, educational, and public-spirited force in the community. www.louisianacrawfishfestival.com
March 27–29
The Saints and Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival
The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival was founded in 2003, intended to be an innovative way to reach the community with information about HIV/AIDS, in particular disseminating prevention messages via the writers, thinkers and spokespeople of the LGBTQ+ community. It was also formed to bring the LGBTQ+ literary community together to celebrate the literary arts. The festival, held over three days each spring at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, features panel discussions and master classes about literary topics, providing a forum for authors, editors, and publishers to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBTQ+ literature. www.sasfest.org/
March 28–29
2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival
The Congo Square Rhythms Festival celebrates New Orleans traditions that stem from the African diaspora. The festival occurs in Congo Square, where enslaved Africans and free people of color once gathered on Sundays to carry out their traditions of song, dance, and drumming. The festival is free; highlights include African dance and drumming, live music, an arts market and gallons and gallons of gumbo. https://www.jazzandheritage.org/events/2026-congo-square-rhythms-festival
March 28
Mud Fest
Mud Fest is Louisiana Children’s Museum’s signature environmental festival, a place where messy play and New Orleans festival culture meet wetlands education and stewardship. The daylong festival and fun-filled activities transform the celebration into meaningful learning experiences that focus on the ground beneath our feet and the waterways we love. This year, the festivities will feature a day of live entertainment, mud-themed programming, and much more, including a jam-packed lineup of entertainment. https://lcm.org/parties-corporate-meetings-events/mud-fest
April 3–5
Gay Easter Weekend
The flamboyant and fabulous gay Easter Weekend begins with Bunnies in the Big Easy, a charity fundraiser put on by Ambush Magazine that happens on April 3. It includes an open bar and food with the proceeds going to Food for Friends. The Black Tie Club hosts a special wine dinner at Café Sbisa on April 4. The final event is the Gay Easter Parade, put on by Ambush and the city’s LGBT community. The route passes most of the gay bars, restaurants, shops and businesses in the French Quarter. The parade is a rainbow of sequins and glitter, with participants such as the Flamboyant Drag Queens and Kings riding in horse-drawn carriages and convertibles wearing their Easter best. It kicks off with the annual Easter Bonnet Contest at Good Friends Bar, a LGBTQ+ neighborhood establishment at the corner of Dauphine and St. Ann Streets. www.ambushmag.com
April 9–12
Overlook Film Festival
This festival celebrates all things horror in America’s most haunted city. Experience feature length and short films from master filmmakers as well as emerging talents. In addition to films, the festival hosts live shows, radio plays, interactive entertainment, and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences. Most of the screenings and events take place at the Prytania Theatres at Canal Place. There will be a selection of feature length and short films, contemporary to classic, including festival favorites, anticipated new releases, and world premieres in the horror, thriller, and sci-fi genres. www.overlookfilmfest.com/
April 10 and 11
Hogs for a Cause
Hogs for a Cause welcomes 90-plus local and regional barbecue masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. New Orleans musicians as well as national musical acts will keep you dancing all weekend long to whet your appetite before you try food option ranging from Alabama white sauce to cracklin cochon de lait nachos. Hogs for the Cause has become the premier nationwide source of funding for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer. https://hogsfest.org/
April 16–19
French Quarter Festival
Each year, thousands of attendees descend upon the crown jewel of the city. This celebration highlights the food, music, art, and the culture of the city and state. The festival includes more than 20 stages spread across the French Quarter, celebrating local music in all its diversity. Attendees can enjoy performances ranging from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, gospel, zydeco, classical, and more. Complementing the music is a delectable culinary experience. New Orleans’s finest restaurants serve food and beverages at iconic locations like Jackson Square, the Jazz Museum at the Mint, and Woldenberg Riverfront Park. Locals have consistently voted the French Quarter Festival a favorite, earning accolades as the city’s top festival, food festival, and public event. https://frenchquarterfest.org
April 16–19
NOLA Cigar Festival
Experience the essence of New Orleans at the Nola Cigar Festival, where cigar aficionados and enthusiasts gather to celebrate the rich culture surrounding premium cigars. This annual event features an array of vendors showcasing the finest cigars, along with demonstrations, tastings, and educational seminars. Attendees can immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere, connect with fellow cigar lovers, and indulge in the culinary delights that New Orleans is renowned for. https://www.nolacigarfestival.com
April 20–26
Zurich Classic
The Zurich Classic is New Orleans’s premier golf tournament and the only PGA Tour event in the region, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. The Zurich Classic boasts a rich history, with play dating back to 1938 and past winners including golf greats like Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Casper, Davis Love III, David Toms and Vijay Singh. Zurich North America has a special relationship with New Orleans, the host city for the Zurich Classic, and with the Fore!Kids Foundation, which plans and oversees the Zurich Classic and distributes the proceeds to nonprofits. Since 2005, when Zurich became title sponsor of the PGA Tour event, Zurich has stood by the city and its people, from the depths of Hurricane Katrina through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zurich Classic was the first major sporting event to return to the city after Katrina in 2006. zurichgolfclassic.com
April 23–May 3
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
This world renowned festival is held at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, the third oldest racetrack in the country. This music, food, and art festival offers a mixture of local, national, and international artists. With 13 stages of soul-stirring music—jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean, folk, and much more—the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a singular celebration. The 2026 musical lineup includes the Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Teddy Swims, Jon Baptiste, Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, and many more. The festival is a cultural feast in which thousands of musicians, chefs, and craftspeople welcome attendees each year. www.nojazzfest.com
May 2–24
New Orleans Greek Festival
Opa! Baklava, gyros and ouzo daiquiris are on the menu at the New Orleans Greek Festival, held over Memorial Day weekend on Bayou St. John at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. There will be homemade traditional Greek food; wine; pastries; live, traditional Greek dancing; Greek bands playing near the bayou; tours of the cathedral; a marketplace with everything Greek; and a Greek grocery with delectable cheeses, dips, spices, and other goodies. www.greekfestnola.com
