It is said that New Orleans residents should have five good costumes ready to go at any given time. Celebration is at the core of the New Orleans' experience, and to get a true taste of the city, every visitor should join in one of these unforgettable festivals. So pack that favorite sequin dress, that amazing hat you never get to wear, and even a wig or two and head down to the Crescent City for food, music, and more!

Each year, a season of New Orleans festivals kicks off with the biggest of them all, Mardi Gras. It's a season of madness and music, of parades and parties, of comic costuming in the streets and grandiose private masquerade balls. Mardi Gras is a time when the gaudy and the gorgeous all come together for one big celebration. From the regal to the ridiculous, New Orleans Mardi Gras has it all! The fun continues throughout the year with dozens of more festivals to come out to and party. Whether its music, food or the arts you love (or all of the above), you'll want to join in as New Orleans lets its hair down and declares, "laissez les bons temps rouler!" (let the good times roll).

Celebrate Christmas New Orleans style during the holiday season. There are numerous traditions and holiday festivities that allow the public to experience and enjoy the events that make December in New Orleans so special. You’ll find plenty of reasons to be filled with good cheer as the city offers an entire month of events, from riverfront bonfires to indulgent Revillion dinners to the lighting of the trees at Celebration in the Oaks.