Every festival you need to go to this semester
There’s a lot to look forward to
I’d say we’re all pretty lucky. We’re all getting a great education at a beautiful school – and we’re living in one of the most historically rich and lively cities in the world. Sometimes, though, it can be a little overwhelming, like when there are a million things going on Facebook tells us we have 14 upcoming events this weekend. If you can relate, listen up. After conducting some serious research, we’ve complied a list of the most exciting upcoming events happening in New Orleans.
Crescent City Classic (March 26)
The first event is a little more involved than the rest of this list and it’s the Crescent City Classic, a 10K. The race runs through historic downtown New Orleans and ends at City Park where participants are then rewarded with a NOLA style celebration. Also, as incentive, the race offers awards and cash prizes to top runners and posters to the first 500 to finish. So lace up your shoes and get running!
French Quarter Fest (April 7 – 10)
French Quarter Fest, the second event on my list, takes place April 7-10th and is held in the French Quarter, shocking, I know. This particular festival celebrates the Big Easy’s rich history and is alleged to have awesome food and music. See the day by day schedule here.
Crawfest (April 16)
Crawfest is the one I’m personally looking forward to the most. It will be held on Tulane’s campus (Yes, no need to pay for an Uber). Held on April 16th, it will include live music and tons – literally tons – of crawfish, corn and potatoes. This year’s headliner is Reel Big Fish, which is supposed to be a really cool concert experience. Even if you don’t like crawfish, I absolutely recommend checking this out. It’s a great day to be outside amongst friends and immersed in New Orleans culture – all without having to walk more than a few hundred yards from your room.
Jazz Fest (April 22 – May 1)
Jazz Fest, although it’s the last event I’m talking about it not even close to the last event of the year. This two weekend long music festival (held in late April) is world famous and boasts both traditional New Orleans music and modern artists, including Snoop Dogg. The lineup this year includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder and Nick Jonas, among many others. The only unfortunate thing about this huge music party is how close it is to finals. I would recommend checking your finals schedule a few times before deciding to buy tickets.
Those are just a few that have been recommended to me, but if they don’t interest you or you want to further your experiences, a comprehensive list of all festivals can be found online with a little bit of digging. Personally, my favorite festival was the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival back in mid October and I would recommend that everyone check that out next fall as well. If you love New Orleans as much as I do – and I find it hard to believe that you don’t – you’ll want to take on some of these upcoming opportunities to experience just how exciting life in the Big Easy can truly be.