4 Best Performing Arts in New Orleans, Louisiana

Held around Independence Day, this three-day festival brings in more than a half-million visitors and draws top names in R&B, pop, and hip-hop to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The event also includes talks by prominent African American figures and empowerment seminars.

With stages set up throughout the Quarter and on the river at Woldenberg Park, the focus here is on free local entertainment—and, of course, food. A lot of locals consider this April festival the best in the city.

The August weekend-long tribute to the late, great Louis Armstrong honors Satchmo with jazz performances staged throughout the Quarter, seminars and discussions with Armstrong scholars, a Satchmo Club Strut down Frenchmen Street, and the Louis Armstrong Birthday Party.

Part music festival, part giant interactive art exhibition, and part Halloween bash, Voodoo Experience is a festival that's held the last weekend of October. It attracts eclectic young masses with its mix of edgy national acts, local bands, and art installations in various media.