Things to Do in New Orleans in the Summer

French Quarter Neighborhood

In a word, HOT. Sometimes I state “it’s too hot to be alive!” Or “it’s hotter than Hades!” These are reels I get stuck on in the later parts of summer when I’m desperate for reprieve. However, I will say that when it rains a lot, the temps are not so bad. It’s when we have draught that it we get worried. Plants die, you have to stay inside more, and pools feel like bathtubs. Nonetheless, this is our city to get frustrated with, and we love her despite her hot little self. Wear as little as possible, and wear natural clothing fabrics like cotton and linen. Here are some New Orleans outfits I recommend for your visit. You’ll be just fine. And yes, it's worth visiting in the summer. Definitely.

Chance in Hell Snowballs

Cooking class

I’ve been cooking New Orleans food since my introduction to cooking. Whether it’s crawfish pie, gumbo, red beans and rice, or jambalaya, it’s on my menu rotation. And people love all of it. If you want to learn to cook New Orleans style, I highly recommend taking a class. They are fun and informative, and you can buy some spices to take back and replicate. It’s worth it!

Snowballs

The debate is on for the best snowballs. Most of us would say that Hansen’s is the best, and it really could be. However, I like Chance in Hell in Bywater and Sal’s which is located way outside in Old Metairie. There are so many to choose from that I would tell you to just get a new one everyday because you will like them in the heat. Pick a new flavor each time too. 

Cocktail Hour

It’s New Orleans. Have some cocktails for crying out loud. If you’re meandering around the French Quarter or Magazine Street, you might pop in and out of the best bars in New Orleans and are worthy of your dollars and try some cocktails. You can walk around the street with it, so you can take your time. The ice will be melted when you exit, but it’s a nice cool down.

Summer Tomatoes

Creole Tomato Fest

The Creole Tomato Festival is special to me because it is the same weekend as my birthday (which is early June), and I happen to love creole tomatoes. If you haven’t had one, please do yourself a favor and try one. They are better than ice cream sometimes. No, they are not. But they are really good, and there is a whole festival celebrating them.

Essence Fest

Essence Fest is a beautiful celebration of black culture and a huge music festival as well. It brings in thousands of people around the July 4th weekend, and New Orleans downtown area is taken over by this festival. If you like amazing musical artists and want to learn more through workshops and seminars, it’s a great place to be.

Satchmo Summerfest

Satchmo Summerfest is in the hottest month of our year, but it’s a fun place to be if you like music. For a couple of days, we honor Louis Armstrong, our most famous jazz musician from New Orleans. We are very fond of him and the music he produced here, and having a festival is only appropriate. The first weekend of August is when this happens, and I highly recommend going out to enjoy and support.

NOMA Stickers!

NOMA

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is a great way to break the heat in the summertime in New Orleans. I often go there for some solace on a Wednesday when Louisiana residents get in free. It’s a perk of being a local and I accept their generosity. Eating at the cafe is a nice add-on, as the food is good and it’s nice to take a little break during the visit.

WWII Museum

This behemoth of a museum, The National WWII Museum, is a great activity for the summer. It could quite literally take you your entire visit to go through, but I would recommend about half a day. I’m not particularly a museum person, but WWII stuff is my weakness, so I like this kind of stuff. I’ve been a few times because it’s a lot to take in, but it’s absolutely worth a visit.

Storyville Museum

If you know nothing about Storyville, time to add another subject to your repertoire! Storyville in New Orleans is an amazing time in the history of our city, and one that you should include in your visit. The Storyville Museum is the best place to dive in. I’ve been fascinated by it for years, and loved the book The Last Madame, which was the introduction to my low key obsession with Storyville and its characters. Check it out. It’s a great museum.

Sazerac House

One of my favorites and also free, the Sazerac House is for the legal drinking age guest to get immersed in our cocktail culture here in New Orleans. It’s a fun way to discover the origins of some of our most popular drinks, and you get a little sample along the way. They spill you out to the purchase room, so while the museum is free, you might end up spending on the booze. And that’s ok.

Vue Orleans

Vue Orleans is absolutely fantastic, and worthy of your dollar to go. It helps you get a snapshot of many parts of what makes up our beautiful city. You can view the city from the observation deck (sunset is just perfect), and understand who we are as a people and how we got to be who we are as a community and city. High on my list of recs.

Streetcar with Friends

Ride the Streetcar

A classic activity for visitors and locals alike, riding the streetcar can help you take a load off from the heat. Remember, the green line is not air conditioned, but the red one is. It’s still a nice breeze on the green line, especially with a cold drink in hand (or a coffee from one of the best coffee shops in New Orleans) and hanging out the window catching the breeze. This is an inexpensive investment for a nice ride to see the city.

Steamboat Cruise

I’ll be honest, I haven’t done a riverboat cruise in a while, so I have no opinion on the Creole Queen or the Natchez. Each of them has a big paddle on the back of it and they play jazz  music on board. People report the food is average, so I would recommend eating somewhere before or after because we have way too many good restaurants to get average food. It’s a nice ride, and people love it.

Swamp tours

Who doesn’t love a good swamp tour? They are relaxing, entertaining, and a good learning experience. New Orleans is so swampy, from our weather to our ecosystem to our people. We are very proud of where we come from! Taking a swamp tour is a perfect activity to do in the summers in New Orleans, especially on a flat bed boat. You will see some gators and other wildlife special to us, and get to know our city better through the process.

Hop-on Hop-off Bus

The great thing about the hop-on hop-off bus is that it is both guided and independent. You can get on and off at your leisure while having someone tell you about the different things around you. It goes from the French Quarter to the uptown areas to the Marigny, and a few others. Ride on top with no air conditioning or get in the bus to cool off. A great way to see New Orleans.

Live Music with Alligators!

Van Ella Bordella: A Storyville Burlesque

The Van Ella Bordella show was one that I saw advertised, and despite my general disinterest of burlesque, I loved this show so much. The women were sassy, spunky, beautiful, inclusive, and absolutely hilarious. I can’t recommend this show enough if you want to experience something unique and also about….Storyville! I’m spreading the wealth by telling you about this. You’re going to love it too.

Live Music

Generally this one is an easy one because live music is literally everywhere on Frenchmen Street and spotted around the French Quarter. It’s the heartbeat of our city, live music. We are always dancing in the streets and having strangers become friends from sharing tunes together. New Orleans is a very special place to see some music, and you can just pick a place and go, So many are excellent venues.

Ghost Tour

Doing a ghost tour in New Orleans is one of the coolest things you can do. There are things I’m partial to and things I’m not partial to, and this one I have an opinion. My dear friend Orion Couling is the best tour guide for this type of tour, and I think you should pick him as your tour guide if you do a ghost tour. He is a stellar human and a great guide, and you will learn a thing or two about our haunted city. Book him at this website.

Rusty Rainbow Bridge at Crescent Park

Crescent Park

We have some awesome parks in New Orleans, and I love Crescent Park because of its location along the Mississippi River in Bywater neighborhood. I’ve spent  some really nice mornings and afternoons walking in the park, doing some photography and enjoying the breeze from the river. The views are fantastic, too. You can grab some breakfast from Elizabeth’s afterwards for good measure.

Audubon Park

My second favorite park is Audubon. I like it because the loop is a great place to get a little exercise and friend time in. Frequently, I go there on my own to enjoy the scenery, but it’s such a great place to go with people. The zoo is located nearby, and many people like to hit that. Sure, it’s hot, but it’s a nice zoo and worth seeing if you’re into zoos. If you want more Mississippi River, check out The Fly, which runs along it. All located in Audubon Park area.

City Park

Here is the piece de resistance. City Park is a gorgeous park that I frequent, mostly because of the Sunday farmers market. It’s a place I go to get peace, exercise, and practice photography. There is so much to do inside of the park, and much of it is condensed to a smaller area. For a cooler walking experience, go to the Couterie Forest. You won’t feel like you’re in the city anymore and the temps drop 10 degrees.

It’s no secret that summertime in New Orleans is hot, and yet it’s still a magical place. So many people have fallen in love with it despite the heat, hurricanes, and humidity. If it’s on your list of places to go, then we welcome you. We consider summer lasting through September for the most part (not Labor Day) because it’s still so warm. Regardless, we love it and welcome you. This list is a great start on activities that won’t overextend you during these hotter months of ours. Take lots of breaks, drink lots of water, and laissez les bon temps rouler.

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