It’s time to get your calendar ready, as we hit the peak of New Orleans spring festival season this April.
Huge music festivals from French Quarter Fest to the big 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest — fill the lineup this month.
Here’s your guide to spring festivals and major events to mark on your calendar in April. Check back for updates as we get them.
April 2019
New Orleans Food & Wine ExperienceApril 3 – 7 |
Various locations around New Orleans | |
| Hundreds of wineries, restaurants and top chefs from around the city showcase their best for this diverse culinary experience. Test your palate with wine and food tastings at this event-packed feast. Some of the big highlights include the Grand Tasting and the Royal Street Stroll. Plus, the fest adds two new experiences this year — a Tournament of Rosés along Fulton Street and a Tabasco brunch at NOCHI. | ||
Italian Heritage FestivalApril 5 – 7 |
Rivertown Kenner, La. Google Map |
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| Former Kenner police chief Nick Congemi founded this festival to celebrate the rich Italian heritage and customs embedded into the formation of the Kenner area. Live music, food, rides, games and crafts are the festival’s main features. | ||
New Orleans Sacred Music FestivalApril 6 |
New Orleans Healing Center Google Map |
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| Diverse cultures and traditions come together to share voices at this local celebration of the intersection of music and spirituality. The New Orleans Sacred Music Festival spreads peace and respect to all people and their faiths. A full schedule of performances and workshops take over the New Orleans Healing Center. Free admission. |
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Freret Street FestivalApril 6 |
Freret Street between Napoleon & Valmont Google Map |
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| This annual, free neighborhood festival takes over Freret Street. Music stages, local vendors and festival food vendors span from Napoleon Street to Valmont Street. This family-friendly fest is a great way to make your weekend soar. | ||
Asian Heritage FestivalApril 6 |
Audubon Zoo Google Map |
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| The Asian-Pacific American Society presents its signature cultural event, the Asian Heritage Festival, at Audubon Zoo. The event features a celebration of the music, dance and traditions of Asian and some of the Pacific Islands. Families can enjoy a day filled with live entertainment, arts, crafts and more. | ||
Crawfest 2019April 6 |
Tulane University Google Map |
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| Get your fill of crawfish at Tulane University’s Crawfest — an annual music, food, and arts festival located at the University’s Uptown campus. Each year, community members and students can dig into more than 20,000 pounds of crawfish and thousands of pounds of veggies. The fest also includes music from bands on two stages plus dozens of local food and art vendors. Dive into unlimited crawfish, soda and water. The event is free and open to all Tulane students with a current Splash Card and free for children age 12 and under. Tickets for non-students are $15. | ||
A Taste of CovingtonApril 10 – 14 |
Various locations Downtown Covington, La. | |
| A Taste of Covington brings a five-day celebration of food, wine, music and art to historic downtown Covington, La. Chef demonstrations, a Grand Tasting, a series of vintner dinners and a champagne jazz brunch make up some of the featured events. Tickets start at $55. | ||
French Quarter FestApril 11 – 14 |
French Quarter | |
| One of the country’s largest free festivals brings local music, food and drink to the epicenter of the French Quarter. Festival-goers can enjoy food from more than 60 vendors, including some new dishes, and music from more than 250 acts. Galactic, Irma Thomas and George Porter, Jr. headline the French Quarter Festival. Others acts filling the daily lineup include Water Seed, Flow Tribe, Rockin’ Dopsie. Here’s a list of new things festival-goers can expect this year. | ||
Ponchatoula Strawberry FestivalApril 12 – 14 |
Memorial Park Ponchatoula, La. Google Map |
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| Head to “Strawberry Paradise” for this free, three-day fest spotlighting the strawberry. Festival-goers can enjoy strawberries served up almost every way imaginable at this sweet event. This free, family-friendly outdoor festival happens at Memorial Park in downtown Pontchatoula, La. Weekend festivities also include tons of music, games, rides and strawberry eating contests. | ||
NOMA Egg Hunt and Family FestivalApril 13 |
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden Google Map |
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| Live music, face-painting and the signature Easter egg hunt highlight one of NOMA’s most popular events, where the whole family can come out to enjoy a day filled with fun in the sun. | ||
Crescent City ClassicApril 20 |
Citywide CCC Race Course |
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| Runners and walkers can look forward to one of the region’s premier 10k road races. The Easter weekend tradition attracts more than 25,000 participants of all ages and levels, including competitive and amateur racers. A two-day expo precedes the race, and a post-race festival closes out the event at City Park. | ||
Easter ParadesApril 21 |
French Quarter | |
| Several parades roll in the French Quarter on Easter Sunday. The lineup begins with the Historic French Quarter Parade at 9:45 a.m., followed by Chris Owens French Quarter Easter Parade at 1 p.m. and the Gay Easter Parade at 4:30 p.m. | ||
Zurich Classic of New OrleansApril 22 – 28 |
TPC Louisiana Google Map |
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| The Zurich Classic attracts some of the biggest golf pros to New Orleans on this major stop on the annual PGA Championship Tournament Circuit. This family-friendly event tees off at TPC of Louisiana in Avondale, La. Ticket prices start at $35. | ||
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage FestivalApril 25 – May 5 |
New Orleans Fairgrounds Google Map |
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| Thousands of music lovers head to the Fairgrounds for this two-weekend festival, considered one of the city’s most world-renowned events. Tons of music spans several stages bringing big local and international names across different genres. So many epic acts are set for Jazz Fest’s big 50th anniversary including Katy Perry, Diana Ross and Santana. Let’s also not forget to mention all the incredible food vendors that will fill the Fairgrounds like the sought after Crawfish Monica, Mango Freeze and cochon de lait po-boys. Festival-goers can also enjoy art exhibits and some good people watching. Here are some festival tips straight from fest-goers to get you through. Ticket prices vary. | ||
Zoo-To-Do For KidsApril 26 |
Audubon Zoo Google Map |
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| End the work week on a good note by enjoying a day with your kids at Audubon Zoo’s Zoo-To-Do For Kids event, where numerous artists and entertainers (such as face painters, magicians, crafters, etc.) will keep the family entertained for hours. Inflatables, games, and snacks will also be available. | ||
Hospice Foundation of the South’s Crawfish Cook-OffApril 27 |
Fritchie Park Slidell, La. Google Map |
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| Pinch, peel and suck all the crawfish you can eat, as crawfish cookin’ teams from across the South battle it out to claim the top prize. This annual crawfish cook-off at Slidell’s Fritchie Park is worth the trip. Hear live, local music from bands like The Bucktown Allstars. Proceeds benefit the Hospice of the South. Advance tickets start at $30. Admission is $35 at the gate. Children ages 12 and under are free. | ||
Angola Prison RodeoApril 27 – 28 |
Louisiana State Penitentiary Google Map |
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| Thousands of visitors flock to the longest-running prison rodeo in the nation. In addition to the various rodeo events, many visitors look forward to the arts and crafts show including the intricate, handmade works from inmates. Tickets are $20. | ||
NOLA Crawfish FestivalApril 29 – May 1 |
Central City BBQ Google Map |
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| Hang out at the three-day NOLA Crawfish Festival at Central City BBQ. Several local musicians jam while festival-goers gobble pounds of crawfish. The festival hosts an “Ultimate Crawfish Cook-Off” on its last day where 20 teams compete for the best crawfish boil. Plus, the festival hosts its first-ever crawfish eating contest. Ticket prices start at $35, plus taxes and fees. |
*All dates and information are subject to change.
Contact us if there are changes in schedule.
