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Christmas Inspiration - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 26 November 2025 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


New Orleans is always in season


New Orleans is a city thats just made for celebrating


From the joyful swirl of street parades to the lively rhythms rolling out of late-night jazz clubs, it’s a place that lives in the moment and invites everyone along for the ride. Known as the birthplace of jazz and home to one of the world’s most iconic festivals, Mardi Gras, New Orleans off ers visitors more than a holiday. It provides an unforgettable experience, one that shifts gently with the seasons, full of music, culture and warmth all year long. While winter holidays sparkle


COCKTAIL BY RICHARD NOWITZ


in the Crescent City, they’re just one part of a calendar packed with spectacular events and rich tradition. Whether it’s a last-minute getaway, a bucket list celebration or a cultural escape, New Orleans is a destination that every kind of traveller can enjoy, no matter the time of year.


A HOLIDAY SEASON LIKE NO OTHER For visitors eager to experience a magical winter break, New Orleans makes an enchanting destination in November and December. The festive season is steeped in the city’s unique blend of Creole traditions, European infl uences and unmistakable charm. Historic homes in the Garden


DINING BY PAUL BROUSSARD


District and French Quarter are adorned with ribbons, garlands and vintage lights as part of dazzling holiday home tours, hosted by local preservation societies. In City Park, Celebration in the Oaks transforms the 1,300-acre space into a canopy of twinkling lights and whimsical


Mardi Gras, renowned for its colourful fl oats, marching bands, and larger-than-life characters, takes over in February or early March


displays, complete with carousel rides, hot chocolate and family cheer. Réveillon dinners, originally


traditional Christmas Eve meals in Creole households, are served in acclaimed restaurants across the city throughout December, off ering special multi-course menus rooted in local heritage. Carolers gather at St Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, where open-air concerts fi ll the nights with warmth. As New Year’s Eve approaches, fi reworks light up the Mississippi River, giving a rousing welcome to the year ahead. Yet the holidays are just a


highlight in a city that celebrates something every season.


FESTIVALS FOR EVERY SEASON New Orleans doesn’t need a holiday to turn up the music, dance in the streets or gather around delicious food. Its year-round festival calendar is one of the most robust in the world. In spring, the city truly comes


alive. Mardi Gras, renowned for its colourful fl oats, marching bands and larger-than-life characters, takes over in February or early March. Beyond its famed revelry, Mardi Gras also includes family-friendly parades,


neighbourhood traditions, krewes (social organisations) with deep historical roots and a contagious sense of fun that pulses through every district. As the fl owers bloom, music fi lls


the air. The free French Quarter Festival in April showcases hundreds of local bands playing jazz, funk, zydeco and blues throughout the city’s oldest neighbourhood. A few weeks later comes the award-winning New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often simply called Jazz Fest. It’s two weekends of world-class performances, local art, cultural demonstrations and food stalls that celebrate the city’s diverse legacy. Summer brings the Essence


Festival of Culture, a celebration of Black music and empowerment, and Satchmo SummerFest in August, dedicated to Louis Armstrong. In autumn, cooler temperatures


welcome more outdoor concerts, food festivals and Halloween events like nowhere else. The Krewe of Boo! Halloween parade winds through the French Quarter with spooky, family-friendly fanfare and ghost tours, costumed dancers and haunted houses, make it one of the best places in the country to celebrate the season.


FOR THOSE WHO WANDER DIFFERENTLY New Orleans wears many hats — and crowns. It’s a music capital, a culinary centre, a cultural melting pot and an architectural wonder. And it’s a city that caters to many types of traveller. For music-lovers, New Orleans is more than just a destination, it’s a


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