Dueling Barges Fireworks Extravaganza Sparkles in New Orleans
If you’re looking for a 4th of July experience that will truly amaze you, you will find it in the beautiful city of New Orleans right on the Riverfront. This year, Go Fourth on the River – Dueling Barges Fireworks Extravaganza is bigger than ever because New Orleans is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the event. Fireworks set to patriotic music will light up the sky in an incredible display designed to impress you and make you feel pride in the great country of America. This display was ranked in the top five of the “must see” fireworks displays by the American Pyrotechnic Association. You will want to come and see why for yourself!
While you’re in New Orleans for their fantastic 4th of July event, make sure you get a taste of their incredible food at the world renowned New Orleans School of Cooking. This activity is special because guests get to learn to make traditional Cajun meals, so they can take a bit of New Orleans home with them. Learn how to make gumbo and shrimp Creole as you’re told some of the fascinating history of the city from the teacher. This activity will give you more fun in the kitchen than you’ve ever had before!
Food isn’t the only fascinating attraction New Orleans has to offer. See the lovely Garden District of the city with the Garden District Walking Tour. You can walk off your meal from the cooking school while getting to experience the district that has inspired writers and artists to create masterpieces since the 1800s. A wired headset will be provided to you on this tour to make sure you don’t miss a word of the fascinating stories and facts that your guide will be telling you.
You can’t see the Garden District and miss out on the French Quarter of New Orleans. Equally famous, the French Quarter is one of the oldest parts of the city. The French Quarter Walking Tour will guide you through the area and allow you to see attractions like the Ursuline Convent which is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley as well as the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. You will be enthralled with the mystery and atmosphere of the area.
Hoppy 2nd ANT-iversary to the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans, LA
Come and celebrate the second anniversary of the Audubon Insectarium with the Hoppy 2nd ANT-iversary to Audubon Insectarium event June 12th and 13th. It’s a wonderful celebration of the newest addition to Audubon’s variety of wildlife-related attractions. The event will be just like celebrating a birthday with party hats, cookies, cake, and a face painter. In addition, those who participate in the event have the chance to win several exciting prizes. Even a balloon artist and his friend Spider-man will be attending this auspicious event!
After your visit to the Insectarium, you won’t want to miss out on the other wonderful Audubon attractions like the amazing Audubon Zoo. This zoo is one of the best zoos in the nation and offers a wide variety of animals for you to see. Asian elephants, white tigers, orangutans, and many other wonderful creatures will be seen as you make your journey through the zoo. It’s a great activity that people of all ages enjoy. The zoo even has several endangered species that the zoo is carefully preserving.
You can’t visit the Audubon Zoo and the Audubon Insectarium and leave New Orleans without also seeing the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. This aquarium will help you explore the magical underwater world that is home to a huge variety of wildlife creatures and plants. Jellyfish, seahorses, sharks, and more are around every corner at the aquarium. You will love the way the aquarium completes your New Orleans wildlife experience.
Discover New Orleans’ Incredible Swamps
Discover the unique ecology of New Orleans’ swamps. When you explore the incredible swamps of New Orleans on your next vacation and you will find a whole world that is unlike anything you have ever seen before. The animals, plants, and atmosphere are completely unique to the swamps of New Orleans, so come and explore the delicate ecosystem of the swamps with 3 fantastic activities.
Dr. Wagner’s Honey Island Swamp Tour
Dr. Wagner’s Honey Island Swamp Tour is an incredible tour through 70,000 acres of stunning swamp lands. Home to red wolves, alligators, feral hogs, cougars, and many other fascinating animals, this swamp tour will take you on a journey that may surprise you with the many faces of the swamp. In addition, Honey Island is home to an active bald eagles nest, so you may even get to see the bird that often is used to represent America.
Enjoy a boat tour of New Orleans’ swamp and bayous with the Swamp and Bayou Tour. A guide will tell you about local lore and meal creations like gumbo as you take in the thrilling scenery from your comfortable boat seating. After your boat tour, a wildlife show will take place where you can see alligators, raccoons, snapping turtles, and other animals that are native to New Orleans’ swamps and bayous.
Get to know an undiscovered side of Louisiana with the Swamp Tour. This tour will take you through areas of swamp that may surprise you with their beauty and diversity. A knowledgeable guide will lead the way and tell you about the swamp lands you pass through and the history of this ecosystem and its inhabitants both human and animal. It’s a unique experience that people of all ages can enjoy.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Experience the excitement of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival this spring. From April 23rd to May 2nd, the city will be flooded with over 500,000 visitors eager to be a part of this thrilling event. Musicians will be performing jazz that will sweep you up in the excitement of the festival while thousands of artists, craftsmen, and Cajun chefs show you their various wares for sale. Get authentic cuisine that will make your taste buds sing with joy while music and the voices of New Orleans are raised around you in celebration.
When you aren’t in the heart of the festival, spend some time appreciating the culture of the city with the French Quarter Walking Tour. This tour will highlight some of the French influences on the culture of New Orleans. You will see the oldest building in the city when you visit the Ursuline Convent where the famous Bella Luna Restaurant collects its herbs each day. In addition you will see old potions and natural remedies set out in the New Orleans Pharmacy.
Another intimate tour of the city that you will not want to miss is the Garden District Walking Tour. This beautiful district has inspired writers to create stories based in the Garden District. The legendary author Anne Rice habitually places her characters in the flavorful areas of New Orleans like the this district. The charm of the area is only surpassed by its incredible history.
Festival International de Louisiane in New Orleans, LA
Celebrate the French heritage of New Orleans, Louisiana at the Festival International de Louisiane. It’s a special time where the unique blend of Southern and French culture is really showcased to its fullest in Louisiana. The tradition of this festival began in 1986 and will be continued this year on April 21st to the 25th with live music, international performers, and culinary masterpieces exemplifying the influences of the various cultures in Louisiana.
If you love the food of New Orleans, really get to experience it after the festival with A Tasty Sample of New Orleans. Learn to cook your own New Orleans’ style foods with a cooking class at New Orleans School of Cooking. You won’t have to travel to New Orleans to get a taste of your favorite foods once you take this class. After your cooking class, take a walk through the French Quarter and down Bourbon Street for samples of delicious traditional foods. It’s a three hour tour of magnificent culinary creations for you to sample.
After your foray into the delightful foods of New Orleans, experience more of the culture of New Orleans with the Cajun Bayou Tour. A knowledgeable guide will take you through the bayous of New Orleans and will tell you all about the Cajun people and their history. The captain of your boat has just as much colorful character as New Orleans itself. He is a fur trapper and alligator hunter who loves doing both jobs. You will see some wonderful New Orleans sights and learn fun facts with this tour.
Soul Fest Returns to New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo
This March 13 and 14, the Audubon Zoo will be hosting the 7th Annual Soul Fest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for a lively look into the culinary culture of the area! Both days, Audubon Zoo visitors can expect authentic soul food, live music, crafts and a wealth of wellness information for a fun and informative day at the zoo. All activities featured during Soul Fest are free with admission to the Audubon Zoo, so be sure to visit and enjoy this cultural look into the dining habits of The Big Easy!
Those interested in visiting New Orleans during Soul Fest can easily compare and book lodging online.
Of course, along with all of the special festivities of Soul Fest, Audubon Zoo visitors will still find the many unique exhibits and zoological attractions featured every day at the zoo. Rare Asian elephants, the Audubon Dinosaur Exhibit, Safari Simulator Ride, Swamp Train and more will all compliment the special activities of Soul Fest for a full day of family fun in New Orleans.
Learn more about the Audubon Zoo and purchase admission online.
Additionally, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas can further your day of zoological entertainment by providing a unique look into the world of creatures from the sea. A wide variety of animals that inhabit both North and South American waters are featured at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas with highlights including a Caribbean Reef exhibit, 400,000-gallon tank dedicated to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River Gallery and more.
Book admission to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas online.
New Orleans Tours Offer Something For Every Visitor!
New Orleans is such a diverse city that it can be hard to find a way to see everything you want to see. Depending on what you want to see, there are three tours that cover just about everything. Whether you’re looking for graveyard tours or a comprehensive tour of the area, we’ve got what you’re looking for!
Unlock the intriguing secrets of the Big Easy with the City & Cemetery Tour. Over the course of this tour you’ll experience everything from the mystery of the city’s graveyards to the enchanting districts the city is famous for. The tour begins with tales of days gone by as your guide leads you through Jackson Square, the French Market, and the Garden District, making sure to stop at all of New Orlean’s most famous locales. The second part of the tour leads you through a maze of above-ground burial sites that New Orleans has become notorious for. This tour is a can’t-miss for anyone interested in the history of this fascinating city!
Cover 45 miles on the streets of New Orleans in three hours with this guided tour! The transportation for this tour is a 14-passenger van, so you’ll enjoy all the attention of a personal tour. The guides are happy to provide information and answer all your questions about the Big Easy. You’ll visit all the major sites of the city, including The French Quarter, Bayou St John, the Garden District, and Downtown New Orleans. Take advantage of the one-on-one attention with the New Orleans Combo City Tour!
This narrated tour will open your eyes to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Even if you’ve seen pictures and heard stories, nothing comes close to experiencing it first-hand. Your guide will lead you through the city, pointing out significant sites and explaining how they were affected by Hurricane Katrina. You’ll visit places like UNO’s Campus, New Orleans East, the 9th Ward, and several places where the levees were breached. You will also see how the city has begun to rebuild and experience for yourself the resilience of the people of New Orleans. If you’re going to be visiting New Orleans, don’t miss this eye-opening experience.
New Orleans’ Notorious Mardi Gras
The Christmas season is quickly coming to a close, and whether you’re excited to get back to some semblance of normalcy or sad that the cheery holiday is over, it’s nice to know you have something to look forward to. No, I’m not talking about New Year’s Eve. For the city of New Orleans, this holiday is even bigger than New Year’s. It’s a little occasion known as Mardi Gras.
While Mardi Gras is tied into the Catholic season of Lent, you don’t have to be Catholic to enjoy this momentous celebration. Mardi Gras is a festival that takes place for 42 days beginning with the Feast of the Epiphany and ending with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The true Mardi Gras is celebrated on Fat Tuesday, which is always the Tuesday 46 days before Easter.
For the 2010 festivities, the celebration will begin on January 6 and end with a New Orleans-style affair on February 16. These 42 days will be filled with parties, parades, dances, and balls. The festivities are presided over by Rex, an honor that falls to a new person every year, and certain decisions by past Rexes have lasted through the decades. For example, the official Mardi Gras colors (purple, green, and gold) were chosen by the Rex of the 1872 festival.
If you’re planning to be in the area, there are several places that will keep you close to all of the festivities. For a budget friendly hotel, you should consider the Best Western French Quarter. This hotel is located only three blocks from Bourbon Street, so you won’t miss a thing! If you’re seeking a few more amenities, you should consider the 3-Star Holiday Inn French Quarter. This hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the French Quarter, keeping you only a few steps from the center of the celebration.
If a luxury trip to the Big Easy is how you want to celebrate Mardi Gras, there are two stand-out choices for your hotel. Both 4-Star hotels have everything you might need, and a few things you’ll definitely want. The Renaissance Arts Hotel is only a few blocks from the Riverwalk and less than one mile from French Quarter. This incredible location will keep you in the heart of the festival and still provide for a little peace and quiet when you need it. Another option is the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel nestled on the corner where Bourbon Street meets Canal Street. If you’re looking for a hotel that lets you walk out the front door and right into the festivities, this is the one.
Whether you’re headed down to New Orleans for the fabulous parades and parties, the famous Mardi Gras beads, or the scrumptious traditional king cake, New Orleans is waiting with open arms.
Festivals Bring Food and Art to New Orleans
October is the perfect time to visit New Orleans. Although you will not expect to see much in the way of fall foliage, you can look forward to cooler temperatures and the always-vibrant culture and nightlife. Depending on when you want to visit, one of these popular festivals may be the perfect activity for you to enjoy during your vacation.
Hosted by the St. Louis King of France Parish, this event takes place October 23 through 25. The fabulous cuisine of New Orleans is the highlight of any visit to the area, and you can experience the great cooking style of the area at this festival. In addition to food, the event will feature several area bands throughout the weekend. The festival is located in Metairie, just outside of New Orleans. This festival features vendors from around the New Orleans area that specialize in “la fruit de la mer.” You can find seafood gumbo, crawfish, catfish, shrimp, crab, and more in a variety of dishes, ranging from traditional Cajun entrees to Creole specialties. Kids will also love the range of activities made just for them.
It is the season of film debuts and festivals, and New Orleans joins in on the act with its own film festival. Taking place October 8 through 15, this festival is hosted by the New Orleans Film Society. This is the 20th year of this annual event that draws thousands of visitors each year. A gala opens the event, and films are screened throughout the event. Features include red carpet events, an “I Love Louisiana” day, audience awards, filmmaker receptions, and a “Best of the Fest” awards ceremony. Another special highlight of the festival is a series of workshops and lectures for aspiring filmmakers. Film screenings and festival events will take place at various venues in New Orleans, including the New Orleans Museum of Art and Prytania Theater.
Take It Easy in New Orleans on Labor Day
If you are looking for the perfect destination to take it easy for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, New Orleans, Louisiana is an excellent choice. A long weekend is the perfect amount of time to experience a taste of what New Orleans is all about.
Much of New Orleans’ culture and history comes from its location on the swamp. Dr. Wagner’s Honey Island Swamp Tour will take you on a boat ride through Honey Island Swamp, which is one of the largest preserved swamps in the country. The swamp is home to many types of native wildlife, including alligators, Florida cougars, exotic birds, and a range of amphibians. Foliage seen on the tour includes old cypress trees and native Louisiana azalea bushes. A New Orleans hotel transfer may be added onto the swamp tour, and the ride to the swamp tour includes a narrated drive.
Another classic way to enjoy New Orleans’ culture and way of life is by sampling some of the local cuisine. Court of Two Sisters is one of the oldest and best-known restaurants in the city. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the site of this restaurant has a long history in New Orleans, stretching back over two centuries. There are two dining options for the Court of Two Sisters: a traditional gourmet Creole dinner and a brunch buffet with live jazz. Each meal option contains classic Creole and Cajun cuisine, including shrimp and grits, jambalaya, and pecan pie. A trip to New Orleans is just not complete without sampling some of the local fare.
A city tour of New Orleans will be the perfect activity to complete your weekend. On a guided tour, you will be able to learn about the fascinating history and culture of the area. The New Orleans Combo City Tour takes tour groups around New Orleans to many historical sites and places of interest. Sights on the tour include the French Quarter, St. Louis Cemetery, Lake Ponchartrain, St. Charles Avenue, Garden District, and downtown New Orleans. The tour is fully guided and features narration throughout the tour about the various stops and sights you will be seeing.
