It’s arguably the best time of the year in New Orleans right now. Yes it’s spring, but in addition to blooming flowers and pleasant weather, it’s officially festival season!
French Quarter Festival will bring four days of incredible New Orleans music and food to the entire historic French Quarter neighborhood. Take a look at what you can expect and reserve April 7-10, 2016 on your calendar for French Quarter Fest fun, just a short drive from any of our New Orleans area apartment communities!
Photo by Zack Smith
French Quarter Fest spans the entire downtown neighborhood, with more than twenty music stages scattered throughout. Enjoy some of the city’s best artists with genres ranging from blues to jazz, funk, rock, brass bands, Cajun and soul.
It’s hard to say if the music or the food is better at French Quarter Fest, but luckily, attendees can enjoy both to their hearts’ content. There are a variety of food options available at French Quarter Fest, each with delectable delicacies like jambalaya, meat pies, snoballs, alligator sausage, oysters, crawfish, bread pudding, po-boys and much more.
Swing dancing lessons are part of French Quarter Festival. (Photo courtesy Flickr user Ipung_zan)
Because New Orleans always takes their festivals to the next level, it doesn’t stop at the food and music. There’s just as many other events going on as the food and the music, including the second line kick-off parade, an entire family section with kid-friendly activities, a film fest, free dance lessons and much more.
Many of our properties, especially those in Metairie and River Ridge, are just a short drive from downtown New Orleans. However, be aware that French Quarter Fest brings in a lot of traffic, so you’ll want to avoid parking in the French Quarter itself and seek parking garages in the Central Business District instead.
Other than Mardi Gras, to many, Jazz Fest is the biggest and best annual event in New Orleans, and with good reason. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is a whopping seven full days of music, food and art. If you’re looking to experience a huge amount of New Orleans culture condensed into one day, Jazz Fest would be the place to do it. Use these tips for how to have a great Jazz Fest experience, which is easily and conveniently accessed by 1st Lake Properties residents of New Orleans area apartments!
Music – You really can’t go wrong with any music selection at Jazz Fest because it’s always going to be an excellent choice, even if you’ve never heard of the performer. The lineup this year features major headliners like Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Phish and Arcade Fire. In addition to the big name, as always the fest features some of the best established New Orleans artists and some very talented newcomers. Check out the full Jazz Fest music schedule online.
Food – For some people, Jazz Fest is more about the food than the music. There are nine food areas, each with an amazing sampling of New Orleans food and some ethnic offerings for something different. Some festival favorites not to miss include crawfish bread, cochon de lait po-boy, the iced teas from Sunshine Concessions, Ms. Linda’s Ya Ka Mein, the fried softshell crab po-boy from Galley Seafood Restaurant, the Phesant, Quail and Andouille Gumbo from Prejean’s Restaurant, and of course the Crawfish Monica.
Crafts – If you want to bring a tangible piece of Jazz Fest home with you, there are three art markets throughout the festival grounds where you can find some amazing, hand-made crafts. In addition to the coveted Jazz Fest posters from years past, including the 2014 poster, you can find African art and wares at the Congo Square African Marketplace; paintings, pottery and more at the Contemporary Crafts in Heritage Square; and regional crafts including photography and jewelry at the Louisiana Marketplace.
Family – Jazz Fest is one festival where kids can have as much fun as the adults. There is a section just for kids that includes a kids’ tent and a food area with favorites like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mac and cheese.
Transportation – It’s important to have a game-plan for how to get to Jazz Fest. It can be difficult to find a parking space if you are driving, but if you find a parking space within walking distance, you can take the Canal Street streetcar that drops you right off at City Park just a few blocks away, or take a pedicab or the Esplanade bus.
1st Lake residents of Kenner can attend a fun-filled, weekend-long festival April 8-10, 2022 right in their own neighborhood. The 21st annual Festa Italiana hosted by the Kenner Italian Heritage Foundation is coming to Kenner’s Rivertown district for a full-blown Italian celebration.
You can experience many aspects of Italian culture at the festival. Come enjoy live music, local artisans, Italian food and other specialty cuisine, a St. Joseph’s altar display and more. There will also be a children’s area with inflatables, giant human hamster balls, fun activities, and crafts.
Host of the event, former Kenner Police Chief Nick Congemi said, “We invite everyone to come out and be Italian for a weekend with us. We think of this as a huge family reunion where everyone is invited to take part.”
A crowd gathers for live music at the Kenner Festa Italiana
There will be live music each day of the fest. Past lines have included fun local artists like August Rush, Paper Chase, and the Victory Belles from the National WWII Museum. This year’s lineup is still yet to be announced and will be available on the festival’s website soon.
If you are looking for something to do in Kenner, the search is over. We’ve got your weekend plans right here – just another perk of being a 1st Lake resident! Check out all of our prime New Orleans area apartments in the middle of all the action!
As with most holidays in the New Orleans area, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just one day, it’s a whole week of food, parties and parades. If you are a resident of one of 1st Lake’s New Orleans area apartments, you are right next to all the action.
On Thursday, March 13, New Orleans bars Tracey’s and Parasol’s have their annual block parties in the Irish Channel in New Orleans. Expect lots of great food, green beer and festive music.
On Friday, March 14, Molly’s at the Market in the French Quarter is hosting St. Patrick’s festivities all day and all night, starting with a limousine-lead pub-crawl at 8:30 a.m. Then, at 6:30 p.m. the annual Jim Monaghan St. Patrick’s Parade departs from Molly’s, winding through the French Quarter with the New Wave Brass Band, Kazoozie Floozies, marching groups and more.
St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans (Photo by Cheryl Gerber)
Saturday, March 15, the New Orleans St. Patrick’s celebrations really kick in to high gear. Tracey’s and Parasol’s block parties resume and the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club’s 66th Parade rolls through the Irish Channel, considered by many to be the main event of the St. Patrick’s Day events in New Orleans.
Then, on Monday, March 17, the actual St. Patrick’s Day, the Downtown Irish Club Parade starts at 6:00 p.m. from the corner of Burgundy and Piety in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans.
As you can see, there is no shortage of options for spending St. Patrick’s Day the way you want to in New Orleans.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
