Mardi Gras 2012 falls on Tuesday, February 21. Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday”, is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Most visitors will plan to arrive no later than Saturday, February 18, 2012 in order to enjoy an extended weekend of festivities.

Noted as the city is for jazz, Cajun and Creole cooking, and the French Quarter, Mardi Gras eclipses all as New Orleans' most famous centerpiece. It has arguably the greatest economic and cultural impact of any event in the city...

foburg is a 3-day alternative music festival on March 11-13, 2011 in 15 venues on and around Frenchmen Street in the greater Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans. foburg features rock, indie rock, and alternative artists from the greater Gulf South and national touring artists on their way to SXSW in Austin TX, which is the following week. foburg also helps revitalize a once-thriving, historic Frenchmen Street by drawing fans of a less "traditional" genres of music to its venues. Foburg 2010 featured 10 venues, 100 bands, and crowds approaching 10,000 people.

foburg is produced by the noirCollective (New Orleans Indie Rock Collective), a group of music industry professionals dedicated to raising awareness of and building an infrastructure for the New Orleans Indie Rock scene. noirCollective produces sampler CDs and festivals that feature some of the best local, regional, and national indie rockers. neworleansindierock.com provides networking information to help artists grow and lists all the important information for fans to stay informed about all aspects of the New Orleans Indie Rock scene!  More Info

The Maison Dupuy Hotel proudly presents the 2011 French Quarter Wine Festival. Modeled after the prestigious Boston Wine Festival, the dinners, hosted by either the winemaker or proprietor, will showcase wines from the U.S. and Europe. Building on the success of previous years, Founder, Daniel Bruce, has invited twelve phenomenal wineries to participate. Dishes will be created by renowned Chef Michael Farrell of Le Meritage, for each of the winemakers' dinner to compliment the vintners' selections. We welcome you to become part of next year's festivities and look forward to seeing you at the 5th Annual French Quarter Wine Festival starting with the Grand Opening celebration on March 18, 2011.

Grand Opening Reception
Friday, March 18th
Reception, 7 p.m., the Courtyard, $75 plus tax and gratuity
Come celebrate the opening night of the 2011 French Quarter Wine Festival at the Maison Dupuy Hotel. Sample more than 50 wines from the many wineries featured in this year's festival. Savor selections from a bountiful buffet of exquisite cuisine created by Chef Michael Farrell. Click here for more information

Each year, the French Quarter Festival provides free entertainment to the city, with more than 150 musical performances on sixteen stages throughout the French Quarter over three days, bringing tourists and locals together.

The FQF will have more than 70 food and beverage booths this year, located in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park and the U.S. Mint.

Click here for more information

The JazzFest lineup is out and it's another breakout year! Stars representing nearly every known genre of popular music will be coming out for the two-weekend, seven-day festival at the historic Fair Grounds Race Course this spring.

From country to gospel to blues to zydeco to R&B to good old rock and roll, this year's JazzFest has something for everyone. And, of course the festival's namesake – jazz. Repping the contemporary and old-style jazz genres are such internationally recognizable names as keyboardists Herbie Hancock and Bruce Hornsby, saxophonists Dave Koz and David Sanborn, bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding, jazz violinist Regina Carter, vocalist Dianne Reeves, and those with local roots like clarinetist Pete Fountain, saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeters Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Jeremy Davenport, James Andrews and his younger brother Troy, better known as "Trombone Shorty."

As for the brass bands for which New Orleans is famous, there will be plenty of them too. Among them are Rebirth, Dirty Dozen, Hot 8, Original Liberty Street, the Storyville Jazz Band with George French and more. Celebrating their Golden Anniversary in 2011, the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be making its traditional appearance, as it has done every year since the festival's founding in the early 1970s. And, be on the lookout for the Mardi Gras Indians! In their colorful suits and headdresses of feathers and sequins and singing their native chants, you can't miss them.

Since its 1995 debut, Essence Fest, the namesake event of the venerable African-American magazine, has gone all out every Fourth of July weekend with an A-list lineup of contemporary R&B, hip-hop, funk and soul royalty.

(This year's headliners: Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Charlie Wilson, The Pointer Sisters.) Free daytime "Empowerment Experience" seminars held at the New Orleans Convention Center cover topics ranging from spirituality to relationships and enlist big-name guest speakers such as California Rep. Maxine Waters, comedian Steve Harvey and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Essence is a destination draw -- and a mid-summer tourist boon -- where people go to see and be seen.

Nightly concerts are held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, 1500 Poydras St., with daytime programming hosted by the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Boulevard.

Who goes: Organizers estimated 422,000 attendees from literally all over the country in 2011, ranking it among the largest celebrations of urban culture in the U.S.
Food served: Standard festival fare; not as much a focus of this festival as it is at some others.

Highlights: People-watching the best-dressed festival crowd on the planet; getting up-close-and-personal with your favorite acts in intimate Superlounges; schmoozing with celebs at after-parties; shopping arts and crafts markets inside the Convention Center and pop-up shops on the streets of the CBD.

How to navigate: Plenty of parking in and around the Dome. Attire is strictly Dress To Impress -- the more fierce, fun and fabulous, the better, although sensible shoes may prove the exception on the venues' unforgiving concrete.
Is it kid-friendly: Not an event for children, but daytime programming may appeal to civic-minded teens, and evening shows will pique young fans' interest.
Weather: Enjoy that Superdome and Convention Center air conditioning!

Reigning Southern Decadence Grand Marshals XXXVII Misael Rubio and Tiffany Alexander will announce their successors, Southern Decadence Grand Marshals XXXVIII in July, 2012.

The new grand marshals will be the 38th ones leading the 41st Southern Decadence. The new grand marshals will then announce their theme, colors, song and charity. This will kick off the celebration of gay life, music and culture in The Big Easy (New Orleans).

TUESDAY, August 28th...

8am, giant new Official Southern Decadence Guide Ambush Mag, hits the streets in New Orleans, the rest of the Gulf South by Wednesday, August 29th

WEDNESDAY, August 29th...

10pm, Southern Decadence Wet Jockey Shorts Contest, + Dancers wetted down & dancin' on the bar, cash & prizes, The Corner Pocket

THURSDAY, August 30th...

10am-till, Pre-Decadence Rev-it-up Pool Party, The Country Club

4pm until, Welcome to Bear Decadence Beer Bust, Rawhide 2010

11pm, Kick Off Southern Decadence with USDA Prime Aged Beef Contest w/$100 cash prize, Good Friends Bar

11pm, Southern Decadence: 6th Annual Fetish Ball crowning 5th King of Decadence, Rawhide 2010

12midnight - Dick of Decadence Contest, all $5 cover charge proceeds goes to top 3 finishers, Balcony Bar, Cafe Lafitte in Exile

12midnight, Strip Off with Emcee Persona Shoulders, Dance Club of the Year Oz

SD 2012, Chi Chi LaRue's Infamous Big D*#K Contest, All Star DJ & Resident DJ Lineup, Bourbon Pub Parade

FRIDAY, August 31st...

10am-till, Get It Wet Pool Party, The Country Club

8pm-2am, Leather Block Party with live music, vendor & food booths, Phoenix

9pm, Southern Decadence with Circuit Great Guest DJs & Resident DJs, Dance Club of the Year Oz

10pm, Annual Official Southern Decadence Grand Marshals' Drag Show featuring SDGMs XXXVIII with former SDGMs & many others, Official Home of Southern Decadence: Tubby's Golden Lantern

12midnight-5am, Southern Decadence with Circuit Great Guest DJ, Dance Club of the Year Oz

SD 2012, All Star DJ & Resident DJ Lineup, Bourbon Pub Parade

SATURDAY, September 1st...

10am-till, Decadence & Debauchery Pool Party, The Country Club

5pm, Napoleon's Itch presents the 9th Bourbon Street Extravaganza live free concert featuring the big stars plus many surprises, corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets

8pm-2am, Leather Block Party with live music, vendor & food booths, Phoenix

9pm, Southern Decadence with Circuit Great Guest DJs & Resident DJs, Dance Club of the Year Oz

12midnight-5am, Southern Decadence with Circuit Great Guest DJ, Dance Club of the Year Oz

SD 2012, All Star DJ & Resident DJ Lineup, Bourbon Pub Parade

SUNDAY, September 2nd...

10am-till, Decadence Sunday Pool Party, The Country Club

11am-1:45pm, Southern Decadence SDGMs XXXVIII Brunch & Make-up Party, The Friendly Bar

11am, Pre-Parade Show, outdoor stage, the Official Home of Southern Decadence: Tubby's Golden Lantern

2pm sharp, 38th Annual Official Southern Decadence Parade led by SDGMs XXXVIII celebrating Southern Decadence 41, begins at the Official Home of Southern Decadence: Tubby's Golden Lantern, 1239 Royal St.

4:30ish pm, 19th Annual Official Southern Decadence Bead Toss led by SDGMs XXXVIII, hosted by the Susan Lucci's: Rip & Marsha, sponsored Ambush Mag & SouthernDecadence.COM, AMBUSH Headquarters Balcony, 828 Bourbon St.

5pm, Annual Miss High Hair Contest, winner takes home the coveted Bronze Barbie, Good Friends Bar

9pm, Southern Decadence with Circuit Great Guest DJs & Resident DJs, Dance Club of the Year Oz

SD 2012, All Star DJ & Resident DJ Lineup, Bourbon Pub Parade

LABOR DAY: MONDAY, September 3rd...

10am-till, Last Dance Pool Party, The Country Club

2pm, 15th Annual Southern Decadence Survivors Outer Loop Bar Crawl led by Cruise Director - Ted Mahaffy, honoring SDGMs XXXVIII, beginning with snacks at The Corner Pocket, then to The Double Play, Le Roundup, Society Page, 700 Club, Ninth Circle, Voodoo Bar, ending with a BBQ @ Michael's On The Park

9pm, Southern Decadence with Circuit Great Guest DJs & Resident DJs, Dance Club of the Year Oz

SD 2012, All Star DJ & Resident DJ Lineup, Bourbon Pub Parade