Christmas in New Orleans can mean candlelight singing in Jackson Square, outdoor lights at City Park or a festive Creole dinner. The wider season offers more choice than Christmas Day alone, with public music celebrations alongside separately ticketed family attractions.
The Roosevelt New Orleans adds hotel decorations and a reserved family tea to the mix. Choose the experiences you most want to share, then leave space between them for meals and the journey back to your accommodation.
Christmas dates and programme
- Christmas Eve
- 24 December
- Christmas Day
- 25 December
- Wider season
- November through January
- Free music
- Jackson Square caroling and St Louis Cathedral Christmas concerts
- Paid attractions
- Celebration in the Oaks, NOLA ChristmasFest and Teddy Bear Tea
- City Park ticket release
- 1 November, with advance online purchase
Celebration in the Oaks occupies the late-November-to-New-Year period, while NOLA ChristmasFest runs from late December into early January. Together they let you combine outdoor lights with indoor family activities, rather than fitting everything onto the holiday itself.
| Moment | Recurring day | Usual hours | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candlelight caroling | Sunday before Christmas | 7pm–8pm | Jackson Square |
| NOLA ChristmasFest | Christmas Day | 1pm–5pm | Morial Convention Center |
| Celebration in the Oaks | Christmas Day | 6pm–10pm | City Park |
New Orleans & Company’s seasonal programme usually starts appearing in mid-October on the NewOrleans.com Christmas events page. It brings the city’s celebrations together, while individual organisers publish their own attraction programmes.
Choose your paid sessions before arranging the rest of the day. ChristmasFest uses timed admissions, and Teddy Bear Tea assigns reserved seating. The public music traditions offer a different kind of participation, without the family-attraction ticket.
Caroling in Jackson Square and cathedral concerts
Caroling in Jackson Square is a chance to join the singing, not simply watch a performance. Collect a complimentary songbook and candle at an entrance, then find a place with your companions. No admission ticket is needed.
Leave time to settle into the gathering, especially with children, and agree where to meet if you become separated. Keeping your group together before the singing begins is easier than trying to find one another in the crowd.
- Name
- Jackson Square
- Location
- New Orleans, LA 70116 Maps
- Essential fact
- A public square in the French Quarter, in front of St Louis Cathedral.
St Louis Cathedral’s Christmas concerts offer a separate indoor musical experience. The programme has included local singers, Cajun ensembles, Cuban and Moroccan musicians, and the cathedral’s choir and orchestra. That range makes the series worth considering alongside the communal caroling, rather than treating the two as interchangeable.
Concert programmes appear in the cathedral’s News section, with details also appearing in its Events Calendar. Select the performance that interests you before building an evening around it.
- Name
- St Louis Cathedral
- Location
- 615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116 Maps
- Site
- stlouiscathedral.org
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 9:30am–4pm
- Sun 9am–4pm
- Essential fact
- The cathedral overlooking Jackson Square in the French Quarter.
Celebration in the Oaks and NOLA ChristmasFest
Choose Celebration in the Oaks for outdoor lights and NOLA ChristmasFest for indoor skating and rides. They are separate experiences with separate admissions, so decide whether your family wants a park outing, an indoor activity session or both.
Celebration in the Oaks at City Park
Celebration in the Oaks at City Park offers two distinct ways to enjoy the lights. The Driving Tour follows a two-mile route and takes approximately 30–45 minutes. Driving admission does not include a vehicle or entry to the walking attractions, so it suits visitors who already have suitable transport.
- Cars and SUVs may carry up to 8 guests.
- Limousines may carry up to 15 guests.
- Sprinter vans may carry up to 20 guests, with a maximum vehicle height of 11 feet.
The Walking Tour gives you an all-access pass to Storyland, Carousel Gardens and the Botanical Garden. Unlimited rides include the City Park Train, and admission also includes hot chocolate and marshmallow roasting. Choose this format if the rides and time out of the car matter more than a drive through the displays.
- Name
- City Park
- Location
- New Orleans Maps
- Site
- neworleanscitypark.org
- Hours
- 5am–10pm
- Essential fact
- A large public park in the Mid-City area of New Orleans.
Spatms · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Ordinary Driving Tour entry is at Wisner Boulevard and Friederichs Avenue, at 4 Friederichs Avenue. Dasher Pass holders use 3 Friederichs Avenue instead, and only that pass is valid at the separate entrance. Walking visitors enter at Carousel Gardens, 7 Victory Avenue, or the Oscar J. Tolmas Center, 5 Victory Avenue.
City Park publishes the programme through its official Events Calendar and dedicated Celebration in the Oaks page.
NOLA ChristmasFest at the Convention Center
NOLA ChristmasFest brings ice skating, ice slides, rides and mini golf indoors at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Santa visits, a giant tree and Gingerbread Village add holiday displays, while the Holiday Stage offers performers and crafts. Choose this for an activity-led family outing under cover.
Most days have sessions from 11am–3:30pm and 4:30pm–9pm. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve use only the earlier session, while New Year’s Day follows the special afternoon arrangement used on Christmas Day.
Allow roughly $25–$30 per person for general admission, with weekends at the higher end, plus tax and a service charge. Tickets are required from age 2. Groups of 15 or more have a lower rate, roughly $20–$25 each, again with weekends higher.
Admission includes skating, skate rental and the listed rides and attractions. Food, drinks, cookie decorating, parking, face painting and photos with Santa cost extra, so allow more than the admission price if those are part of your outing.
NOLA ChristmasFest’s special-events page carries the programme, and the Holiday Stage schedule usually appears in November.
The Roosevelt’s decorations and Teddy Bear Tea
The Roosevelt New Orleans’ decorated Christmas lobby is open for visitors to see. Treat viewing the decorations and attending Teddy Bear Tea as separate outings, because the tea requires a reservation.
- Name
- The Roosevelt New Orleans
- Location
- 130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA 70112 Maps
- Site
- hilton.com
- Essential fact
- A hotel on Roosevelt Way in the Central Business District.
Teddy Bear Tea combines singing, dancing and storytelling with appearances by Santa and Mrs Claus. Pastries and hot chocolate are part of the experience, and each child receives a teddy bear, making this a seated family celebration rather than a quick stop for decorations.
Budget roughly $70–$100 for ages 3–10 and $90–$120 for ages 11 and older, including adults, depending on standard or VIP seating. Children aged 2 and under attend without charge. Allow roughly $1,700–$1,800 for a Golden Table for ten before additions.
Sales tax of 10.75%, gratuity of 18% and a 7.5% service charge are added at purchase. On The Roosevelt’s website, open the Teddy Bear Tea page and use Reserve Tickets. Seating is assigned according to your ticket level.
The hotel’s Offers & Experiences and Holidays at The Roosevelt pages carry its Christmas programme.
Réveillon dinners and Christmas meals
Réveillon, a Christmas feast, revives the nineteenth-century Creole tradition of a lavish late-night Christmas Eve meal after Midnight Mass. Modern restaurant versions turn it into a multi-course set-menu dinner, so you can enjoy the tradition without organising your evening around a post-church meal.
Réveillon menus run during December, but seasonal participation does not mean a restaurant serves on Christmas Day. Individual restaurants set their own dates. Choose the meal first, then use the separate holiday dining lists if you need a table on the holiday itself.
Menus often draw on Creole cooking, with dishes such as turtle soup, seafood gumbo, oysters, roast meats and bread pudding. Expect variation between restaurants rather than one prescribed feast. A usual budget is roughly $60–$120 per person before drinks, tax and tip, with the restaurant, number of courses and premium ingredients moving the price. Wine pairings or cocktails add to the total.
The official Holiday.NewOrleans.com Food & Drink listings bring together participating restaurants, menus and prices. Reserve through the individual restaurant’s own process. New Orleans & Company’s Restaurants Open for the Holidays page separates Christmas Eve service from Christmas Day service, helping you choose a meal for the date you actually need.
Christmas Day transport
The Algiers Point–Canal Street and Chalmette ferries normally keep their daily schedules on holidays. RTA publishes holiday arrangements on its Holiday Service page. After a public gathering, allow space to leave the crowd and make the return to your accommodation.
The Christmas Eve levee bonfires are outside New Orleans, along the Mississippi River in St James Parish, especially around Gramercy and Lutcher between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Treat them as a separate outing, not a city-centre stop.
Christmas is a good time to visit if music, lights, indoor family activities and festive meals are your priorities. Spread those experiences across the season when you can, rather than relying on the holiday alone.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: opening hours, fares and charges, and services.
- NOLA ChristmasFest — opening hours
- NOLA ChristmasFest — fares and charges
- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center — service
- NOLA ChristmasFest — service
- Orleans Parish Juvenile Court — opening hours
- Christmas Holidays in New Orleans
- Submit a Papa Noel Hotel Deal – Holidays New Orleans Style
- New Orleans & Company — opening hours
- Restaurants Open for the Holidays | New Orleans
- New Orleans City Park — opening hours
- Tickets – Celebration in the Oaks
- FAQs – Celebration in the Oaks
- Maps & Directions
- Celebration in the Oaks
- Make a Donation – Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré
- Caroling in Jackson Square
- Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré — service
- St. Louis Cathedral — opening hours
- The Roosevelt New Orleans — opening hours
- The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel — service
- The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel — fares and charges
- The Roosevelt New Orleans — service
- New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) — service
