So many choice beautiful weather good music great location. If you didn't make it this year come by…read morenext year

Objectively, this is more or less your standard festival. There's a lot of food booths, a music…read morestage, merchandise stalks, and a large section of carnival rides and games for kids. It lasts for four days, with admission being free on the first day and then $5 in the remaining three days. It's pretty easy to get to, and parking isn't even that bad because there's a large Wal-Mart right next door. As far as attractions go, there were two standouts. First was the caricature drawing booth, a neat idea that I don't recall seeing at many festivals. Second was the crawfish bread. With Jazz Fest postponed, the chance to get crawfish bread was awesome. Not that I actually got any - that line was waaay too long - but still. Because the pandemic is still a thing, the festival this year has one unusual offering: vaccines. I saw at least two different tables set up to give COVID vaccines. They were set up kinda off the beaten path though, and didn't seem to have any takers. Still not a bad idea though.

What a quaint little festival! This is a perfect small town festival that is within an hours drive…read moreof New Orleans. Reasonably priced food and drinks. I am not sure what the cost for rides was. Little to no parking, but you have the neighbors selling spots for cheap to park on their lawn. Friendly atmosphere, with the festival queen walking around. The musicians and dancers were wonderful. You do have your holy roller people passing out candy and the word of the holy things. Lots of good food, dancing and people watching.

We had a great time at the festival. Lots of food, drink, music and dance. The Canary Island folk…read moremusic and dance was amazing. The authentic period costumes were beautiful. As always, there were many craft booths with amazing local artisans. Parking can be an issue, but we had no problems. The atmosphere was fun and friendly. I recommend you attend next year!

About 20 minutes south east of the heart of New Orleans, there is this annual festival. In Arabi,…read morethere is one of the largest sugar refineries in the United States, a Domino sugar factory. They have done a lot for the community, was one of the largest employers in the area to reopen after Hurricane Katrina, in this area that was heavily damaged, and they helped their employees get back on their feet. They have refurbished the old parish jail down the street to a sugar museum which glosses over some of the major points, but does highlight a lot of how sugar came in to the area. This festival, held in Aycock Barn, which also houses the welcome center for St Bernard Parish, is small but family led. Domino Sugar also has a booth where they pass out 5lb bags of sugar, some recipes, and a few other knick knacks for free. There are booths with food for sale, knick knacks and other home made goods for sale. There is a band playing 80's cover songs. Very small, very cute, you can be done walking around in about 5 minutes. Parking is NOT bad at all. I was able to park across the street, for free. Seriously. There are all sorts of gifts for the upcoming holidays to buy, kids activities, beverages to drink, even a taste test for desserts, a competition and an eating competition. Amazing. These things DO still happen, and within a short distance from a major city. Come on out next year. I have included some links to give you more information. For information on the Annual Sugar Festival, here are some links: http://www.visitstbernard.com/events/9th-annual-sugar-festival#.WeKEb0yZOb8 http://www.visitstbernard.com/experience/events-calendar#.WeKEj0yZOb8 https://www.facebook.com/StBTourism/ For some information about the nearby Sugar museum: https://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/old-arabi-sugar-museum-opens-in-st-bernard-parish/Slideshow/2269047/2269057 http://www.visitstbernard.com/listings/play/old-arabi-sugar-museum#.WeKFN0yZOb8 https://www.facebook.com/SugarMuseum/ https://www.yelp.com/biz/old-arabi-sugar-museum-arabi

This is my favorite spring time festival here in New Orleans. The weather isn't too hot yet, and…read morethe location is perfect. Don't let that fool you, bring a hat and sunscreen. I didn't go looking for a particular band although I enjoyed what I heard. I came for the food!!! I went on Saturday which is day 2 of the festival. We got there around 11:30, it wasn't too crowded but they were definitely in full swing. By 4:30 the crowd had tripled in size. Lines were moving quickly and the options were endless. We tried several things and everything was so fresh and on point. A few standouts were the oxtail melt, the gumbo dumplings, and the must try alligator cheesecake. My only suggestion would be to allow water bottles to be brought in or, at least empty ones and have a fill station. Next, more seating in the sponsor lounge. The venue was large, and had plenty of space for more seating areas. Also the food in the lounge was lacking in variety, although I enjoyed the salad offering. The bartenders up there were great, and I loved the terrace overlooking the festival.

A time was had. The weather was nice. The food and live band was awesome. We enjoyed ourselves…read more There were no fights, just good food, music, and positive vibes and energy.

We went to the "Houston Crawfish & Music Festival" at the "Houston Fair Grounds". 1. Houston had…read morenothing to do with this, it was vendor ripping people off. 2. It was at 4603 Orem Road, not the Houston Fair Grounds. 3. The charged $75 per person for "VIP" all you could eat. Yet all of us who paid VIP stood there and watched as they filled the orders of cash customers and ignored us. Basically they took the money of the prepaid bought the crawfish and sold it to the cash customers. All VIP started complaining as they were running outvof crawfish before we got any. 4. Crawfish was undercooked, potatoes were still raw in the middle. 5. Drinks were $12 to $16 for one. This was a huge rip off stay away from any event that has NOLA FEST GROUP LLC on it. Totally unorganized.

I went to this festival with high hopes. I haven't been to this fest since 2010 and remembered…read moreliking it back then. This yr I was rather disappointed in both the food and the lack of vendors. There were about 30 vendors out there (which I thought to be rather small). I could literally walk the whole area in 5 minutes that's how small it was. I really like Dunbar's food in general and tried their strawberry shortcake. It was a letdown as they used frozen strawberries and it was caked in whipped cream. The ribs from this BBQ place in Memphis was so-so. The guy who was sitting next to me with his ribs said, "These are the best ribs I have ever had." I, on the other hand, thought the ribs were average at best. This is a festival I will probably skip in future years unless I happen to be in the Quarter that weekend during the day. FYI: Prices were reasonable as most items were between $4-7 for decent-sized portions.

This is a fabulous Festival, offering endless booths of original Seafood dishes and continuous…read moreoriginal music from local bands. I deduct 1 star ONLY because it was dangerously hot out and there were not nearly enough tents for people to find shade. Only one-tenth head very tiny misters. THE DEAL: upgrade to the VIP passes and stay cool with air conditioning. Totally worth it!

From the owner: Food festival specializing in Louisiana's bountiful seafoodread more

Family friendly festival for anyone of all ages. I love how this festival takes place in the small…read moreLafayette Square Park yet they're able to fit so much in there. Two stages, a large art and a large food section. I also love that they have a bike valet, completely for free so you don't have to risk parking your bike in the streets where it can get stolen or vandalized. Entering the festival, there's tons of grass area to sit and enjoy the music. Everyone is pretty respectful and not rowdy. There's a huge food section which has about 6-10 vendors. The food is very reasonably priced and not jacked up for the festival. Most vendors also take credit card which is great. Entry to the festival is also completely free! They do take donations though! Overall, very fun family oriented festival. Not too crowded and easy to get to. Parking would definitely be a problem so get there early!

Every year I volunteer with the NOFF on the weekend so I can finish my shifts and head over here…read morefor music and BBQ. Eventhough it started pouring down today and with muddy ground, we still had so much fun. The food was plentyful and so tasty. The best way to try all the food is to bring a bunch of your friends and share foods to know which line to stand. Because of the rain, this year it was only myself and another friend end up going to the festivals. We both also end up getting free swags from Southern Comforts. A win win for us.

I love this fest!! I only got to go Sunday (2017)…read more Saw a couple of awesome bands, and had some great food. Antoine's had an Oysters, baby scallops, and peas penne pasta in a white wine sauce topped with a two cheese mix and panko. Let me say, for $8, it was a generous portion ....but even more importantly, it was generous on flavor! I have been saving up to go to Antoines, but I'm going to have to go anyway (lol). I was completely satisfied. I also had a Fried Oyster Po boy from Acme Oyster House. I think it was ok, but the bun to oyster ratio was not in the oyster's favor. The Brass-O-Holics are an awesome group, and their unique twist on classic R&B and hip hop had the crowd dancing, and grooving. Excellent musicians, soloists, and very tight. I will look for them again. Although I didn't get to hear/see Bag O Donuts, I've seen them before and they are also, and excellent, entertaining group.

This was my first time going to oyster fest and I was only there for 30 minutes because of the…read moredreadful Summer heat! Other than the heat, the food was delicious! (Fave to least) Red Fish Grill Oyster BBQ Po-boy This was probably my top favorite out of all the vendors! I mean you get some mad flavor from the crystal bbq and the blue cheese dressing cool down some of the spice - perfect combo! Trennese Oyster Ceviche Oh this was great especially being in the heat. This came with 4 total and each topped with shrimp chunks, white fish, and bell peppers - very delicious and fresh. Mac n' Cheese with Boudin The shell pasta was perfectly cooked and the cheese was the perfect consistency. I can't recall oyster being in this dish but it was defiantly seafood mixed in. DTB Oyster and Grits Nice texture in the grits with pickled veggies on top! Corn meal oysters were a bit small, but the overall flavors were on point. Little Korea BBQ Ice Pops - (Mango, Vietnamese Coffee, Cherry & Chocolate Chips) My favorite had to be the mango! It had a nice and smooth texture, very refreshing. My only request is changing the date to a cooler season. I wasn't able to enjoy my time at the festival because I spent my time complaining about the heat. I'm apologizing for not having the prices because it was too hot and I was too lazy to take a photo of each vendor. I will do better next year!

Fancy attire, joyful laughs, beads, and bows. It's a glorious day to attend a Parade, so off to…read moreSouthern Decadence we go! Dubbed the Gay Mardi Gras, Southern Decadence is an annual 5-day LGBTQ+ event held in New Orleans over Labor Day weekend. The festivities begin on Thursday and conclude on Monday with a grand Parade held on Sunday. It originally started as an end of summer party in 1972 by a group of 50 friends and was dubbed "Southern Decadence Party: Come as your favorite Southern Decadent. You'll find numerous parties throughout the French Quarter with people dressed in festive attire. I'm all about Decadence and this celebration is about letting loose and having fun because what happens in the Quarter stays in the Quarter. This was my second year attending this fabulous event. It's always a great time. The Parade is a highlight for me. I love the energy and enthusiasm from the performers and attendees. The flamboyant costumes are fantastic and the performances entertaining. This time was extra special because I got to share it with my darling friends Paula & Rob. It was a wonderful day filled with laughter, love, & memories that we'll cherish for years to come.

I live in New Orleans and always look forward to Southern Decadence! It's a weekend where everyone…read moreis so happy and just having fun. Be sure and hit up all the fun gay bars, and don't miss the parade. It's colorful and entertaining with a bit of naughty sprinkled in. Enjoy!!

I went to Mirliton Fest the year of its inception (2006) and was so pleased this year to see how…read moreit's grown. The crowds were great, the music tight, and the food booths were not the same old-same old. Plus each featured a mirliton dish! Yum. Wish their had been more crafts to see but I think they are making excellent use of their space.

Admittedly, I haven't been much of a mirliton eater since I was a kid. But on an absolute gorgeous…read moreday, my friend and I took our bikes out through the Quarter to the Bywater neighborhood for the 18th Annual Mirliton Festival at Markey Park. After paying admission and locking up the bikes, we bypassed the crafts area and did a once around of the food booths. I started with a Shrimp and Mirliton Stew with Cheddar Cheese Grits from Karma Kitchen. This dish was really tasty once properly seasoned with a little hot sauce. Next up was Pickled Mirliton Cole Slaw with Grilled Shrimp from Elizabeth's . Friggin' awesome! After a glass of wine from Bacchanal, I ended the afternoon with a Shrimp Stuffed Mirliton from Jack Dempsey's Restaurant. Good but not as good as the first two dishes. Elizabeth's was also serving up some other tasty looking dishes at their booth, so I might have to go check them out! The music was definitely local and happening. We met one of my dinner clubbers there and popped a squat and enjoyed the food, music, wine and weather... The crafts area had some interesting local items, including some brightly colored signs with local sayings and scenes, and some cool S&WB water main belt buckles that I will buy at the next Bywater Market. Turnout was pretty good and you can bet I'll be at next year's Mirliton Festival!