Events and Things to Do in New Orleans in June (2024)

This post covers the best things to do in New Orleans in June, updated for 2024 including festivals, annual events, free things to do, nighttime activities, and family-friendly options.

Be sure to read our master post on things to do in New Orleans for even more ideas.

Disclosure: While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text.

TOP EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN JUNE

Below is a list of the best things to do in New Orleans this June. Take a look at our post, How’s the Weather in June in New Orleans, to help you plan your activities.

Many of the best attractions to visit in this city are included for free with a New Orleans tourist attraction pass.

For some of the most popular tours, we have the following articles:

For more ideas, see our post on things to do in NOLA all year long.

1. Attend a Concert

Thanks to the musical history of New Orleans, many notable performers are drawn to the city throughout the year.

Check out this list of concerts in New Orleans to see who is playing this month.

Concerts

Ryan Adams | June 16
Hot 8 Brass Band | June 2, 8, 16, 23

Click here for even more concerts taking place in June.

TIP: The New Orleans Jazz Museum also offers a free show every Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm. If you’re in the area at the time, it’s definitely worth popping in to see the performance!

2. Go to the Theatre

If you’d like to attend the theatre, you''ll find a few shows on the stage this month.

Theatre

Je'Caryous Johnson's Super Freak: The Rick James Story | June 2
The Importance of Being Earnest | June 6-23
Clue the Musical | June 18-23

Check our things to do at night section for even more fun activities you can enjoy after dark during the month of May.

3. See Stand-up Comedy

New Orleans often has comedians stopping in for a show or two. Here's who is playing in June.

Stand Up

Matt Rife | June 15

Comedy Night

Comedy Gumbeaux | June 6, 13, 20, 27

If you're looking for a free show, check this list of free stand-up comedy shows in NOLA to find a location and time that fits your itinerary.

For more free comedy shows in New Orleans, check out our post about free things to do in New Orleans.

4. Experience St. John’s Eve

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about voodoo culture, you might want to check out one of the events that are held during St. John’s Eve which is celebrated annually on June 22nd.

This is a day when practitioners will hold celebrations and perform rituals.

One such ritual is held at the International House Hotel, where a spiritual ceremony will usually be performed by an actual voodoo priestess.

This ritual was started by the historic voodoo queen Marie Laveau over 150 years ago, and it is still practiced to this very day.

If you’re not quite confident in your knowledge about this subject, consider taking our voodoo tour, which runs 5 days a week.

5. Take a Sightseeing Tour

Summer is one of the best times to see all of the historic sites of New Orleans. After all, it’s very unlikely that you’ll have to worry about bad weather!

Here are a few of the pay-what-you-wish walking tours we currently offer in the city:

We also offer many of our tours in GPS-led audio tour versions.

If you’re looking for an even more in-depth tour, consider one of these extensive outings from Take Walks:

June is a lovely month to take a riverboat cruise. If temperatures are a bit too high for you, look into hop-on-hop-off bus tours.

Looking to get out of the city for a while? Consider a swamp tour or a plantation tour!

If you can't take one of these tours, consider taking one of our virtual tours of New Orleans:

6. Commorate Juneteenth

Each year on June 19th, Juneteenth takes place. This is the day Americans commemorate the abolition of slavery in the United States.

If you haven't been to the New Orleans African American Museum yet, you might want to visit Juneteenth when Black vendors are featured at their monthly art market.

You could also visit Studio BE, a 35,000-square-foot warehouse where the artist Brandan 'Bmike' Odums tells the stories of the Black community through his amazing works.

Also, several local New Orleans plantations provide an opportunity to learn more about the lives of enslaved peoples.

The Whitney Plantation, in particular, is dedicated to covering slavery in the Southern USA. Here are a few others.

Read more about the plantations near New Orleans on our Louisiana plantation tours post.

7. Consider Getting a Tourist Pass

If you’re looking for savings on general admission costs, a tourist pass can be one of the easiest ways to save money.

Depending on how you use these passes, you could save 50% or more on regular ticket prices.

Here are some of the more interesting locations and activities you can enjoy with these services:

For more details, make sure to read our full post covering how to choose the right New Orleans Tourist Pass for your needs.

8. Take a Food Tour

New Orleans is known for its cuisine and while you are there, you will certainly want to sample some of the best dishes the city has to offer.

For an experience that includes both delicious food and fascinating history, look into taking one of our food tours.

Our French Quarter food tour is a great way to see one of the best parts of NOLA while sampling its renowned cuisine.

Our tour includes the chance to try foods like PoBoys, crawfish, pralines, beignets, muffulettas, and other dishes.

To see about other food tours in different neighborhoods, see our post on New Orleans food tours.

NOTE: Some companies and restaurants may not be welcoming tours, but you'll most likely still be able to order food from a variety of locations.

You might want to consider reading our post about the best things to eat in New Orleans and using this guide to pick out some great meals for a self-guided tour of your own!

9. Take a Swamp Tour After Dark

During the summer months, local tour companies offer a very special and rare chance to tour the swamplands at night.

This service is only available for a few months, so you may want to take advantage of the opportunity to see what life is like in the swamp after the sun goes down.

These tours typically begin at about 7:30 pm and run for about 90 minutes.

Tour guides will use a high-powered lamp to shed some light on the wildlife surrounding them.

For more details, make sure to read our post covering New Orleans swamp tours.

If a night on the swamp doesn’t sound appealing, take a look at our section on things to do at night for more nighttime activities.

10. Check Out the French Market Creole Tomato Festival

During the month of June, the French Market usually begins to sizzle with the delicious scent of tomatoes cooking at the annual Creole Tomato Festival.

For those who weren’t aware, Creole Tomatoes are actually an entirely different kind of tomato, and New Orleans residents often take a unique approach when cooking them.

Beyond tomatoes, there will include live music, cooking demos, food booths, and fun activities for kids from 10 am - 7 pm each day.

The Creole Tomato Festival takes place June 8th and 9th, 2024.

11. Enjoy Shakespeare

Each year the New Orlean's Shakespeare Festival takes place a Tulane, as it has since 1993.

There are always a few mainstage plays, other smaller events, and a Youth workshop.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged](revised)(again) will take place June 7-16, 2024.

The Youth Workshop Takes place June 10-21 for kids age 13-18.

12. Celebrate PrideFest

The New Orleans PrideFest, one of the fastest-growing Pride celebrations in the country, takes place June 7-9, 2024.

The full schedule of activities hasn't yet been released, but the main event is a parade which usually happens the week before the festival.

The route typically begins at Elysian Fields and ends on Bourbon Street.

You can also attend parties and enjoy performances by a variety of local artists during the New Orleans Pride festival.

Click here to find out more about these festivities.

13. Have a blast at the NOLA Caribbean Carvinal

The NOLA Caribbean Carnivale celebrates the culture, music, dance, and cuisine of the Caribbean, a region that plays a big part in New Orleans's heritage.

Events take place June 17-30 and usually take place around Congo Square.

The big event is the NOLA Colour Me Krazy Carnival Parade, complete with paint and colored powder being thrown around, which takes place along Canal Street.

This is great fun for anyone, especially kids. See the calendar of events here.

14. Attend a City Park Event

It'll be a busy month for City Park.

There's the Crescent City Farmers Market. Find your fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, baked goods, and ready-to-eat meals at Tad Formlet Stadium each Sunday.

The Arts Market is there each second Saturday of the month on the Great Lawn.

For the kids, there's the Storyland and Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.

There's so much more to see and see there. Read our City Park post for more information.

15. Dine Out at Restaurant Week

During Restaurant Week, over 80 restaurants in New Orleans offer a prix-fixe menu that costs less than you might normally spend for the same meal.

Prices vary by the restaurant but are generally around $20 for lunch and $40 for dinner. Note that the prices do not include drinks or tips.

Some of the most famous eateries participate, like Antoine's, Charlie’s Steak House, and Galatoire’s Restaurant.

They haven't yet released the dates but it's always taken place over a week in June.

For more information read our post on Restaurant Week in New Orleans.

Foodies might also want to consider our French Quarter Food & History Tour.

16. Attend the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

Wine enthusiasts and foodies will enjoy the annual event that celebrates New Orleans's culinary and beverage offerings.

There are grand tastings, seminars led by renowned wine experts and chefs, a wine competition, and more.

Even better, the event raises money for local non-profits.

This year events are taking place June 5-10, 2024. Tickets can be purchased here.

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