July 4th – Celebrate America’s independence along the shores of the Mississippi.  Join locals at Waldenburg Park and watch the annual fireworks display.  Another cool option is to ride the ferry across to Historical Algiers Point where you can watch the works and beat the crowds.  After the show, you can catch some live music at the Historic Old Point Bar.

July 3rd-6th – Essence Music Festival: This year, the annual Festival will be celebrated for the 20^th time this July.  The fest always touts big name acts.  This year Prince, Nas, Janelle Monae, Mary J. Blidge, and Jill Scott will grace the stage.  There are a lot of non-sanctioned parties that occur.  Info can be found on their website.

July 11th-14th– Bastille Day Fete: You can celebrate this quintessentially New Orleans holiday several places throughout the city. The Bayou St. John celebrates on the 12th with a costume contest, food, music and children’s activities.

July 12th – San Fermin en Nueva Orleans (Running of the Bulls):  Come get beat by a Roller Girl.  In the early morning heat of every summer, one day is dedicated to The Big Easy Roller Girls donning bull attire and skating through the CBD dramatically chasing the locals dressed in Red and White Garb.  Even if you don’t dress up, it’s something to see!

July 16th-20th – Tales of The Cocktail:   The five day event is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. Ever wanted to be educated on Applejack?  At Tales you will learn that also how to make the perfect Ramos Gin Fizz.  The best Mixologists and in the world travel to NOLA to celebrate everything Cocktail.

July 31st – Satchmo SummerFest:  August’s Free Music Festival celebrates the life of one of our won trumpeters.  Louis Armstrong is the inspiration for world renowned local musicians to take over the French Quarter and play for free.  A list of the artists and events can be found here.

++And of course our famous pay what you like walking tours are going on as well.++

The Top 3 Reasons to Take a New Orleans Bike Tour

New Orleans is a great place to bike.  It’s compact.  It’s checkerboard-flat.  The traffic is extremely mild.  It’s not as hot as walking.  You get the wind blowing in your face, and there is a lot of shade from the live oaks overhanging the streets.  Most of the city is beautiful, and where it’s not, then it’s at least interesting and foreign.  The city really opens up to you when you have a knowledgeable guide showing you around by bike.  Here are best reasons you should find that guide and take a bike tour:

1) Bike tours get you out of the French Quarter.

Make no mistake, the French Quarter is a gorgeous, exotic place.  However, New Orleans is so much more than just the French Quarter. One mistake that so many visitors do make is getting caught up in the French Quarter, never seeing what the rest the city is about.  Just about every neighborhood has unique architecture, beautiful flora, curious history, and delightful dining and drinking destinations that you should know about when you come to the Big Easy.  On our bike tours, you can several of the most interesting neighborhoods in the city: the Garden District, Treme, the Marigny, and the Bywater.

2) Bike tours let you see New Orleans more efficiently.

People come to New Orleans, and they walk a lot.  It’s great to be in a walking city, but when you’re used to driving everywhere and having AC, you can get really worn out on your vacation.  On the other hand, bus tours fly through the city, removing you from everything and leaving no time to share the great stories behind the places you’re seeing.  Driving is more appropriate for the Serengeti than the Crescent City.  Bike tours let you take in the sights, sounds, and smells of New Orleans at a smooth pace. There’s plenty of time to stop, take pictures, hear the depth of history behind the city, and maybe even get a literal taste of the culture.

3) You see a lot of New Orleans on a bike tour.

In about 3 hours on a bike tour, you get a nice sampling of the neighborhoods around New Orleans.  We cover about 7 miles of the most interesting and historically significant places in the city.  It would take a few days to do that on foot.  Once you go on a bike tour, you’ll know what’s out there, and you’ll be able to decide if you want to do a little more exploring in an area.  It’s a great introduction and a great way to round out your trip.

So what are you waiting for.  Sign up now for our New Orleans bike tours.