3 Summer Festivals to Experience in New Orleans This Summer

If you think a New Orleans vacation means walking the streets of the French Quarter, eating beignets and drinking chicory coffee, you are only partially right. The city is ripe with fun activities that make it one of the most fascinating destinations for all types of family travelers, including what seems like a never-ending calendar of festivals where visitors can experience fun, food and culture year-round. If you plan to head to the Big Easy this summer, be sure to check out these great festivals that should definitely be on your must-do list.

The French Market Creole Tomato Festival, June 10–11, occurs in the French Market area of the French Quarter and is be a great way to kick off the summer season. Music, food and dancing all honor the tomato, one of the freshest flavors of the season.

July brings the New Orleans version of a Spanish tradition with the Running of the Bulls festival. This annual event runs July 14–16 and gives participants and onlookers a chance to participate in an age-old tradition without the danger. Each year, hundreds of festival-goers run the streets of New Orleans alongside handcrafted bulls on bicycles. The main event occurs in the early morning hours of July 15, with additional events occurring throughout the weekend.

Satchmo Summer Fest is an annual festival that happens each year during the first weekend of August and pays homage to New Orleans native, the great Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. This year’s event runs Aug. 5 and 6 in Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter. The event includes live outdoor jazz music, food stalls and Satchmo Seminars led by Louis Armstrong historians.