Festing with Fido - Totally Paw-some Pet-Friendly Events and Festivities

It’s springtime in New Orleans and that can only mean one thing: Festival season is in full bloom. Since it’s the paw-fect time to get out and about with Fido, we’ve sniffed out a few outdoor activities and events that you and your fur-st mate are sure to go mutts over!

Creole Tomato Festival – frenchmarket.org
Fans of ripe, juicy Creole tomatoes rejoice every June when the locally grown, cherished delicacy reaches its peak. And along with that comes the annual Creole Tomato Festival, hosted by the French Market District. Leash up your pup and strut over to the French Market on June 8 and 9 to woof down a cornucopia of savory Creole tomato-laden dishes crafted by top area restaurants, food truck chefs and caterers. Tap your toes at three stages packed with re-bark-able local music while indulging in Creole tomato-inspired dishes such as gazpacho, Creole tomato salad, shrimp Creole, and many more. Lap up tasty tomato-centric tidbits from food vendors including, Café Dauphine, Salvadoran cuisine by Pupuseria La Milpa, Lillie’s Cajun Kitchen, A&A Catering, fruit beverages from Oh! Sweet Lemon, Let Us Cater for You, Southerns Food Truck and others. Sip a spicy Creole tomato Bloody Mary, while learning how to whip up a dish or two at the cooking demonstration stage, which showcases locally acclaimed chefs and food experts. The family and pet-friendly soiree also features free kids’ activity booths, as well as a kid-friendly version of La Tomatina (the annual tomato-throwing spectacle held in Bunol, Spain that draws more than 20,000 revelers each year!) whereby foam tomatoes are tossed in place of real ones. While the event is celebrating 38 successful years, the organizers continue to enhance the festival experience and, make no bones about it, this year is no exception! Get ready for the first ever in New Orleans La Tomatina, a spirited tomato “fight” whereby participants hurl real tomatoes at one another with wild abandon. Don’t fur-get to take home your pick of the litter box of Creole tomatoes available for sale from area farmers. And, while you and Fido stroll around the French Market, check out the district’s unique selection of locally crafted art, home goods, artisan jewelry, gifts, culinary delights and much more. If your dogs are barking, kick back at one of the area’s dog-friendly cafes or bars like The Gazebo Café, where you’ll find deliciously decadent ice cream daiquiris like the Chi Chi—Grey Goose Vodka, pineapple, coconut and ice cream, or the Sweet Heat Mango, a zesty blend of Bacardi Mango Chile Rum, fresh mango, ice cream and mango syrup with a Tajin rim. Now, that’s what we’re barking about!

Destrehan Plantation Spring Garden & Pet Show – destrehanplantation.org
Pack up your pack and take a quick jaunt over to Saint Charles Parish to enjoy the day at Destrehan Plantation’s Second Annual Spring Garden and Pet Show, taking place April 20 and 21. Located along the Mississippi River about 30 minutes from New Orleans, the picturesque, late-eighteenth-century historic home remains the oldest documented plantation in the lower Mississippi Valley. In 1787, Robin deLogny began construction on a French Colonial-style house, located on his 24-acre plantation. The house took three years to complete and deLogny spent merely two years in the elegant home before his death in 1792. Robin’s daughter Celeste and her husband Jean Noel d’Estrehan purchased the plantation, enlarging the home with two additional wings to accommodate their 14 children. In 1840, the antebellum mansion was remodeled by their daughter Louise and her husband, Judge Pierre Rost, into its current Greek Revival style. Family ownership ended in 1910 and the structure changed hands many times over the years. It sat abandoned for 12 years, during which time vandals stole everything of value, even busting out interior walls in search of reputed hidden treasures. As the once majestic home sat decaying, a group of locals formed the River Road Historical Society to save it and in 1971 it was officially deeded to the Society. Since then, the historic home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored to its former glory and filled with an impressive collection of 19th-century furnishings, artwork and Destrehan family mementos. You and your leashed pooch are invited to feel a sense of history at their Spring Garden and Pet Show, which is being hosted in partnership with the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Master Gardeners and the St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter. Come fetch the perfect plants, flowers and greenery offered by local nurseries, unique patio, porch and garden decor and of course, tail-wagging goodies for your four-legged bestie. Additionally, the two-day show will feature educational presentations on gardening, insects, wildlife and pet care, a country store with spring-themed merchandise, a food and beverage pavilion offering tasty treats and special springtime cocktails available for sale, and live musical performances by harpist Megan Kwiatkowski, Nola Dukes Jazz Quartet and Peyton Falgoust. And, if you’re looking to add a new fur baby to your family, local rescue organizations will be on hand with adoptable cats and dogs in search of their furever homes. Your human kids will be doggone happy as well with fun-filled arts and crafts, a beekeeper demonstration, discovery tent and on Saturday, a petting zoo. Tickets for this full day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) of family fun are $5 per person, and free for children five and under.

French Quarter Festival – fqfi.org
One of the city’s most beloved events, French Quarter Festival, takes over virtually the entire French Quarter, filling block after block with melodic sounds of local and nationally-renowned musicians, enticing aromas of culinary delights crafted by a-list eateries, and joyful sights of locals and visitors passing a good time. Presented by Chevron, the 41st annual festival remains the largest free music event in the United States and features 1,700 musicians playing 400 hours of music across 21 stages, as well as 60 celebrated food vendors. The award-winning, four-day event, which premiered in 1984 with the goal of bringing residents back to the Quarter, has blossomed to become one of the city’s top revenue generators, and has consistently been voted by locals as “favorite festival”, “favorite food festival”, and “favorite event open to the public”. The family-friendly festival takes place April 11–14, and kicks off with a spirited parade through the French Quarter on Thursday, April 11 at 10 a.m. This year’s festival honors New Orleans’ musical legends that have continued to grace its stages since its inception, like Irma Thomas Soul Queen of New Orleans, Ivan Neville, Little Freddie King, George Porter Jr., Charmaine Neville, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., Kermit Ruffins and the many others. Unleash your Tail-or Swift dancing moves to re-bark-able favs including Bucktown Allstars, Flow Tribe, Amanda Shaw, The Soul Rebels, Hot 8 Brass Band, Jonh, Boutté, Shamarr Allen, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, John “Papa” Gros, Jason Neville Funksoul Band, Mia Borders, Honey Island Swamp Band, Jeremy Davenport and Creole String Beans, to name a few. The 2024 FQF also brings the addition of two new stages, a DJ Stage, located in Aquarium Plaza, that will showcase everything from Hip-Hop to Electronic, and Cumbia to Afrobeats and a Culinary Stage presented by Kingfish Kitchen and Cocktails. Dig into tempting nibbles from select restaurants like Jacques-Imo’s, Red Fish Grill, The Bower, Broussard’s Restaurant, Café Beignet, Vaucresson Sausage Co., Miss River, Praline Connection, Loretta’s Authentic Pralines, Morrow’s, Couvant, Restaurant R’Evolution and Desire Oyster Bar, among others. Leash up your furry friend to meander the music-filled neighborhood from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, and beyond—another new addition is a stage located in Spanish Plaza. Even though your pupper is not allowed into some of the confined areas for safety reasons, there’s more than enough to savor by simply strolling the streets. There’s plenty of pooch-friendly bars, such as Good Friend’s Bar, MRB Bar and Kitchen, Touche Bar, The Golden Lantern, Harry’s Corner and Cosimo’s to pop into for a quick paws from all the action and to sip an adult libation. Be sure to scoop up some cool festival merch and local artist Monica Rose Kelly’s official 2024 poster inspired by the decorative styles found around the French Quarter. Download the French Quarter Festival app ahead of time to map out your bone-fide four days of music, food and fun!

Yappy Hour at Dat Dog – datdog.com
If you have a hankering for a dog with your dog, then head over to Dat Dog for Yappy Hour every Friday from 4–9 p.m. at either their Magazine Street or Freret Street locations—both offer spacious courtyards to hang out with your pupper. Bring your pooch along to socialize and indulge in casual, tasty grub and enjoy two extra hours on their regular Happy Hour deals! You can’t be a stick at $5 ’Dogs like the Cowboy Kicker (hot sausage, jalapenos, BBQ sauce and chipotle mayo), Beer for Dinner! (Guinness sausage, sauerkraut and Creole mustard), or a classic Coney Island beef wiener with chili, yellow mustard and onions. Quench your thirst with $1 off all draft beer, $3 well drinks, and $5 double wells. Since you’ll be reveling in all that goodness, the fine folks at Dat Dog don’t want your pup to ruff it, so they kindly offer dog treats, bowls of water and a “secret menu” item called the Good Dog ’Dog, which consists of a small, plain beef wiener cut into chunks and served with a dog biscuit garnish. It appears to us as though Dat Dog has gone to the dogs … And frankly, that makes us happier than a dog with two tails!

YLC Wednesday at the Square – ylcwats.com
It’s time to raise the woof as the highly anticipated outdoor concert series cranks up for its 25th year. The free event, which draws 5,000–6,000 music and food fans weekly, was originally created by the Downtown Development District to help keep people in the Central Business District after work and give area businesses a financial boost. Since 2006, the electrifying 10-week series that features renowned artists from a multitude of musical genres including funk, pop, rock, Zydeco, blues, R&B and Latin rhythms, has been sponsored by the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans. Each year the YLC strives to make Wednesday at the Square more enjoyable, inclusive and sustainable. “This year we will have more food hall vendors than ever before, as well as more art vendors,” states Marissa Hogan, YLC Director of Operations. “We will also have an ASL interpreter onstage for the April 17 concert and will be running a pilot compost day on April 24. These are two ways in which we are working toward our goals, and we hope to expand these initiatives in the future,” she adds. Bust a move with local favorites such as TBC Brass Band featuring Jelly Joseph, Jamal Batiste Band, Erica Falls & The Vintage Soul, Grace Gibson, New Orleans Suspects, J & The Causeways, Ivan Neville & Friends, Lost Bayou Ramblers and glbl wrmng, among others. In addition to powerhouse musical performances, humans and their well-mannered, leashed pooch can wander about the Artists Village exploring locally crafted, handmade goods including fetching works of art, ceramics, photography, jewelry and fashion accessories, small-batch culinary delights, artisan body and skincare, candles and aromatherapy items, houseplants and more. Fido is certain to howl with delight after sniffing out Pet Wants to shop for all natural dog food, biscuits, cookies, chews and other bark-worthy treats. Naturally, all of that grooving and shopping will work up a thirst and an appetite, so make sure to seek out some bad-to-the-bone food and libations. Chow down on delectable dishes ranging from BBQ and burgers to snowballs and smoothies from crowd-pleasers like Paella Nola, Bub’s Burgers, Cochon King, U Pizza, Que Pasta, Paw Paw’s Donuts & Sliders, Imperial Woodpecker Snowballs and Tiger’s Creole Cuisine, to name a few. Presented by Abita Brewing Company, chill out with a seasonal Abita beer or a classic cocktail. Wednesday at the Square is also a paw-ty with a purpose as all proceeds from food and beverage sales benefit the YLC’s community projects, designed not only to improve the quality of life in the Greater New Orleans area, but also to foster leadership skills in young professionals.