LAKESIDE2RIVERSIDE

Fiesta De Los Isle Os

March 4-5, losislenos.org

This month, come out and enjoy the culture and history of Louisiana’s Isleños people at the Fiesta de los Isleños. The festival will include live Latin and local music, and also interesting living history and folklife demonstrations, a genealogy exhibition, and other presentations reflecting Louisiana’s Spanish heritage. Along with craft booths and fun rides, guests can also sample traditional Isleños food, a tapas bar, and homemade desserts.

The Fairgrounds Wiener Dog Races

March 11, fairgroundsracecourse.com

Ready, set, go! This race includes 48 dachshunds making a 30 yard dash to see who the winner will be. Competition will be fierce and those short little legs will move as fast as they can. Purebred dachshunds will line up at the start and do their best to make it to the finish line. This is a fun day to spend at the Fairgrounds, enjoy the pups, and eat and drink with your friends. General admission is $10 and clubhouse tickets are $25.

Independence Sicilian Fest

March 10-12, indysicilianfest.com

The Independence Sicilian Fest will get you as close to Sicily without actually flying there. The festival is in Independence at 307 E Railroad Ave. There will be a ball, meatball toss, parade, poster contest, pageant, spaghetti cook-off, and so much more. Best of all will be all the tasty foods to try. Be sure to go hungry. Along with great food, the festival has rides and music each day. Louisiana has a large Sicilian population and this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Sicilian culture while having a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

The New Orleans Book Festival At Tulane University

March 9-11, bookfest.tulane.edu

The New Orleans Book Festival features readings, literary panels, symposia, and keynote speeches. The program includes writers of both fiction and nonfiction. Speakers include Roy Blount Jr., Jason Berry, James Carville, Maureen Dowd, Malcolm Gladwell, Claudia Gray, Eric Holder, Walter Isaacson, and Molly Kimball, to name a few. Festival events will take place on the Tulane University Uptown campus. The festival is free and open to the public.

Nola On Tap

March 18, nolaontap.org

Nola on Tap is a fun afternoon beer celebration at Lafreniere park. VIP/first taste is at 2 p.m. and general admission is at 3 p.m. There’s lots of fun events planned including three stages of live entertainment, Brewtality Wrestling, and the very first Doggie Drag Show, but the star of this festival is the beer. Nola on tap will have hundreds of craft beers and dozens of homebrews for you to try. Breweries who will be there include Abita Beer, Faubourg Brewing Co., Courtyard Brewery, Lazy Magnolia, Parish Brewing, Tin Roof Brewing, Zony Mash, and many more. Proceeds from the event will go to the LASPCA.

Wiener Dog Races

SATURDAY, MARCH 11 • POST TIME: 1:15PM

Louisiana Derby Day

SATURDAY, MARCH 25 • POST TIME: 12PM

FOR CLUBHOUSE AND BLACK GOLD RESERVATIONS, CALL 504.943.2200.

SHANTEL LANERIE MEMORIAL STAKES (LA) SURVIVORS SECOND LINE

SUNDAY, MARCH 26 • AFTER LAST RACE REGISTER NOW AT FGNO.COM

THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL

March 22-26, tennesseewilliams.net

Stellllllaaaa! This year’s Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival (TWF) will kick off with the Stella/Stanley shout on Wednesday, March 19 at 4 p.m. in Jackson Square. The literary festivities will begin on March 22 through the 26. There will be fantastic literary panels and writing master classes as well as fun events like the annual Tennessee Williams tribute reading and Poppy Tooker’s Drag brunch. Saints and Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary and this year, the TWF is launching a new theater series, the Last Bohemia Fringe Festival, with nightly shows at the Twilight Room Thursday through Saturday. There are individual event tickets and full fest passes available for purchase online.

BOURBON FEST | March 22-25, neworleansbourbonfestival.com

Get your tasting glass ready for samples of some of the best bourbon around. Distilleries come to New Orleans this weekend to share their wares and talk to bourbon lovers about their product. Along with bourbon tasting, there will be delicious food served at the festival, so you can wander from booth to booth, eating and drinking the whole evening. This year’s fifth annual festival will be at the Contemporary Arts Center. There will also be special bourbon dinners where food and bourbon are paired at off-site venues (tickets sold separately). Tickets for the festival start at $79 and can be purchased on their website.

LOUISIANA CRAWFISH FEST

March 23-26, louisianacrawfishfestival.com

Come on down to the Parish for the 47th Annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival. That’s right—it’s that time of year. All the crawfish you can eat plus lots of other delicious food and good music. Settle in with a tray of crawfish and listen to Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., the Boogie Men, or Harvey Jesus and Fire, to name a few acts who will be there. The festival will also have rides and crafts. The festival will be at the St. Bernard Parish Frederick Sigur Civic Center. Tickets are $30 a day for most days and are available on their website.

The New Orleans Opera

March 22-26, neworleansopera.org/ events

This month, the New Orleans Opera offers several performances of the classic, Madame Butterfly. Along with student performances, there will be matinee and evening shows at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Puccini’s opera is a poignant three-act performance that follows the tragic tale of Cio Cio San, a young Japanese girl who falls in love with American naval officer Pinkerton with devastating consequences. Tickets start at $32 and are available on their website.

CONGO SQUARE RHYTHMS/ TREMÉ CREOLE GUMBO FESTIVAL

March 25-26 jazzandheritage.org/events/t reme-creole-gumbo-festival

The Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival is a free event celebrating music, food, and dance of the forebears of enslaved African people who gathered in Congo Square in years’ past. The Tremé Creole Gumbo and Congo Square Rhythms festivals have joined into one festival and is at the Louis Armstrong Park at 701 N. Rampart Street. Musical acts include James Andrew, Rebirth Brass Band, Water Seed, the Original Pinettes Brass Band, the Hot 8 Brass Band, and more. There will be some of the best gumbo around right here at the festival. It will kick off with James Andrew and family in concert at the Jazz & Heritage Center on March 24.

Parade schedules and routes are subject to change. Check WhereYat.com for updates.