Don’t Miss the New Orleans Mac N Cheese Fest
Photo courtesy of NOLA Mac N Cheese Fest on Facebook
Why mac ‘n’ cheese, you ask? If we can throw a festival for a Creole tomato or pretty much every type of seafood swimming in the Gulf, why not celebrate this quintessential American dish?
The rest of the country has been honoring mac ‘n’ cheese with its own festival in places like California and New Mexico. Baton Rouge has one, and Chicago’s version is enormous, for example. Believe it or not, there wasn’t one in New Orleans until two years ago, but it looks like there’s always room for another food festival in our city.
New Orleans will be holding its third Mac N Cheese Fest on Saturday, October 12, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., at the Louis Armstrong Park (701 N. Rampart St.). The sprawling park in Tremé sees its share of festivals, and it’s a perfect location because of its size and proximity to the French Quarter.
The fest is free and kid-friendly. It will feature dozens of mac ‘n’ cheese dishes from Louisiana restaurants, pop-ups and food catering businesses. You can buy food and drink tickets by the main entrance on the day of the fest.
This year, festival organizers are increasing the number of participating vendors yet again to accommodate the fest’s growing popularity. The inaugural festival was such a success several vendors even ran out of their offerings before the day was over. The organizers were working hard to ensure it didn’t happen last year. Last year, each vendor was set up to accommodate two lines of customers, serving at least one mac ‘n’ cheese dish, plus up to five non-mac items.
In the past, the vendor lineup included The Big Cheesy, a popular local grilled cheese restaurant with locations in Kenner and Uptown, House of Blues Restaurant & Bar, and Manning’s Sports Bar & Grill at Harrah’s, and French Quarter’s seafood mainstay Oceana Grill were represented last year.
The mac ‘n’ cheese dishes will be judged by a panel of professional and celebrity judges to select the best mac ‘n’ cheese in the city. Past winners included the local BBQ pop-up Gonzo’s Smokehouse & BBQ, in 2017, for its brisket mac ‘n’ cheese; and Uptown’s Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar last year, for its crawfish version of mac ‘n’ cheese.
New this year is the introduction of the Artist Market. This year will also be the start of a new festival tradition, the NOLA Mac n’ Cheese Eating Contest. The brave souls (with iron stomachs) will compete for the honor of earning the title of the New Orleans’ Biggest Mac n’ Cheese Fan.
The live music lineup is scheduled for the whole duration of the festival. Visit the festival’s website and Facebook page for the updates on the vendor and music lineup and the unveiling of this year’s roster of judges.
A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit Special Olympics Louisiana, which will be at the Fest hosting the Unified Play Area. Bring the whole family!
Looking for somewhere to stay during your visit to New Orleans this fall? Find your perfect historic French Quarter hotel at FrenchQuarter.com/hotels.
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How to Dress for Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
Photo courtesy of Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
Dressing for music festivals is always a challenge. How do you strike the perfect note between practical and Instagram-perfect? Throw unpredictable weather and Halloween into the mix, and you have a recipe for one of the most daunting wardrobe events ever. That’s why research, preparation and weather apps are your best friends when it comes to dressing for Voodoo Music +Arts Experience. Follow this advice, dress for fun and comfort!
Lovely layers
At Jazz Fest, you pretty much know what kind of weather to expect: hot and humid. However, the weather in late October can vacillate between warm and muggy to wet and rainy to cold and windy—sometimes all in one day. Check the weather reports beforehand and prepare accordingly.
Layers are your best friend, but they needn’t be boring and utilitarian—they can make a statement that’s all their own. Tie a flannel around your waist during the day and layer it under a moto jacket at night. Or bring a scarf that can double as a blanket or head wrap. You’ll be glad you have these multitasking pieces when the sun goes down and a chill sets in.
Comfortable shoes
Voodoo sprawls across 50 beautiful, wooded acres of City Park. Whether you’re trekking from your parking spot to the front gate, standing in line at the amusement rides or staking out a prime spot by the main stage, you’ll be on your feet for hours on end. Do yourself a favor and opt for comfy, sturdy footwear. Sneakers, boots and comfy flats are all solid options. (Bonus pointed for studded, fringed, or equally bad-ass looking footwear with a rock-star vibe.)
Make rain plans
Unless there’s a serious deluge (as was the case in 2015), Voodoo is a rain-or-shine event. Bring a poncho—they’re a lot more crowd-friendly than umbrellas. In a pinch, you can rip arm and neck holes in a garbage bag and wear that. As far as footwear, you can’t go wrong with galoshes or shrimp boots. Grassy meadows turn to mud when it rains, and you’ll see at least one sad, solitary flip-flop surrendered to the muck.
Costumes
Voodoo takes place Halloween weekend (this year, it’s Oct. 25-27, 2019), which means New Orleanians seize upon the event as an excuse to costume. Don’t be afraid to get decked out. At least half of the crowd will be costumed, especially on Voodoo’s final day.
If it’s cold, try layering fleece tights under your costume, or add a coat that complements your look and has some pizzazz. (Colorful vintage versions, shaggy faux fur boleros or classic pea coats can all look great and enhance a costume, depending on what you’re going for.). In the event of inclement weather, accessories like wigs and headpieces are your best friends. They look festive, and they keep your head warm and dry. Face paint, glitter, horns and wings are other fantastic accessories—but if you forgot to pack Halloween pieces, keep in mind that some vendors may sell them at the merch tables.
Hope that helps—and see you at Voodoo!
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New Orleans Burlesque Festival, September 13-14, 2019
Photo by Darrell Miller. Courtesy of New Orleans Burlesque Festival.
If you’re in town during the second weekend of September, check out the annual Burlesque Festival, an international event that brings together the best of local talent and some big international names. Dancers, emcees, comics, singers, and variety-act performers.
Photo by Darrell Miller. Courtesy of New Orleans Burlesque Festival.
Burlesque was one of the main attractions in the French Quarter in the 1940s-60s, featuring the largest concentration of burlesque clubs than anywhere in the country. It’s made Bourbon Street famous and launched many careers. Some of the most famous burlesque dancers to this day have performed in clubs on Bourbon Street — Evangeline the Oyster Girl, Lily Christine the Cat Girl, Blaze Starr. It’s only fitting that New Orleans is now the epicenter of the modern-day burlesque revival, with this festival carrying on the tradition of the golden age of burlesque since 2009.
Photo by Darrell Miller. Courtesy of New Orleans Burlesque Festival.
Events will be held at House of Blues. Check the festival’s Facebook page for more details and updates or by visiting neworleansburlesquefest.com.
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Get a Passport to New Orleans Culture During Museum Month
Photo courtesy of Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours from City Sightseeing New Orleans
From the vast National World War II Museum to the tiny New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, museum-lovers can have a field day in New Orleans. And the optimal time to visit them is August, when more than a dozen local museums offer an all-inclusive passport to explore than city’s treasures during New Orleans Museum Month.
To get in on the deal, visitors just need to purchase a membership at one of the participating institutions, where annual fees start at $45. A membership card from any participating museum lets you in free to all the others throughout the month of August.
Must-See Museums for Visitors
National World War II Museum (945 Magazine St.)
Housed on a six-acre campus with five soaring pavilions, the country’s official World War II Museum tells the story of the globe-spanning war that changed the world through the experiences of the men and women who lived through it. Expect to spend more than one day exploring its vast exhibits, which becoming a member allows you to do.
Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp St.)
The CAC is a hub of creative activity, from large-scale visual art exhibitions to music, dance, and theatre performances. The first Saturday in August, it also serves as ground zero for the Arts District’s annual White Linen Night, when it hosts a lively after party. Free admission to that hot-ticket event is included with a membership.
Ogden Museum of Contemporary Art (925 Camp St.)
Just across the street from the CAC, the Ogden boasts the largest collection of Southern art in the country, ranging from traditional folk art to cutting edge contemporary art and photography. Membership fees are discounted during August, and include free admission to live Ogden After Hours concerts every Thursday.
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum (514 Chartres St.)
Built in 1823 for Louis Dufilho, America’s first licensed pharmacy, this unique museum gives visitors a glimpse into oft-questionable medical practices in 19th century New Orleans, when opium was as common as aspirin and voodoo potions shared shelf space with patent medicines. Memberships include free admission to special programs.
New Orleans Museum of Art (City Park)
The city’s oldest fine arts museum dates first opened in 1911 and houses extensive collections of art from around the world. Set on a beautiful outdoor campus in City Park, NOMA is also home to the five-acre Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden. Memberships include members-only preview receptions and special events.
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Women Take Center Stage During FestiGals
Photo courtesy of Festigals – festigals.org
Created by women for women, FestiGals celebrates women in all their glory during a power-packed weekend (June 21-23) that combines inspiring presentations and breakout sessions with plenty of only-in-New-Orleans fun.
Now in its eighth year, FestiGals kicks off on Friday, June 21, with a Celebrating Women’s Conference that includes a Shopping Showcase of women-owned businesses and a Hats Off Award Luncheon honoring exceptional women in the community.
On Saturday, June 22, FestiGals can explore New Orleans by touring historic homes in the Garden District and sampling local spirits at the Seven Three Distillery. That sets the stage for FestiGals’ marquee event: the annual STEP UP parade on Saturday night.
Led by 2019 Grand Diva Amanda Shaw, the internationally acclaimed Louisiana fiddle sensation, hundreds of women decked out in sparkles, glitter and boas will second-line through the French Quarter, strutting their stuff for enthusiastic crowds to the street beats of jazzy brass bands.
The fun starts with pre-parade cocktails at New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old US Mint, which benefits The American Heart Association, and continues at a post-parade After Glow Party at Harrah’s New Orleans Casino Theater. Revelers can refresh themselves with light bites and cocktails before hitting the Harrah’s dance floor, where Amanda Shaw will pick up her fiddle and heat things up with her crackerjack band.
On Sunday, June 23, “every woman is a queen” at the annual Drag Queen Brunch, which features spicy Bloody Mary’s and Creole cuisine, along with the always-entertaining antics of beloved New Orleans drag queen Reba Douglas.
FestiGals attendees can purchase tickets for individual events, or spring for the Total Weekend Diva Package ($350), at EventBrite. All tickets must be purchased by June 21.
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The Best Barbecue in New Orleans
Photo courtesy of McClure’s Barbecue on Facebook
Barbecue is probably the most famous sub-genre of Southern cooking, and New Orleans is the best food city in the South (if not the country), but ironically, our city isn’t known as a traditional barbecue stronghold. Our cuisine has always skewed more towards seafood and rich, buttery dishes that sit at the intersection of French and West African cooking influences. But this situation has been changing rapidly in the years following Hurricane Katrina, as a plethora of barbecue spots have opened across the city. Here are some of our favorite places in town to score some smoked goodness.
Central City BBQ
(1201 S Rampart Street)
Central City BBQ is blowing up the smoked meat scene in the city from their CBD location near the Union Passenger Terminal. Guests rave about the huge regional beer menu, clean, contemporary interior, and of courses, the locally sourced meat, prepared by a pit team that includes stalwart veterans of the city’s’ culinary scene. One of the few spots in town to grab some burnt ends – save us a spot at the table.
The Joint
(701 Mazant Street)
A beloved Bywater spot with a sly sense of humor (The Joint’s long time motto is “Always Smokin’”), this low-slung smokehouse gets packed during lunch times and weekends as the crowds pack in for groaning trays of ‘que. We’re big fans of the brisket, which has an impossibly rich ‘bark’ (the outer crust of the meat), and the sides, which includes a salad that would almost make us consider giving up meat, if it weren’t for the fact the meat here is so good. There’s a good bar on site that mixes some surprisingly delicious cocktails. The look of The Joint is reason enough to visit – the spot looks like a ramshackle folk art project dunked in lemon paint. Bring the kids.
Brügger’s Barbecüe
(2831 St Claude Avenue)
Located inside of the St Roch market, Brugger’s is the brainchild of Texas native Damian Brugger, who used to smoke his meat the Black Label Icehouse. This outpost of his barbecue dreams serves excellent sausages and small mountains of juicy brisket. Or try some of the pork shoulder, a smoked, juicy revelation that has our mouths watering as we type.
McClure’s Barbecue
(3001 Tchoupitoulas Street)
The best thing about McClure’s is its location. Not that it has a great view of anything (“Come see scenic Tchoupitoulas and Seventh St. The shipping containers are gorgeous this time of year!”), but it’s located within NOLA Brewing, which means you get to supplement all of that delicious barbeque with a bunch of locally brewed, delicious suds. Life doesn’t get much better. Oh yeah: they’ve got a brisket cheesesteak on the menu. Brisket. Cheesesteak.
Blue Oak
(900 N Carrollton Avenue)
For years, Blue Oak doled out its barbecue plates from a window in Chickie Wah Wah, one of the great music clubs of New Orleans. As the spot grew in popularity, they carved out a brick and mortar outpost for themselves on N Carrollton, near the edge of City Park and Bayou St John. There’s a lot of good things about Blue Oak, but we especially contend that they serve some of the best chicken wings and smoked chicken in the city. They’re quite family friendly as well.
Frey Smoked Meat Co.
(4141 Bienville Street)
Family friendly Frey’s delivers big plates of tasty, smoky, messy barbecue, but it does so in a clean, polished setting within the semi-suburban Mid-City Marketplace. That means this is a convenient spot if you need easy parking and space for the little ones to run around, although the atmosphere isn’t as charmingly chaotic as you might find in other places on this list. Platters include pork belly, sausage, and a cave man worthy beef rib; order a side of pimento mac n’ cheese and go to town.
Walker’s BBQ
(10828 Hayne Boulevard)
Walker’s is most famous for its cochon de lait po’boy, which is a staple of Jazz Fest menus. This is basically slow cooked pork, soft enough to tear apart with your hands and delicious enough to enjoy any time of year, festival season or no. Everything else on the menu is wonderful too. Walker’s is located out in New Orleans East, so it’s a bit of a hike to get out here, but to be fair, we’d trek much further than the East for some cochon de lait.
Smokin’ Hot Butts
(500 S Telemachus Street)
This Mid-City spot is notable for its rubs, its ribs, and its location – within Twelve Mile Limit, one of the best neighborhood bars in a city that has some very fine neighborhood bars. Enjoy an Old-Fashioned, play a little pool, then settle down for a barbecue plate that ought to include the loaded tots – swimming in cheese, meat and all sorts of other goodies.
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Round Up the Girls and Come To FestiGals in New Orleans
It seems like a day doesn’t go by without a celebration of some sort in the Big Easy! FestiGals is a decadent New Orleans festival that praises women from all walks of life, and takes place this year on June 21-24, 2018. This empowering festival provides a fun and exciting environment for women from all over to have a memorable time with friends. FestiGals is part girls’ weekend, part business trip, and part giving opportunity, featuring a variety of events for every kind of woman. If you are visiting the city this summer and looking for exciting New Orleans attractions and events to partake in, grab your gals and experience this one-of-a-kind festival!
Finding New Orleans Attractions and Festivals
There is never a dull moment in this dynamic city. Between all of the exciting New Orleans attractions, festivals, events, and celebrations, you will barely have enough time to catch your breath! While staying in the city, be sure to check out some of the famous New Orleans attractions like the St. Louis Cathedral, the mighty Mississippi River, The Aquarium of the Americas, the National World War II Museum, historic Jackson Square, and delicious Cafe Du Monde, just to name a few. If you and your girls plan on staying in the city this summer, you will not regret partaking in all the fun at FestiGals in New Orleans! This weekend-long festival starts with check-in on Thursday, followed by the New Orleans Women’s Conference on Friday. This premiere female-centric conference features talks from multiple local and nationally-successful business women, sponsored by female-friendly causes and businesses.
A Festival Fighting For Good Causes
FestiGals girls not only have fun, but they fight for good causes. Past beneficiaries include American Heart, Breastoration, Cancer Associations of Greater New Orleans, Dress for Success, Heart N Hands, Metropolitan Center for Women and Children, New Orleans Family Justice Center, and New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter.
FestiGal Traditions in New Orleans
Partake in the largest all women second-line parade at FestiGals in New Orleans! This festival is full of traditions, and this particular one is loved by festival participants. Join your friends and strut your stuff down the streets surrounded by New Orleans brass bands and female marching troupes. After the parade, enjoy delicious food and drinks donated by local restaurants and jam out to music by Groovy 7! FestiGals attendees are also given entry to FestiTalks, a brand new addition to this diverse conference. During FestiTalks, women from various industries with different roles in their communities will give brief talks on subjects of interest.
Finding the Perfect New Orleans Hotel This Summer
Planning a trip to New Orleans this summer? Check out all of the great New Orleans attractions, festivals, and events in the Big Easy, and be sure to reserve your spot at one of the Valentino Hotels close to all the action. Book your stay at the Place d’Armes Hotel on Jackson Square, Prince Conti and Hotel St. Marie just off of Bourbon Street, French Market Inn overlooking Decatur Street and the Mississippi River, or the classic Lafayette Hotel on the historic St. Charles Avenue in the Central Business District. Experience the quality and charm offered at all of these historic New Orleans hotels!
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New Orleans’ Tricentennial Celebration
Happy birthday to New Orleans, 300 years in the making! The year 2018 marks the city of New Orleans’s 300th anniversary, and the city is going all out on the monthslong celebration of its illustrious history, diverse culture and unique traditions. The extensive program, put forth by city officials and the 2018 NOLA Commission formed by Mayor Landrieu, includes concerts, exhibitions, citywide celebratory events, and, of course, fireworks (twice). Several major infrastructure projects are also slated for completion in 2018 as part of marking the anniversary.
To celebrate the historic ties between New Orleans and France a delegation of local business, cultural, civic, and government leaders, helmed by the Mayor, traveled to France in November 2017. And The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com teamed up on a series “300 for 300” since January 2017, publishing special features on the 300 events that shaped the city and the 300 people who have defined it.
So, stay tuned for updates of the tricentennial projects, buy some merch, and get out there to celebrate during the end of 2017, and into the new year. Here are some highlights on the related improvement projects and special events.
Gallier Hall Legacy Restoration Project
The tricentennial legacy project is the large-scale restoration of historic Gallier Hall, directed by the Gallier Hall Preservation Committee. The Greek Revival building was erected between 1845 and 1853 and served as City Hall until 1956. Restoration plans include interior painting and repair, rewiring, and restoration of the period furniture, the decor like mirrors and chandeliers; paintings; and even the Steinway pianos.
Large-Scale Improvement Projects
Other improvements include the New Orleans riverfront, with the completion of Crescent Park, a dog-friendly public green space along the river that connects Bywater and the French Market. Another large-scale green-space renovation, the Lafitte Greenway, is a 2.6-mile stretch of pedestrian and bike paths, from Bayou St. John in Mid-City to the French Quarter.
The recent expansion of the N. Rampart/St. Claude streetcar line eases the navigation of the city’s widespread areas. Another notable projects are the $360 million redevelopment of the long-vacant World Trade Center into a Four Seasons hotel, and the makeover of Bourbon Street. This most-visited street in the city hasn’t had an extensive upgrade since 1928, so the $6 million repair project, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017, will replace drain and water lines, repair and upgrade gas pipes, and will lay eight inches of concrete.
Scheduled to open in February 2019, the new, 972,000 sq. feet North Terminal facility at the Louis Armstrong airport will have two concourses, 35 gates, and a parking garage for more than 2,000 cars. And, last but not least, the New Orleans Recreation Development Committee (NORDC) announced the opening of five remodeled recreation centers: the St. Bernard Center, Sanchez Center, Lyons Center, Joe W. Brown Recreation Center, Cut-Off Recreation Center, and the Milne Center.
Tricentennial Events Through February 2018
Although the celebration goes well into 2018, here are just some of the highlights of how New Orleans will be celebrating its 300th birthday through the winter of 2018.
Exhibitions:
What: Solidary & Solitary: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection
When: 09/30/2017 – 01/21/2018
Where: The Ogden Museum of Southern Art
What: The Church in the Crescent: Three Hundred Years of Catholicism in New Orleans
When: 10/13/2017 – 06/30/2018
Where: Old Ursuline Convent Museum
What: Women of New Orleans: Builders and Rebuilders
When: Times and dates vary
Where: Various venues, presented by Nola4Women
What: New Orleans, the Founding Era
When: 02/27/2018 – 05/27/2018
Where: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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Long Form Exposure: PhotoNOLA
Photo courtesy of PhotoNola on Facebook
In December, New Orleans celebrates its vibrant community of photographers and welcomes artists from around the world to PhotoNOLA, a series of gallery openings, lectures, and workshops held annually between the first and second weekends of December (Dec 7-10 this year).
Events provide photographers invaluable opportunities to acquire new skills, experience new art, and meet others artists. For the general public, gallery openings, largely coinciding with the second Saturday arts walk on St Claude Ave, spotlight the city’s best artists as well as larger trends in the art world.
PhotoNOLA grew from brainstorming sessions Don Marshall (of the Jazz and Heritage Foundation) held to work on economic recovery post-Hurricane Katrina. Those sessions led to the development of the New Orleans Photo Alliance, which serves photographers living in the Gulf Coast, and presents PhotoNOLA each year to highlight photographic arts and continue to spur economic recovery in the city.
Events begin Thursday (Dec 7), and include a 6-10pm opening gala at the New Orleans Museum of Art where contemporary artist and photographer Xaviera Simmons will give the keynote address for the week.
Workshops for photographers kick off on Friday (Dec 8), including a two day workshop with Ashley Gilbertson at the International House. The day culminates when participants in the PhotoNOLA Portfolio Review display their work for an evening portfolio walk at the Ogden Museum of Art’s Patrick F. Taylor Library. This event is free and open to the public and lasts from 7-9pm.
PhotoNOLA culminates Saturday (Dec 9) night, when galleries and alternative venues across the city will host dozens of photographers. This is a night where it is impossible to see everything, but fun to try. Determined souls might start in the CBD and explore around Julia Street, then make a few stops in the Quarter on Royal before finally heading to the St. Claude corridor, but even that route misses some outlying venues.
On Sunday, December 10th, events are all free and open to the public, and include a screening of the film My Louisiana Love by Monique Verdin at 12:30 p.m. at The Historic New Orleans Collection, and a presentation by photographer Priya Kambli at the Old U.S. Mint at 10 a.m. A full listing of PhotoNOLA events can be found here.
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Fun New Orleans Sightseeing with the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
With a city as robust and cultured as New Orleans, you can imagine the overwhelming number of attractions, restaurants, shops and much more. We found ourselves asking – What neighborhoods are must-sees? Which museums are worth the price of admission? How will we get there? What do the locals do for fun? I am certain even locals who’ve lived here for decades haven’t seen every concert, shopped at every boutique, enjoyed each delicious restaurant or even attended every festival. So, where to begin?
We decided to start with a broad overview of the city—which is just what the Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour offers! Chances are, you’ve noticed the BIG RED, double-decker buses rolling around New Orleans (they’re hard to miss). But, what you may not know is why they’re an excellent way to start exploring the magic of New Orleans. Hop-On Hop-Off gave us a great big southern welcome to the Big Easy!
What is the Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour?
Simply put, the tour consists of an Open-Top fun bus navigated by a SAINTED driver and hosted by a TALENTED tour guide, who describes the sites and history you encounter along the way. You’ll learn more than you ever imagined, from the iron-laced historic buildings to the above-ground cemeteries. We discovered New Orleans’ Jazz, its unique cuisine, antique street cars, Mardi Gras traditions and the romance pulsating throughout the soul of the city. Few cities can boast so rich a heritage!
But here’s the real beauty of the Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour: you will see landmarks and local hangouts you would have otherwise overlooked. With a local tour guide showing you the ropes, you can’t miss a thing! We left the city with such a wealth of knowledge and a true overview of New Orleans!
The bus makes a total of 18 stops along its 2-hour loop, and you can start your tour wherever most convenient – Jackson Square, the Garden District, or even at the Basin St. Station Visitor Center. You’ll cruise down Canal Street and through the Central Business District; then head straight up Magazine Street into the Garden District. This is where we decided to Hop-Off. The streets were filled with locals, and spicy aromas – on every corner, there was another unique boutique or shop, not your run-of-the-mill selections. After our fill… Food, Shopping and Local Beer… we hopped back on the bus and continued down the historic St. Charles Avenue. This is where you discover a true sense of New Orleans Mardi Gras. We learned about the strong French and Catholic roots. But, even better, saw what they call “BEAD trees” first hand! Next stop: the heart of the French Quarter. You’ll travel around the Marigny then pass by Tremé and Louis Armstrong Park. All the while, your Top-Deck Tour Guide portrays the culture and describes the city’s unique characters with you!
How does ticketing work?
It’s very simple – you can Hop-On at any stop and buy a ticket! A one-day ticket of unlimited rides is $39, but the best value is found in the three-day ticket. For $10 additional dollars, ride the bus for 2 more days and take advantage of the two free guided walking tours: French Quarter and Garden District. Another great bonus, we were able to get our bearings, ride the two-hour loop, and then really plan where we wanted to get off the next day to discover the unique treasures of New Orleans.
With your Hop-On Hop-Off ticket, you also have tremendous savings on other attractions. All along the route there are city deal offers. Our absolute favorite was the St. Louis #1 Cemetery Tour! You save $5 dollars and get to walk through the tombs of Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau and even get to see the future home of Nicolas Cage (a gleaming, nine-foot pyramid).
Much more than just a bus
The Hop-On Hop-Off Tour is an unbelievable bargain – both City Tour and Transportation. Every stop on the tour, from Jackson Square to Mardi Gras World, is a world-class destination. You aren’t just getting shuffled around from point A to point B: you’re getting a curated experience.
When we considered the cost of other tours, or added up the price of Ubers and taxis for three days, we felt like we saved a ton.
Plus, riding in the open-air bus is fun! There’s nothing like sitting on the breezy top deck, beneath a red-and-yellow awning, at the height of a Mardi Gras float, and passing under the oaks on St. Charles Avenue, inches away from the leftover beads glittering in their branches. If you need a break from New Orleans’ humid, subtropical climate, just go downstairs and soak up the air conditioning on the bus’s lower level.
What can I expect from the tour?
We wouldn’t want to give everything away (and there’s hardly enough room to share all the information here), but below are a few highlights from our favorite stops!
Stop 1: Jackson Square
Grab a beignet and café au lait from Café du Monde, which sits at the start of this large open-air market. Relax and take in the views of the river and the Iconic Cathedral. This is perfect photo opportunity!
Stop 2: French Market
Hop-Off here and join the French Quarter walking tour. Be sure to check out the French Market; it is the oldest of its kind in the U.S. and, originally was founded as an American trading post. Today, you can shop with local artists, jewelry makers, and grab a bite to eat along the way.
Stop 4: Treme
Willie Mae’s Scotch House, Dooky Chase and Ernie K-Doe’s lounge are just a few must-sees in this historic neighborhood, which is named for real estate developer Claude Treme. Be sure to double check business hours, as many are rather erratic.
Stop 5: Basin St. Station Visitor Center
At this former site of the historic Southern Railway/New Orleans Terminal Company, you’ll find restrooms, a gift shop, cold drinks and souvenirs for sale, an educational exhibit and 7-minute film. Also, an easy and affordable parking option sits right next door for those in need. This is also where you would hop-off to join the St. Louis #1 Cemetery walking tour.
Stop 7: Riverfront Harrah’s Casino
Enjoy a signature drink and take advantage of the $5 FREE slot play. Fulton Street is also packed with lots of great places to check out, from Fulton Alley to do a little bowling to having a beer at Manning’s.
Stop 10: The National World War II Museum
This museum opened in 2000 and honors Andrew Higgins, who owned Higgins boatyards here in New Orleans. President Eisenhower called these “the boats that won the war.” The Museum features immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, and an expansive collection of artifacts and first-person oral histories to take visitors inside the story of the war.
Stop 11-12-13: Magazine Street
Welcome to miles of fantastic shopping, restaurants, bars, and boutiques! There are 3 stops along this mile-long stretch of Magazine Street (at Jackson, at Washington, and at Louisiana) – convenient for Hopping-Off, Strolling along, and Hopping-On down the block! Don’t miss the Garden District Walking Tour that leaves from Stop 12.
Stop 14 & 15: St. Charles Avenue
You’ll find a piece of the original Eiffel Tower on this street. It was disassembled into 11,000 pieces and rebuilt on St. Charles Avenue, where it now serves as a club and events venue.
Stop 16: Mardi Gras World
These warehouses contain floats and décor made by Blaine Kern for 48 prominent Mardi Gras krewes. It’s most definitely worth a tour and Hop-On Hop-Off ticket holders are afforded a discounted admission!
We made our way around the city, hopping-on and off at our leisure. This city tour was flexible, at our own pace, convenient and overall, a lot of FUN. We left New Orleans feeling like a local! The Hop-On Hop-Off is an absolute must-do.
