New Orleans doesn’t slow down when the weather cools off. November brings a whole festival built around the po-boy, a weekend of light art projected onto downtown buildings, Thanksgiving at the racetrack and the Bayou Classic in the Superdome. December brings City Park’s holiday lights, a bonfire festival upriver in Lutcher, a bowl game and an indoor Christmas festival with an ice rink. If you’re visiting this November or December, or you live here and keep meaning to get out more, this is your list.
These are the ten events we’d actually plan a weekend around, in date order, with what to pair each one with nearby. Every date was checked against the organizer’s or venue’s own website on October 14, 2026. If an event hadn’t posted its 2026 dates yet, it didn’t make the list, so a few big names are missing for now. More on that at the end.
The quick version
| Event | Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Street Po-Boy Festival | Sun, Nov 8 | Oak Street |
| New Orleans Saints home games | Nov 8, Nov 15, Dec 6, Dec 27 | Caesars Superdome |
| LUNA Fête | Nov 13–15 | Downtown New Orleans |
| Thanksgiving Classic | Thu, Nov 26 | Fair Grounds Race Course |
| Celebration in the Oaks | Nov 27 – Jan 1 | New Orleans City Park |
| Bayou Classic | Sat, Nov 28 | Caesars Superdome |
| Festival of the Bonfires | Dec 11–13 | Lutcher Recreational Park, Lutcher |
| Louisiana Champions Day & Salute the Military Day | Sat, Dec 12 | Fair Grounds Race Course |
| New Orleans Bowl | Wed, Dec 23 | Caesars Superdome |
| NOLA ChristmasFest | Dec 23 – Jan 2 | Ernest N. Morial Convention Center |
1. Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
Sunday, November 8, 2026 · Oak Street · Festival details
The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival is a whole street festival built around one sandwich. It takes over Oak Street for a day of po-boys, live music and areas set up to watch the football games.
It runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Saints kick off at noon that day, so get there early and eat before the game starts at one of the game-watch areas. Bring friends and split a few different po-boys rather than committing to one.
Our tip: Oak Street is uptown, so make a day of it. Take a slow walk through Audubon Park before the crowds build, or wander the Garden District on your way back toward downtown.
2. New Orleans Saints home games
Sunday, November 8 · Sunday, November 15 · Sunday, December 6 · Sunday, December 27, 2026 · Caesars Superdome · Schedule
A Saints Sunday is a citywide event, whether you’re inside the dome or watching from a bar on the other side of town. The Saints have four home games in these two months:
- Sunday, November 8, at 12 p.m. against the Browns
- Sunday, November 15, at 12 p.m. against the Panthers
- Sunday, December 6, at 12 p.m. against the Packers
- Sunday, December 27, at 12 p.m. against the Cardinals
All four are listed for noon Central kickoffs. Times can change later in the season, so check the schedule before you go.
Our tip: the November 8 game falls on the same day as the Po-Boy Festival, which has its own game-watch areas. If you can’t get into the dome, that’s a pretty good way to watch. On the other Sundays, head over to the French Quarter after the final whistle.
3. LUNA Fête
November 13–15, 2026 · Downtown New Orleans · Festival details
For three nights in mid-November, Arts New Orleans turns downtown into a gallery of light. LUNA Fête is a festival of projection mapping and light art, with projections that include Gallier Hall. This year’s edition also adds a Puppetry Parade.
It runs Friday through Sunday, so it’s easy to fit around a weekend visit. Light art needs darkness, so plan to arrive after sunset.
Our tip: downtown is right next to the French Quarter, so you can walk from dinner in the Quarter to the projections and back again. Check the festival site for the map before you go.
4. Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds
Thursday, November 26, 2026 · Fair Grounds Race Course, 1751 Gentilly Blvd. · Event details
Why not spend Thanksgiving at the track? The Thanksgiving Classic is a full day of racing and dining, and it gives you a reason to get out of the house before the turkey, or a way to skip cooking altogether.
Doors open at 11 a.m. and post time is 12 p.m., so you can be done with the races in time for dinner.
Our tip: the Fair Grounds sits close to City Park. If you’re making a full weekend of it, Celebration in the Oaks opens there the very next day.
5. Celebration in the Oaks
November 27, 2026 to January 1, 2027 · New Orleans City Park · City Park calendar
Celebration in the Oaks is City Park’s holiday lights festival, and you can see it two ways: a driving tour from your car or a walking tour on foot.
It runs from the day after Thanksgiving right through New Year’s Day, so there’s plenty of time to go. Hours and special nights vary, so check celebrationintheoaks.com before you head over.
Our tip: our City Park guide covers what else is in the park. Visit the New Orleans Museum of Art in the afternoon, then stay for the lights once it gets dark.
6. Bayou Classic
Saturday, November 28, 2026 · Caesars Superdome · Bayou Classic details
Grambling State against Southern is the matchup at the heart of the Bayou Classic, which turns Thanksgiving weekend into a celebration around it. The game itself is on Saturday at the Superdome.
The whole weekend is the draw, though. Around the game there’s a Thanksgiving Day parade, a Greek Show and Battle of the Bands, and a fan festival. See the events page for the full weekend schedule.
Our tip: the Superdome is an easy walk from the French Quarter, and downtown fills up fast on Bayou Classic weekend. Book your hotel early, and leave extra time to get anywhere near the dome on game day.
7. Festival of the Bonfires
December 11–13, 2026 · Lutcher Recreational Park, 2545 Louisiana Avenue, Lutcher · Festival details
This one is a road trip. The Festival of the Bonfires is in Lutcher, in St. James Parish upriver from the city, not in New Orleans itself. It’s a Cajun-style Christmas festival with food, crafts and rides.
The big moments are the fires themselves. A bonfire is lit on the levee on Friday night, and Saturday night brings another bonfire with fireworks. Check the festival site for the schedule before you set out.
Our tip: treat it as a day trip. Drive up in the afternoon, eat your way through the festival, stay for the fire on the levee and drive back into the city afterward.
8. Louisiana Champions Day & Salute the Military Day
Saturday, December 12, 2026 · Fair Grounds Race Course · Event details
Louisiana Champions Day showcases Louisiana-bred horses with a 10-race card featuring seven stakes races. It also doubles as Salute the Military Day, honoring military families.
Post time is 12 p.m., and the event runs until 5 p.m. It’s a good way to spend a December Saturday afternoon.
Our tip: pair the races with a morning walk around Bayou St. John or City Park, both close by. If you’re in town that weekend, the Festival of the Bonfires is also on.
9. New Orleans Bowl
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 · Caesars Superdome · Game details
College football keeps going right up to Christmas. The 2026 New Orleans Bowl kicks off at 1 p.m. Central at the Superdome. The matchup hasn’t been announced yet, so watch the bowl’s site once the college season wraps up.
It lands two days before Christmas, so it’s a handy outing if you’re in town for the holidays and want something to do before the family arrives.
Our tip: the Superdome is close to the Convention Center, and NOLA ChristmasFest opens the same day. Go to the game in the afternoon, then grab dinner in the French Quarter.
10. NOLA ChristmasFest
December 23, 2026 to January 2, 2027 · Ernest N. Morial Convention Center · Festival details
NOLA ChristmasFest moves winter indoors. It fills several halls of the Convention Center with an ice rink, ice slides, Carnival rides and holiday displays.
It runs from just before Christmas into the new year, with different hours on holidays. Check the plan your visit page for session times before you go.
Our tip: the Convention Center is a short walk from The National WWII Museum. Do the museum in the morning and skate in the afternoon.
A few more worth a look
These didn’t make the top ten, but their dates are posted and they’re worth your time, including a few dates to save for 2027.
- Jambalaya Jamboree Cook-Off at Fair Grounds: Saturday, November 21, from 12:55 to 5:55 p.m. A jambalaya cook-off held on a racing day. Details.
- Road to the Derby Kickoff Day: Saturday, December 19, from 12:55 to 5:55 p.m. at Fair Grounds Race Course, with eight stakes races for 3-year-olds. Details.
- Road to the Derby Day: Saturday, January 16, 2027, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Fair Grounds Race Course, with six major races for 3-year-olds. Details.
- Congo Square Rhythms Festival: April 3–4, 2027, in Armstrong Park, from the Jazz & Heritage Foundation. See our Louis Armstrong Park guide. Jazz & Heritage Foundation announcement.
- French Quarter Festival: April 8–11, 2027, four days of music in the French Quarter. Details.
A few traditions we’re still waiting on
Some well-known New Orleans events hadn’t posted dates we could confirm when we checked, so we left them off rather than guess. Keep an eye out for the Christmas Eve bonfires on the levee in St. James Parish, the Réveillon dinners, the Sugar Bowl, the Mardi Gras 2027 parade schedule, Jazz Fest, Essence Festival, Southern Decadence and Voodoo. We’ll add them once the dates are official.
How to make the most of a New Orleans holiday season
- Book early for big weekends. Thanksgiving weekend brings the Bayou Classic and Celebration in the Oaks together, and Saints Sundays fill downtown too.
- Stack your days by neighborhood. City Park has Celebration in the Oaks and the art museum, with the Fair Grounds nearby. Downtown has the Superdome, the Convention Center, LUNA Fête and the WWII Museum, all a short walk from the French Quarter.
- Plan around game days. Downtown gets busy around the Superdome on Saints Sundays, Bayou Classic Saturday and New Orleans Bowl day, so leave extra time if you’re driving.
- Remember the drive to Lutcher. The Festival of the Bonfires is outside the city, so plan your ride there and back before you go.
- Check before you go. Dates and times come from each organizer’s website and can change, so follow the links above for the latest.
That’s our list. From po-boys on Oak Street to bonfires in Lutcher, New Orleans packs a lot into these two months. Which one are you most excited about?
Last checked: October 14, 2026.
