WHAT TO DO IN SEPTEMBER IN NEW ORLEANS - NEW ORLEANS EVENTS AND FESTIVALS, SEPTEMBER 2025
September 2025 in New Orleans: New Orleans Fashion Week, New Orleans Cocktail Week, The Black Americana Festival
SEPTEMBER IN NEW ORLEANS: event calendar, SEPTEMBER 2025
The slower days of the summer are gone, and as we head towards fall, events and festivals in New Orleans pick right back up. It's a full month - here's our highlights:
SEPTEMBER 2025 IN NEW ORLEANS
4th-7th
International Dance Festival New Orleans
A dynamic platform for local and international artists to connect through performances, masterclasses, and community engagement. More info
6th
Louisiana Food Truck Festival
Get ready to eat, dance, and celebrate flavor! The Louisiana Food Truck Festival rides into town on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at The Harbor Center. This free, family-friendly event promises a full day. More info
7th
Saints vs Arizona Cardinals Game
Get ready for the first regular game of the football season! Who Dat! More info
12th-13th
A Tale of Two Cities
The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts (NOAFA), with the Asheville-based ArtsvilleUSA and River Arts District Artists (RADA), presents this exciting exhibition, featuring arts and crafts from the very best New Orleans and Asheville artists. More info
12th-20th
New Orleans Fashion Week
New Orleans Fashion Week's goal is to redefine what it means to be fashionable and is committed to being the leading fashion industry event in the Gulf Coast. Get ready for a week full of glamorous runway shows, exclusive educational sessions, and chic parties. More info
13th
L.O.C.A.L.S. Fest
L.O.C.A.L.S. Fest was born out of a deep appreciation for the incredible talent that thrives within our community. Local artists, artisans, chefs, and entrepreneurs deserve a spotlight to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship - this it it. More info
15th
New Orleans Cocktail Week
An annual week-long event that showcases the best bars and restaurants in the area. By purchasing a New Orleans Cocktail Week Pass, participants have access to discounted signature cocktails and at select locations, along with additional cocktail and entrée/small appetizers pairings for a fixed price! More info
17th
National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration @ NOMA
Gallery talks from curator Orlando Hernández Ying and a live salterio performance and lecture from musician Marc Armitano Domingo. As a leading performer and researcher of the salterio—a historical dulcimer popular in 17th- and 18th-century Spain, Italy, and colonial Latin America—Armitano Domingo focuses on reconstructing both the repertoire and authentic playing techniques.
This program is included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. Advanced registration is recommended.
18th-21st
OVO by Cirque du Soleil
A dazzling production by the world famous Cirque du Soleil, featuring 53 acrobats and musicians who bring to life a fantastical insect colony. This reimagined version includes new acrobatic acts, original characters, updated costumes, and reinvented music. More info
20th
Fall Festival @ NOMA
Usher in the new season at a free outdoor festival hosted in NOMA’s Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Enjoy live music and performances, art making activities, guided tours featuring highlights from the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and more. Entertainment and activities include photos by Polo Silk, a movement class with Move Ya Brass, DJ Audio Jocks, Krewe des Fleurs, and more. Free and open to all. More info
20th-21st
The Westbank Heritage Festival
a weekend full of vibrant culture, flavorful eats, and non-stop music at The Westbank Heritage Festival! From local food favorites to live performances, kids’ activities, and dancing under the sun, this two-day celebration brings together families, friends, and community spirit. More info
25th-28th
International Arts Festival NOLA 25
A global symphony of music in Louis Armstrong Park that will be curated to celebrate the beauty of art envisioned through the lens of instruments, paintbrushes, voices, imagery, and poetry. More info
25th - October 5th
NOLA x NOLA
Celebrating 5 years of New Orleans' most iconic music venues and artists! NOLAxNOLA 2025 is set to be an unforgettable celebration in New Orleans. Taking place in iconic music venues across the city, a diverse lineup of local and national artists makes it a must-visit event for music enthusiasts. More info
26th
Dawoud Bey: Elegy @ NOMA
Through the interweaving of three photographic series—"Stony the Road "(2023), "In This Here Place" (2019), and "Night Coming Tenderly, Black" (2017)—Bey offers a framework through which to conceptualize the landscapes of Virginia, Louisiana, and Ohio (respectively) not merely as sites of a troubled history, but also as places that still hold the memories of our shared American past. The exhibition also includes two films: "Evergreen" (2019) and "350,000" (2023). More info
26th
New Orleans Yoga Festival
The inaugural New Orleans Yoga Festival - a four-day immersion into yoga, music, movement, and mindfulness. This vibrant celebration brings together teachers, students, and wellness practitioners from across the Gulf South, spanning Houston to Florida, for a transformative weekend in the Crescent City. More info
26th-27th
Black Americana Fest
A vibrant two-day celebration spotlighting Black artists in Americana, Country, and Folk music. Open to all ages, the festival blends powerful live performances, inspiring panels, interactive art, and family-friendly activities to honor and reimagine traditional American genres through a fresh and inclusive lens. More info
SEPTEMBER 2025 IN NEW ORLEANS
4th-7th
International Dance Festival New Orleans
A dynamic platform for local and international artists to connect through performances, masterclasses, and community engagement. More info
6th
Louisiana Food Truck Festival
Get ready to eat, dance, and celebrate flavor! The Louisiana Food Truck Festival rides into town on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at The Harbor Center. This free, family-friendly event promises a full day. More info
7th
Saints vs Arizona Cardinals Game
Get ready for the first regular game of the football season! Who Dat! More info
12th-13th
A Tale of Two Cities
The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts (NOAFA), with the Asheville-based ArtsvilleUSA and River Arts District Artists (RADA), presents this exciting exhibition, featuring arts and crafts from the very best New Orleans and Asheville artists. More info
12th-20th
New Orleans Fashion Week
New Orleans Fashion Week's goal is to redefine what it means to be fashionable and is committed to being the leading fashion industry event in the Gulf Coast. Get ready for a week full of glamorous runway shows, exclusive educational sessions, and chic parties. More info
13th
L.O.C.A.L.S. Fest
L.O.C.A.L.S. Fest was born out of a deep appreciation for the incredible talent that thrives within our community. Local artists, artisans, chefs, and entrepreneurs deserve a spotlight to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship - this it it. More info
15th
New Orleans Cocktail Week
An annual week-long event that showcases the best bars and restaurants in the area. By purchasing a New Orleans Cocktail Week Pass, participants have access to discounted signature cocktails and at select locations, along with additional cocktail and entrée/small appetizers pairings for a fixed price! More info
17th
National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration @ NOMA
Gallery talks from curator Orlando Hernández Ying and a live salterio performance and lecture from musician Marc Armitano Domingo. As a leading performer and researcher of the salterio—a historical dulcimer popular in 17th- and 18th-century Spain, Italy, and colonial Latin America—Armitano Domingo focuses on reconstructing both the repertoire and authentic playing techniques.
This program is included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. Advanced registration is recommended.
18th-21st
OVO by Cirque du Soleil
A dazzling production by the world famous Cirque du Soleil, featuring 53 acrobats and musicians who bring to life a fantastical insect colony. This reimagined version includes new acrobatic acts, original characters, updated costumes, and reinvented music. More info
20th
Fall Festival @ NOMA
Usher in the new season at a free outdoor festival hosted in NOMA’s Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Enjoy live music and performances, art making activities, guided tours featuring highlights from the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and more. Entertainment and activities include photos by Polo Silk, a movement class with Move Ya Brass, DJ Audio Jocks, Krewe des Fleurs, and more. Free and open to all. More info
20th-21st
The Westbank Heritage Festival
a weekend full of vibrant culture, flavorful eats, and non-stop music at The Westbank Heritage Festival! From local food favorites to live performances, kids’ activities, and dancing under the sun, this two-day celebration brings together families, friends, and community spirit. More info
25th-28th
International Arts Festival NOLA 25
A global symphony of music in Louis Armstrong Park that will be curated to celebrate the beauty of art envisioned through the lens of instruments, paintbrushes, voices, imagery, and poetry. More info
25th - October 5th
NOLA x NOLA
Celebrating 5 years of New Orleans' most iconic music venues and artists! NOLAxNOLA 2025 is set to be an unforgettable celebration in New Orleans. Taking place in iconic music venues across the city, a diverse lineup of local and national artists makes it a must-visit event for music enthusiasts. More info
26th
Dawoud Bey: Elegy @ NOMA
Through the interweaving of three photographic series—"Stony the Road "(2023), "In This Here Place" (2019), and "Night Coming Tenderly, Black" (2017)—Bey offers a framework through which to conceptualize the landscapes of Virginia, Louisiana, and Ohio (respectively) not merely as sites of a troubled history, but also as places that still hold the memories of our shared American past. The exhibition also includes two films: "Evergreen" (2019) and "350,000" (2023). More info
26th
New Orleans Yoga Festival
The inaugural New Orleans Yoga Festival - a four-day immersion into yoga, music, movement, and mindfulness. This vibrant celebration brings together teachers, students, and wellness practitioners from across the Gulf South, spanning Houston to Florida, for a transformative weekend in the Crescent City. More info
26th-27th
Black Americana Fest
A vibrant two-day celebration spotlighting Black artists in Americana, Country, and Folk music. Open to all ages, the festival blends powerful live performances, inspiring panels, interactive art, and family-friendly activities to honor and reimagine traditional American genres through a fresh and inclusive lens. More info