New Orleans fall festival season is underway across Southeast Louisiana with a packed calendar featuring the 11-day NOLAxNOLA music showcase, which runs through Oct. 4. Reaching its sixth edition, this celebration brings 300 concerts to upwards of 50 area venues, including New Orleans’s The Broadside.
NOLAxNOLA and Regional Kickoffs
At The Broadside, Sari Jordan with Art Camp 504 helped children create Mardi Gras masks during festivities that included performances, arts and crafts, and local vendors. “They get really focused on their masks, and they start doing really detailed stuff, so it’s really fun to watch them make things,” Jordan said. Attendee Malissa White praised the artists. “First and foremost, the music, right? Live music hits differently,” White said. “It’s just wonderful.”
In St. Charles Parish, the annual Alligator Festival continues through Sept. 27 to raise scholarship funds for local graduates. Festival coordinators report that a project originating from a $250 Rotary Club prize has expanded to exceed $50,000 yearly, culminating in over $1 million provided in educational grants. On the Northshore, the Village of Folsom hosted its Fall Festival & Chili Cook-off on Sept. 26 with an antique tractor exhibit, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, food trucks, and family activities. The St. Tammany Parish Fair will celebrate its 116th year from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, bringing carnival rides, livestock shows, rodeos, gospel music, horticulture exhibits, and fair food to Covington.
Major Changes for Established Favorites
Two legacy events return with major format and venue updates for the autumn season:
- National Fried Chicken Festival (Oct. 2–4): Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival is broadening into a full three-day weekend for the first time and relocating to the Lakefront Arena Festival Grounds. said Cleveland Spears III, founder and executive producer. “We felt like the 10th anniversary was a good opportunity to take the next step,” said Cleveland Spears III, founder and executive producer. “We want to be a major destination festival. We want to attract folks to come into New Orleans and celebrate a weekend here and spend their money here and support our restaurants and this local economy.”
- Gretna Festin’ (Saturdays in October): The classic three-day Gretna Fest transitions into a complimentary concert lineup named “Gretna Festin’.” Beginning Oct. 3, the event brings food, live music, and family activities to the batture across four consecutive Saturdays. “Our businesses need that opportunity this year,” Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant said. “They will be visible on the batture with specialty drinks and great food from all of the restaurants here in the city of Gretna.”
October Event Highlights
October features a dense lineup of neighborhood gatherings, culinary showcases, and seasonal celebrations across the metropolitan area:
- Abita Fall Fest (Oct. 2): Abita Springs Trailhead Park is the venue for the gathering organized by Abita Brewing Company, which showcases two musical stages, art displays, and food trucks.
- Fall Garden Festival (Oct. 3): City Park Conservancy and the LSU AgCenter host the annual horticultural event at the New Orleans Botanical Garden, featuring more than 50 plant vendors, educational exhibits, and live music. said Rebecca Dietz, president and CEO of City Park Conservancy. “The Fall Garden Festival is one of the region’s premier gardening events, and we are honored to host it each season,” said Rebecca Dietz, president and CEO of City Park Conservancy. “This day of beauty, bonding, and botanicals is special not just for the Park, but for the community as a whole. We invite plant fans far and wide to join us in the Heart of the City.”
- Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival and Gentilly Fest (Oct. 9–11): Weekend celebrations highlight regional music and local food.
- Deutsches Haus Oktoberfest (Oct. 9–10, 16–17, 23–24): Traditional German food, music, and beer in New Orleans.
- Northshore Beer Festival (Oct. 11): Set for the Mandeville Trailhead between noon and 3 p.m., the third installment of the festival provides entertainment, food trucks, and samples from craft breweries across Louisiana.
- NOLA Funk Fest and Praise Fest (Oct. 16–18): Separate events celebrate New Orleans funk heritage and gospel music.
- New Orleans Film Festival (Oct. 22–27 in person, virtually until Nov. 1): The New Orleans Film Society presents its annual showcase of independent cinema across local venues.
- Olde Towne Slidell Zombie Crawl (Oct. 23): Scheduled from 5 to 10 p.m., the twelfth iteration of the Carey Street block party is free to the public and features trunk-or-treating, artisans, live performances, and autumnal events, all paired with the Slidell Street Fair craft and antique market spanning six blocks.
- Krewe of BOO! (Oct. 24): The municipal Halloween parade makes its way through the downtown corridor, accompanied by popular community traditions like City Park’s Ghosts in the Oaks on Oct. 15 and Boo at the Zoo running from Oct. 16 to 18.
- Freaky Deaky NOLA (Halloween Weekend): A new festival takes over Mardi Gras World.
Looking ahead to November, the autumn calendar continues with Beignet Fest on Nov. 7 and the Oak Street Po’Boy Festival later in the month.
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