The Big Easy’s Best Bets

The Krewe of Jingle Parade. On Saturday, December 7, at 1 P.M., NOLA’s highly-anticipated downtown Christmas parade returns to entertain attendees with magnificent marching bands, flamboyant floats, agile stilt walkers, and some surprise special guests, which in past years have included Frosty the Snowman and the Jolly Old Elf himself.

Zoo Lights. One of our city’s most beloved family attractions, Audubon Zoo is a must-do if you’re visiting with kids during the holidays. From November 29 to December 30, Zoo Lights promises not only a breathtaking light display, but a fully-realized winter wonderland packed with games, costumed Christmas characters, live musical entertainment, and much, much more.
 
The Nutcracker. Perhaps the most beloved ballet in the world, The Nutcracker is a staple of holiday celebrations from Saint Petersburg to San Jose. Here in the Big Easy, not one but two outstanding professional ballet companies offer you the chance to revel in Tchaikovsky’s Christmas dance spectacular: the New Orleans Ballet Theater Company, which will be performing at the Orpheum Theater on December 14, 15, 21, and 22, and the internationally-renowned Moscow Ballet, which will dazzle audiences at the Saenger Theatre on December 27.

Discover the story of legendary New Orleans boatbuilder Andrew Higgins, whom our brand new hotel honors with its name. On various dates through November 10th, head to BB's Stage Door Canteen (945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130) to dive into his story over brunch.

Get seated for brunch at 11:30am, and enjoy the show starting at 1pm: “Higgins: The Man, the Boat, the War” while ordering brunch specialties, from country chicken to creme brûlée. The show is a combination of live-action newsreel re-creation, musical revue, and dramatic history. You’ll learn the story of one of America’s most famous wartime contractors on the home front, as well as the combat watercraft (amphibious Higgins boats) he built to carry the Allied effort to victory.

But the official hotel of the famous New Orleans WWII Museum manages to straddle the line between modern creature comforts and the antiquated charm of 1940s NOLA. From Rosie’s on the Roof, the district’s newest rooftop bar, to the .30 caliber bullets embedded in each glass at Cafe Normandie, our hotel is a clear extension of its closest neighbor. To stay at Higgins Hotel is to step into an era that few remember first-hand for an inside look at the American experience during one of the world’s most trying times. It is more important than ever to peek through the curtain of the past in order to steer our futures toward a brighter, more beautiful tomorrow. Read on with Travel + Leisure for more details about our hotel’s unique ambiance.   

Dating back to the 1800s, the Arts & Warehouse District was originally a patchwork of foundry space and industrial buildings supporting the port city. Over the years, changes in commerce slowed the area until, in the mid-1970s, when the Contemporary Arts Center opened. Artists began using the dormant manufacturing spaces for galleries, and to store and showcase their artwork all along Julia Street. Fast-forward to the present day, and the Arts & Warehouse District is a thriving bohemian haven for the city’s creativity.

There are over 25 galleries throughout the Arts & Warehouse District, featuring an endless array of contemporary artists and their works. Crowds come in droves to check out the latest exhibits, along with popular museums, live entertainment, coffee shops, and quirky bookstores, all situated behind aged brick buildings and wall murals along the Mississippi River.

Exciting nightlife abounds here, offering visitors a more unique New Orleans experience. Live music venues like Howlin’ Wolf and Republic bring in up-and-coming performers from bluegrass bands to hip hop groups. The Rusty Nail beer garden provides a great ambiance in its outdoor courtyard, while Barcadia’s combined bar and video arcade is a boozy blast from the past. For the best of both worlds, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art hosts a weekly happy hour featuring live shows and interviews with local musicians. Whatever your artistic tastes may be, there is always something interesting to do in the Arts & Warehouse District.