Southern cities are well known for their warmer weather. In the summertime, these cities see a huge influx of visitors, and for good reason. Between the annual celebrations of Mardi Gras, The Super Bowl, and The Masters, there are enough huge events to attend to keep the whole family interested. Let’s go over some of our favorite things to do in New Orleans this summer.
Satchmo Summerfest
The famous trumpeter and baritone singer Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans. And every year they celebrate this hometown legend with the Satchmo Summerfest. Some of Louis Armstrong’s nicknames were Pops, Satchmo, and Satch. Satchmo or Satch comes from the word Satchelmouth. And the origin of Satchelmouth is supposedly from when he would sing on the streets, he’d keep the coins he got in his mouth so that no one would steal them.
This event hosts musicians and vendors from all over Louisiana to celebrate what Louis Armstrong did for the jazz industry. He is seen by many as the founding father of jazz music. The first festival was celebrated on the musician’s would have been 100th birthday. Every year it coincides with his birthday which is August 4th.
There are special events that take place during the 2-day festival. There is the Satchmo Soundoff which is a performance by many young and talented artists. There’s the Jazz Mass which is a mass featuring the Treme Brass Band. There’s also a parade that follows mass and it leads right to the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Southern Decadence
New Orleans was a popular place in the 70s and 80s for many people of the LGBTQ+ community to visit during Labor Day Weekend. The Southern Decadence Party as it once was, was started by a small group of intimate friends that shared a homestead on Barracks Street. They were throwing a going-away party for their friend and decided that the theme would be to dress as their favorite Southern Decadent.
This eventually turned into a huge celebration of gay and lesbian people from Louisiana and they brought all their friends. It is now so big it is referred to as the “Gay Mardi Gras”. New Orleans is not new to outrageous, exuberant, and fantastic parties. So Southern Decadence fits right in along with all of the other parties in New Orleans.
Many of these events take place in the French Quarter area of New Orleans. This area is famous for its culinary wonders and for being a central part of New Orleans’s historic district. If you have browsed New Orleans houses for sale, you probably realized this neighborhood is full of beautiful homes and architecture. It is the ultimate backdrop to the bodacious parties that New Orleans loves to host every year.
The Running of the Bulls
Lastly, we come to a new event that New Orleans has been hosting. The Running of the Bulls in New Orleans was founded by Mickey Hanning. He went to Sanfermines in Pamplona, Spain at the request of a friend. He had the idea to bring the festival and celebration to New Orleans when he spotted someone at Mardi Gras dressed as a Correro.
Thus the idea was born and the San Fermin in Nueva Orleans was created. There are 3 days of festival events such as live auctions, music, the running of the bulls, the festival of pants, and finally a burlesque show. As you can see, this event is full of fun as many of the large events in New Orleans are.
We suggest the best way to experience these adventures is to book your stay right away. If you don’t take it upon yourself to visit this amazing city, how will you ever know what the festival of pants is?