The Vieux Carre (aka the French Quarter) offers so much: the shops on Royal Street, the drinks on Bourbon Street, the classic restaurants throughout, and the French Market. So why should a its namesake festival be any different? Well it’s not! The Vieux To Do is collection of similarly diverse festivals all taking place at one time. As the French Quarter gives us restaurants featuring fish and seafood, the French Market featuring fresh produce and countless clubs showcase live music, the Vieux to Do gives us the Louisiana Seafood Festival, the Louisiana Creole Tomato Festival, and the Louisiana Cajun Zydeco Festival! Excited yet? Well, we’ve got what you need to know to get ready for three times the fun this June 11 and 12th.
THE LOUISIANA SEAFOOD FESTIVAL
When you’re the best at what you do, you celebrate the heck out of it. That is what the Louisiana Seafood Festival is all about. Not only does Louisiana harvest more seafood than any other state, we harvest some of the greatest shrimp, crawfish, crabs, oysters and fish the world over. At the Old U.S. Mint, you’ll be able to sample this famous seafood from some of New Orleans’ great restaurants, meet the celebrity chefs that cook up some of your favorite seafood dishes, and have your favorite cookbooks signed. Want to be a part of world history? The Seafood Festival features the world’s largest seafood dish and crawfish boil! Love seafood and aren’t quite sure how pull it off at home? You’ll get the chance to learn with some cooking demonstrations. Who knows, maybe next year you’ll be a celebrity chef at the Louisiana Seafood Festival!
THE LOUISIANA CREOLE TOMATO FESTIVAL
Roaring into its 25th year, the Creole Tomato Festival celebrates one of the most flavorful and vital ingredients in true Louisiana cooking. The Creole Tomato Festival takes over the French Market, the nation’s oldest city marketplace, which has existed on the same spot since 1791. While the French Market vendors and their great produce are featured, they aren’t everything. Food booths will give you a taste of some classic New Orleans tomato dishes and more cooking demos will teach you how to cook with the tasty creole tomato. As if that wasn’t enough, live music and the creole tomato parade are sure to delight both kids and adults. Oh and if not, perhaps you can just keep your eyes peeled for a chance to see the King of New Orleans and tomato connoisseur, Drew Brees.
THE LOUISIANA CAJUN ZYDECO FESTIVAL
We’ve discussed the food, but you know there has to be music. I mean, not even the food festivals in New Orleans can get away without having killer music to hold them together. The Cajun Zydeco Festival is the musical glue that holds the Vieux to Do together. Two stages take over the Old Mint (and a third at the French Market) to give you more than 20 bands and take you through the weekend. Featuring the largest names in Zydeco, including three grammy winners, the zydeco festival will keep you rocking each day from 11:00 am on through to 7:00 pm. And if the music doesn’t get you grooving, the two-steppers certainly will!
For more food, drink and fun in New Orleans, join us Just Off the Red Streetcar Line!