1. Be A Part Of The Parade Madness
Mardi Gras might be New Orleans’ most famous parade, but it is far from the only one. The people in New Orleans know how to party and if it’s worth partying, it’s worth parading.
You’ll find various celebrations spilling into the streets all through the year paying homage to everything from St. Paddy’s Day to Joan of Arc’s birthday.
2. Jam Out At The French Quarter Festival
Along with parades, New Orleans knows how to do music and jazz festivals. The French Quarter Jazz Festival rolls around every April and is the South’s largest free music fest, so come check it out.
3. Search Out The Street Performers
From Royal to Frenchmen, street performers are the backbone of New Orleans and will always remind you what you love about this city.
4. Being Cultured Is Free At The New Orleans Museum Of Art
Every Wednesday, this world class museum filled with fine paintings and sculptures on 1,300 acres of park land in Mid City offers free admission to NOLA residents from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
5. Take In The Wonders Of The World Famous French Quarter
Bourbon Street, located in the French Quarter, is one of the most famous streets in the world. Along with Royal Street, it offers those who walk it the ability to peek back into 18th century NOLA.
6. Find Where To Go For Free Jazz
Jazz is everywhere in New Orleans, so you never really have to search too hard. Listen for free every Thursday at Armstrong Park during the spring and fall. Or come out for the Jazz and Heritage Foundation Festival and French Quarter Festival.
7. Explore The Historical Cemeteries
If you never thought you’d have a thing for cemeteries, that only means that you haven’t spent enough time getting to know New Orleans. View the cemeteries here in New Orleans for a sight you won’t see anywhere, especially on All Saints Day when the cemeteries are decorated.
8. Visit St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral stands as the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the country and is one of the most recognizable landmarks of New Orleans.
Come for mass or catch one of the free classical concerts put on by the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center.
9. Gallery Hop Through The Arts District
You can visit the galleries in the Arts District down Julia Street every first Saturday of every month free of charge and see firsthand just what everyone is talking about when they say that the local art of New Orleans is truly indescribable.
10. Walk Around Lafayette Square
Just a few minutes from the French Quarter, Lafayette Square is where visitors come to people watch or to sit on a blanket and enjoy free concerts of Wednesday at The Square (held every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. from early March to late May).
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11. Two Words: Free Oysters
That’s right. Visit Le Bon Temps Roule music club every Friday evening and take advantage of some music and oysters on the house.
12. Watch The Ships Roll In
Sit back and relax while you watch the ships as they pass down the Mississippi. Keep your ears open for the Steamboat Natchez’s calliope, a 32 note steam pipe organ.
13. Spend The Day Among The Centuries-Old Oak Trees In City Park
City Park is a 1,300 acres of green in the middle of New Orleans city and includes the largest collection of live oak trees in the world, some as old as 600 years.
Lagoons, playgrounds, and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden provide plenty to do throughout the day.
14. Get Spooked On A Self-Guided Tour
New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in the world. Do some research and take a self-guided tour of the most haunted places around New Orleans that will have you rethinking the phrase “I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts.”
15. Spectate Those Alligators
There are swamp alligator tours that you can take if you’re ever interested in getting up close and personal with a reptile that could probably swallow you in two bites.
16. Go Window Shopping On Magazine Street
You don’t have to empty out your wallet to enjoy Magazine Street, all though you certainly could.
Open year-round, the locally owned shops provide six miles of window shopping, art, and quaint outdoor cafes.
17. Explore The Garden District
The Garden District is where you’ll find the homes and former homes of other stars like Nicholas Cage, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey and more. Lined with oak trees and brimming with mansions, you’ll feel like you stepped into a movie when you visit.
18. Lend A Helping Hand The New Orleans Way
New Orleans has seen its share of hard times. But the locals here have worked their tails off rebuilding and helping the people in their community get back on their feet.
Join in the efforts with one of the many local charity and volunteer organizations to keep New Orleans the beautiful and unique place that it is.
19. Go Christmas Caroling In Jackson Square
You might not get a white Christmas, but it will definitely be a nice one. After checking out the tree and decorations on Fulton Street, head to Jackson Square for mass Christmas caroling.
20. Pack A Picnic And Head To Audubon Park
Audobon Park is a gorgeous spot in the city, located between Loyola and Tulane Universities. You’ll find 300 acres of lagoons, a 1.8 mile jogging trail, playgrounds, a serene landscaped sitting space meant to resemble a labyrinth, and amazing oak trees.
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21. Take A Ferry Ride To Algiers Point
Take a ride on the Canal Street ferry, which is free for walk-on passengers. You’ll end up at in the neighborhood of Algiers Point where you’ll find old churches, historic homes, Mardis Gras World, and Delcazi Park to keep you entertained.
22. Discover More About Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras lovers can get to know more about the tradition at the Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum.
Located above Armaud’s Classic Creole restaurant, you’ll find two dozen gowns, costumes, memorabilia, jewelry, krewe invitations, and photographs on display.
23. Feed Your Italian Pride With More Than Pasta
Located in the Warehouse District, the American Italian Renaissance Foundation’s Museum and Research Library highlights notable achievements throughout Italian-American history and has free admission.
24. NOLA Is An Art Exhibit In Itself
New Orleans has some fantastic murals. Some remind you how beautiful you are, others remind you to keep the plight of the civil rights movement alive and going strong.
25. Hit The Clubs Along Frenchmen Street
Put on your dancing shoes and club hob down Frenchmen Street where you’ll find many cover charge-free clubs.
26. Honor Greek Traditions
You don’t have to be Greek to attend and enjoy the New Orleans Greek Festival featuring traditions, events, and of course some spectacular Greek food.
27. Take The Jazz Walk Of Fame
Jazz lovers can visit New Orleans Jazz Historical Park to tip their hats to all that music that pulsates through the city like a heartbeat.
You can pick up a walking tour map of the city which will take you through the Jazz Walk of Fame and provides a schedule for the many jazz events and festivals throughout the year.
28. Celebrate With Fireworks
Join the rest of the city as they gather to ring in the New Year and celebrate Fourth of July with fireworks over the Mississippi.
29. Put All That Toe Tapping To Use
What better way to groove to the sounds of New Orleans than to dance? And if you don’t know how, fret not–you can take free swing dance lessons at the NOLA Jitterbug Dance School every Sunday.
30. Just Keep Your Eyes Open
New Orleans is almost like an assault of the senses. There is always so much going on, from the food to the fun, there’s rarely any stopping.
Keep your eyes open for three seconds and you’re bound to see something amazing and unique.
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