Admission: $17 general admission; $13 for military, students, WWII Museum Members, and senior citizens; free for WWII veterans and children 12 and under Location: New Orleans Lakefront airport Best Bet: See 25 of the rarest WWII aircraft in existence, including the B-29, P-51 and the B-25. Lagniappe: Every year, attendees include WWII veterans. Last year, those veterans included Women’s Auxiliary Service pilots and Pearl Harbor survivors. Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival Oct. 12-14 JazzAndHeritage.org/Blues-Fest Admission: Free, except for the VIP experience Location: Lafayette Square Park Best Bet: World-renowned guitar slinger Jimmie Vaughn, who will be performing at Madison Square Garden with Eric Clapton before his trip to NOLA, will be making his debut at the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Lagniappe: The 93-year-old Baton Rouge pianist Henry Gray shows you’re never too old to jam in a show on Oct. 14 at 4:30 p.m. New Orleans Film Festival Oct. 17-25 NewOrleansFilmSociety.org Admission: Regular screenings $13 ($10 for New Orleans Film Society members), matinee screenings $10 ($7 for New Orleans Film Society members), all access pass $320 ($270 for New Orleans Film Society members) Location: The Prytania Theater, The Broad Theater, Cinebarre Canal Place, The New Orleans Advocate building Best Bet: The full lineup has not yet been disclosed at press time, but a few titles have been announced. The True Don Quixote is a Louisiana-shot film starring Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou) about a lonely man who loses his mind and sets off on a quest for love
and glory. Lagniappe: The elegant opening party will be held at the expansive new ballroom in the recently renovated Jung Hotel on Canal Street. NOLA Mac ’N’ Cheese Fest Oct. 20 NOLAMacNCheeseFest.com Admission: Free. Food and beverages are availble for purchase inside. Location: Armstrong Park Best Bet: The official menu for this year’s fest is not out yet, but it’s a good idea to try some of the more creative mac ’n’ cheese dishes. Some at the 2017 fest included mac ’n cheese cupcakes, crawfish mac ’n’ cheese, and smoked brisket mac ’n’ cheese. Lagniappe: If you’re thinking to yourself that there’s no reason for you to go to the Mac ’N’ Cheese Fest because you’re a vegan, think again! This year’s fest will have a vegan option available for guests. Voodoo Music + Arts Experience Oct. 26-28 VoodooFestival.com Admission: $140 for a 3-day general admission ticket, $400 for a 3-day LOA VIP ticket, $1350 for a 3-day platinum ticket Location: City Park Best Bet: Hip-hop superstar Childish Gambino (a.k.a. Donald Glover) has been a hot commodity this year with his incendiary “This is America” music video and his performance as Lando Calrissian in Solo. He’s one of the headliners at this year’s Voodoo Fest. Lagniappe: On Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., the fest is holding Feast Under the Stars. It’s a 5-course meal on festival grounds as final preparations are made for the event. The food will be made by award-winning chef Aaron Sanchez and will feature winepairings and dessert.
Hell Yes Fest 1st 3 Weekends in November ComedyNOLA.com/Hell-Yes-Fest Admission: Prices will vary, but none will be over $12 Location: Multiple locations in the Marigny Best Bet: The lineup of performers has not been set yet, but past highlights have included Sarah Silverman and Nick Swardson. Lagniappe: In past years, the comedy festival has been on a single weekend, but this year it will be spread out over three weekends to give it a feel similar to that of world-famous festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Boudin, Bourbon, and Beer Nov. 9 BoudinBourbonAndBeer.com Admission: Ticket prices not yet announced Location: Champions Square Best Bet: The event’s sponsor is Abita, and they will be featuring their favorite brews, as well as their seasonal favorites and some special cask selections. Lagniappe: There will be more chefs attending than in any prior year, with over 70 participating. There will also be additional dessert stations available. Oak Street Po Boy Festival Nov. 11 PoBoyFest.com Admission: Entrance to Oak Street is free, but a $5 wristband must be purchased in order to buy a poor boy. Location: Oak Street on the river side of Carrollton Best Bet: The winner for best seafood poor boy in 2017 was Red Fish Grill’s BBQ oyster poor boy and the winner for best sausage poor boy was Bratz Y’all’s drunk pig poor boy. Lagniappe: Poor boys aren’t the only things for sale at the Po Boy Fest. The Where Y’Arts Market will be returning this year for anyone looking to buy some quirky arts and crafts.
Treme Creole Gumbo Festival Nov. 17-18 JazzAndHeritage.org/TremeGumbo Admission: Free Location: Armstrong Par Best Bet: Cooking a good gumbo is a challenging, timeconsuming process. Check out the “gumbosium” to see cooking demonstrations and get tips from skilled chefs (and of course eat some gumbo, too). Lagniappe: The Treme Creole Gumbo Festival is the only festival whose music lineup consists entirely of brass bands. Celebration in the Oaks Nov. 23-Jan.1 (closed Nov. 26-29, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve) NewOrleansCityPark.com Admission: $9, free for children under 3 and Friends of City Park members Location: City Park Best Bet: Part of the fun of Celebration in the Oaks is going on the rides in Storyland. For $27, you get admission to Celebration in the Oaks and an unlimited ride band (single tickets for the train are $5 and single tickets for other rides are $4). Lagniappe: Did you know it takes 8 months of preparation and a total of 558,350 LED bulbs to create Celebration in the Oaks’ dazzling light show? NOLA Christmas Fest Dec. 22-31 NOLAChristmasFest.com Admission: $20, which includes all rides. Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Best Bet: Ice skating is not an activity New Orleanians get to try much, so the festival’s ice skating rink is worth a look for anyone adventurous enough to strap on some ice skates. Lagniappe: Do you like watching curling during the Winter Olympics and wish you could try it in the Crescent City? This year at Christmas Fest, you can try your skill at the popular winter sport on a synthetic curling rink.