60 upcoming events near New Orleans — concerts, theater, markets, library programs and more. Free to browse; each links to the source.
Classes & arts
June 5, 2026
Evening, after hours
New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park
You can explore the museum after dark with live music, gallery talks, and cocktails at this Friday-night celebration of artist Robert Gordy.
Food festivals
June 6 to 7, 2026
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
French Market and Dutch Alley, French Quarter · New Orleans, LA
French Market and Dutch Alley, French Quarter
You can graze on Creole tomato dishes, sip Bloody Marys, catch live music across four stages, and take free dance lessons at this 40th annual French Quarter party.
Lifelong learning
Through June 7, 2026
60-minute guided tour
Historic New Orleans Collection, French Quarter · New Orleans, LA
Historic New Orleans Collection, French Quarter
You can take a guided hour-long tour of the local Civil Rights Movement before this HNOC exhibition closes June 7.
Tastings
June 11, 2026
6 p.m.
Urban South Brewery · New Orleans, LA
Urban South Brewery
You can pair a four-course dinner with craft beers as Urban South marks the FIFA World Cup opening with a special tasting menu.
Food festivals
June 26, 2026
6:30 p.m.
Pontchartrain Center, Kenner · New Orleans, LA
Pontchartrain Center, Kenner
You can sample dishes from competing chefs at this Louisiana seafood cook-off just outside the city in Kenner.
Tastings
June 26, 2026
Evening
Public Belt New Orleans · New Orleans, LA
Public Belt New Orleans
You can sip and learn about Cakebread Cellars wines at this Public Belt tasting evening in late June.
Community & civic
July 3, 2026
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
New Orleans City Park · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans City Park
You can bring a chair to City Park's free annual community concert and fireworks display with programming starting at 6 p.m.
Community & civic
July 3 to 5, 2026
Daytime expo, evening concerts
New Orleans, LA
Every Fourth of July weekend, Essence Fest fills the Caesars Superdome with concerts plus daytime panels and a free expo celebrating Black culture.
Community & civic
July 4, 2026
9 p.m. fireworks
Downtown Riverfront, Mississippi River · New Orleans, LA
Downtown Riverfront, Mississippi River
You can watch the dueling-barges fireworks show light up the Mississippi from either riverbank on the Fourth of July.
Community & civic
July 10 to 12, 2026
Saturday morning run, July 11
Around the Warehouse District · New Orleans, LA
Around the Warehouse District
You can watch or join the roller-derby Bulls chase runners through downtown streets in this playful New Orleans take on Pamplona.
Food festivals
July 10, 2026
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
1519 Jackson Avenue (Alliance Francaise) · New Orleans, LA
1519 Jackson Avenue (Alliance Francaise)
You can celebrate French heritage with food, culture, and joie de vivre at the Alliance Francaise's annual Bastille Day evening fete.
Tastings
July 17, 2026
Evening
Public Belt New Orleans · New Orleans, LA
Public Belt New Orleans
You can explore Napa Valley wines from Treasury Wine Estates at this guided tasting at Public Belt.
Tastings
July 19 to 24, 2026
Daily sessions and seminars
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans · New Orleans, LA
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
You can join the world's premier cocktail gathering for tastings, spirited dinners, and seminars on absinthe and New Orleans drink history.
Lifelong learning
July 30, 2026 (and other dates)
Limited seating
Longue Vue House and Gardens · New Orleans, LA
Longue Vue House and Gardens
You can go behind the velvet ropes on a small-group guided tour of the historic Longue Vue estate and its collection.
Lifelong learning
July 31 to August 1, 2026
Two-day program
The National WWII Museum · New Orleans, LA
The National WWII Museum
You can hear historians and authors mark the 25th anniversary of Band of Brothers at this adult education symposium.
Music & concerts
July 31, 2026
Evening
Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, LA
Smoothie King Center
You can hear Bryan Adams bring his Roll with the Punches Tour to New Orleans with special guests Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.
Classes & arts
August 1, 2026
5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Julia Street, Arts District · New Orleans, LA
Julia Street, Arts District
You can dress in white linen and stroll the Julia Street galleries for an open-air art walk with live music and food from top New Orleans chefs.
Music & concerts
August 1 to 2, 2026
Daytime, two-day weekend
New Orleans Jazz Museum, French Quarter · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Jazz Museum, French Quarter
You can honor Louis Armstrong's birthday with free live jazz, a seminar lecture series, a jazz mass, and a second-line parade at the Old U.S. Mint.
Music & concerts
August 23, 2026
8 p.m.
Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, LA
Smoothie King Center
You can catch pop singer Benson Boone live downtown at the Smoothie King Center in late August.
Community & civic
September 3 to 7, 2026
Labor Day weekend, five days
French Quarter · New Orleans, LA
French Quarter
You can take in the parade and street celebrations at New Orleans's largest LGBTQ gathering, held every Labor Day weekend in the Quarter.
Food festivals
October 9 to 11, 2026
Daytime into evening
New Orleans, LA
This free fall festival packs Lafayette Square with blues bands across two stages and plenty of barbecue. Admission is free for all three days.
Dance & fitness
Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings, ongoing
Monday 6 p.m.; Wednesday mornings
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NOMA · New Orleans, LA
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NOMA
You can practice gentle tai chi among the sculptures at NOMA's garden on Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings.
Community & civic
Fat Tuesday is February 9, 2027
Parades day and evening
New Orleans, LA
Carnival builds for weeks with parades rolling through the neighborhoods before Fat Tuesday. The next Fat Tuesday lands on February 9, 2027.
Senior programs
Ongoing, for ages 62+
Daytime
Kinship Senior Center, New Orleans · New Orleans, LA
Kinship Senior Center, New Orleans
You can take part in free programming, activities, and meals built for adults 62 and older in Orleans Parish at Kinship.
Markets
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays year round
Tue and Sun 8 a.m. to noon, Thu 3 to 7 p.m.
New Orleans, LA
The Crescent City Farmers Market runs three weekly markets: Uptown at the Batture on Tuesdays, Mid-City on the Lafitte Greenway on Thursdays, and City Park on Sundays.
Pickleball & rec
Open play sessions, ongoing
Varies by session
New Orleans City Park courts · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans City Park courts
You can find open-play sessions, reservations, and lessons on the dedicated pickleball courts at City Park.
Music & concerts
Every Thursday, ongoing
Until 8 p.m.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art · New Orleans, LA
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
You can hear live Southern musicians and tour the galleries every Thursday evening at the Ogden's weekly after-hours series.
Dance & fitness
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, ongoing
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Longue Vue House and Gardens · New Orleans, LA
Longue Vue House and Gardens
You can start your morning with yoga under the oaks led by Pilates studio instructors three days a week at Longue Vue.
Markets
Sundays, ongoing
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
City Putt parking lot, 33 Dreyfous Drive, City Park · New Orleans, LA
City Putt parking lot, 33 Dreyfous Drive, City Park
You can shop fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, and dairy from regional growers every Sunday morning at the City Park market.
Music & concerts
Tuesdays, ongoing (June 2, June 23, and more)
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint) · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint)
You can bring a blanket or chair to the Jazz Museum's free weekly Tuesday balcony courtyard concert featuring local bands.
Tastings
Ongoing, scheduled departures
Tour departure times vary
Courtyard Brewing, Urban South, and NOLA Brewing · New Orleans, LA
Courtyard Brewing, Urban South, and NOLA Brewing
You can hop in the tour van and visit three local breweries for guided tastings and behind-the-scenes access in one outing.
Music & concerts
Fridays and Saturdays through summer (June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 26, 27 and more)
Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m.
Tipitina's, Uptown · New Orleans, LA
Tipitina's, Uptown
You can catch local and touring acts most Friday and Saturday nights at the legendary Tipitina's music hall Uptown.
Senior programs
Ongoing
Varies
Citywide (Mayor's Office of Community Engagement) · New Orleans, LA
Citywide (Mayor's Office of Community Engagement)
You can attend educational workshops, resource fairs, and social gatherings the city runs to keep older residents active and connected.
Outdoors & nature
Ongoing
Daytime hours
Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, New Orleans East · New Orleans, LA
Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, New Orleans East
You can hike the trails, watch birds, and join educational programs amid the bottomland forest at the Louisiana Nature Center.
Music & concerts
Summer 2026
7 p.m.
Orpheum Theater, New Orleans · New Orleans, LA
Orpheum Theater, New Orleans
You can swing along to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with James Singleton at the historic Orpheum Theater downtown.
Dance & fitness
Sundays, ongoing (June 14 is the 40th anniversary)
Evening
Tipitina's, Uptown · New Orleans, LA
Tipitina's, Uptown
You can two-step to live Cajun music at Tipitina's recurring Sunday fais do-do, with a 40th anniversary celebration on June 14.
Music & concerts
Nightly, ongoing
5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m.
Toulouse Theatre / Preservation Hall, French Quarter · New Orleans, LA
Toulouse Theatre / Preservation Hall, French Quarter
You can hear traditional New Orleans jazz performed live nightly at the historic Preservation Hall in the French Quarter.
Outdoors & nature
First Sunday of every month
Garden hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Longue Vue House and Gardens · New Orleans, LA
Longue Vue House and Gardens
You can wander Longue Vue's eight acres of gardens free on the first Sunday of each month if you live in Louisiana, with discounted house tours.
Pickleball & rec
Every Tuesday, ongoing
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Exchange Pickleball + Bar, 2120 Rousseau Street · New Orleans, LA
The Exchange Pickleball + Bar, 2120 Rousseau Street
You can drop in for a guided drill-and-play pickleball session every Tuesday afternoon at The Exchange.
Music & concerts
Wednesdays, March 11 to May 6, 2026
5 to 8 p.m.
New Orleans, LA
Each spring, YLC Wednesday at the Square brings free live music to Lafayette Square downtown on Wednesday evenings, with local acts and food vendors.
Tastings
Every Saturday, ongoing
12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Urban South Brewery · New Orleans, LA
Urban South Brewery
You can hear the brewery's story and sample its beers on guided Saturday tours offered twice each weekend afternoon.
Lifelong learning
Daily, ongoing
Daytime
Historic New Orleans Collection, French Quarter · New Orleans, LA
Historic New Orleans Collection, French Quarter
You can drop in on free daily talks that explore Gulf South history and culture through the HNOC's current exhibitions.
Markets
Tuesdays, ongoing
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Batture, 25 Walnut Street, Uptown · New Orleans, LA
The Batture, 25 Walnut Street, Uptown
You can pick up local produce and prepared foods every Tuesday morning at the Uptown market on the Batture.
Markets
Thursdays, ongoing
3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lafitte Greenway, Mid-City · New Orleans, LA
Lafitte Greenway, Mid-City
You can browse the late-afternoon Mid-City market on the Lafitte Greenway every Thursday for vegetables, meats, and local goods.
Tastings
Thursdays, ongoing
5:30 p.m.
Grande Krewe Fine Wine and Spirits, Marigny · New Orleans, LA
Grande Krewe Fine Wine and Spirits, Marigny
You can taste a rotating lineup of wines for free every Thursday evening at Grande Krewe in the Marigny.
Pickleball & rec
Scheduled times, ongoing
Call location for times
Atkinson-Stern Center, Gernon Brown Rec Center, and other NORD sites · New Orleans, LA
Atkinson-Stern Center, Gernon Brown Rec Center, and other NORD sites
You can play pickleball on NORD's public courts across the parish; contact the listed rec centers for the open-play schedule.
Markets
Weekly, evenings
Night market hours
619 Frenchmen Street, Marigny · New Orleans, LA
619 Frenchmen Street, Marigny
You can browse original art, jewelry, and handmade crafts from local makers at New Orleans's original weekly nighttime art market.
Outdoors & nature
Every Thursday, ongoing
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Longue Vue House and Gardens · New Orleans, LA
Longue Vue House and Gardens
You can dig alongside the garden staff across Longue Vue's eight acres every Thursday morning with the volunteer crew.
Classes & arts
Ongoing class sessions
Varies
The Clay Center of New Orleans · New Orleans, LA
The Clay Center of New Orleans
You can learn pottery from beginner to advanced levels, or just take a one-off workshop, at the Clay Center's studio.
Classes & arts
Every Wednesday, ongoing
Museum hours
New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park
You can visit the New Orleans Museum of Art free every Wednesday if you live in Louisiana, courtesy of the Helis Foundation.
Markets
First Saturday of the month (except July and August)
Daytime
Freret Street at Napoleon Avenue, Uptown · New Orleans, LA
Freret Street at Napoleon Avenue, Uptown
You can shop arts, crafts, and food from local vendors at this monthly neighborhood market held the first Saturday of most months.
Community & civic
Sunday, November 1, 2026
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
New Orleans, LA
The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival takes over several blocks of Oak Street in Carrollton with po-boy vendors, music, and a big neighborhood crowd. The 18th annual is set for November 1, 2026.
Senior programs
Ongoing weekday activities
Daytime
Council on Aging centers (Pontchartrain Park, Carrollton-Hollygrove, and more) · New Orleans, LA
Council on Aging centers (Pontchartrain Park, Carrollton-Hollygrove, and more)
You can join meals, classes, and social activities including A Matter of Balance fall-prevention sessions at the city's senior centers.
Markets
Recurring, check the market for current days
5620 Read Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70127 · New Orleans, LA
5620 Read Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70127
Open: February to December; <br>Available Products: Fresh fruits;Fresh vegetables;Baked goods;Bedding plants;Canned or preserved fruits/vegetables;Crafts/woodworking items;Cut flowers;Fresh/dried herb
Community & civic
June 9, 2026
New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library
Learn or practice guided meditation led by a Library staff member in a relaxed environment.
Community & civic
June 9, 2026
New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library
Learn more about First Episode Psychosis, the importance of early detection, and mental health resources that are available.
Community & civic
June 11, 2026
New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library
The Louisiana Department of Health will provide SNAP Assistance. They help with applying, account maintenance, and questions about the programs.
Community & civic
June 12, 2026
New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library
Women with a Vision will provide reproductive health resources.
Community & civic
June 16, 2026
New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library
Work together to complete the monthly New York Times Crossword.
Community & civic
June 17, 2026
New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Library
Bring your clean glass to recycle it. Glass is turned into sand and cullet for coastal restoration, disaster relief, eco-construction, and more. Glass is only accepted during program hours.
