How to Do (and Dress for) French Quarter Fest
Are you ready to dance, eat, and get really sweaty? French Quarter Fest kicks off festival season in New Orleans as the biggest showcase of Louisiana music in the world.
Over the four day span, you’ll find 23 stages, hundreds of food options, and special events and venues scattered across downtown there’s a little bit of something for everyone.
Everything you need to know about French Quarter Fest in NOLA
Whether you’re visiting New Orleans for the first time, or finally braving the vieux carre, here’s everything you need to know about French Quarter Fest.
What to Eat
Honestly, good luck. If you’re there on the weekend then be prepared to be rubbing sweaty elbows with everyone else in New Orleans waiting to get a salty malty ice cream sunday.
Every year the food is a bit different, but my suggestion is to eat at the FQF vendors not the understaffed, overpriced, and underwhelming restaurants.
Here’s a shortlist of Personally-approved vendors to keep your belly full (Food), your sweet tooth satiated (Dessert), and the hair of the dog nicely combed (Beverages):
- Landry’s Seafood (F)
- The Court of Two Sisters (F)
- Bratz Y’all Bistro & Biergarten (F)
- Jacques-Imo’s Café (F)
- Plum Street Snowball (D)
- Galatoire’s (D) - with a gluten free shrimp remoulade
- Haydel’s Bakery (D)
- Company Burger (F)
- New Orleans Original Daiquiris (B)
- The Rum House (F)
- Pat O’Brien’s Bar (D)
- Cafe Beignet (D)
- Flamingo A-Go-Go (F)
- French Market Iced Cold Brew Coffee (B)
Who to See
My best advice is to let your ears (and the elbows of the crowd) guide you. Of course, you could check out their lineup and carefully plan a mind-bogglingly awesome four-day-long ear adventure, but let’s be honest: Brittney is probably going to ruin it with that 32 oz daiquiri she bought.
Instead, I’d recommend planing to attend things like a Cajun dance lessons and interviews with local musicians and letting the rest go with the flow.
What to Wear to French Quarter Fest
It still amazes me that I’ve never witnessed someone breaking their ankle while trying to navigate the bourbon juice-flooded cobblestones of the French Quarter in stilettos. It’s just not a good idea.
It’s typically warm and often rainy, so become comfortable with the idea of looking like a drowned rodent instead of whatever look you were going for.
In New Orleans, you don’t decide your look, New Orleans decides it for you.
But besides leaving your heels at home in favor of something you won’t hate yourself for later, I’d recommend sporting some sunscreen, a protective (and stylish) hat, and enough glitter to make people think the heat they’re feeling is radiating off the literal sun walking down the street in Lululemon Athletica.
