10 Things to Do in New Orleans in April

New Orleans is alive all year round, but if you choose April for your trip to the southern city there are several must-see events. Music is everywhere in the streets of New Orleans, which will make for some spectacular weather, with temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Celsius at this time of year. If you don't want to miss out on the most exciting springtime in New Orleans, keep an eye out for all the activities the city that never sleeps has to offer.

Totalk about New Orleans is to talk about jazz in capital letters. Considered the birthplace of this musical style, the city offers countless related activities in which to learn about the origins and culture of jazz. However, if there is a great event to immerse yourself in the world of jazz, don't miss the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, held at the end of April at the Fairgrounds Hippodrome.

Foo Fighters, The Who, Lionel Richie, Erykah Badu and Ludacris are just some of the artists who have performed there. Sounds good, doesn't it? You can buy tickets for either of the two weekends or even for a single day. Prices are around $80. And if you're passionate about this music, don't hesitate to book a jazz tour of New Orleans as well. Pleasure for the senses!

Jazz lovers will be thrilled by the many concerts inside and outside the festival grounds, but that's not all:

• Every year, this event hosts the best artisans in the area and presents displays that bring the culture and history of jazz to its visitors.
• Among the music tents you'll find handmade clothing, instruments as well as accessories, jewellery and artwork.
• The Congo Square African market brings the roots and heritage of jazz to this great festival. African art, customs and products give you a first-hand insight into the life and folklore of New Orleans.
• You can also discover the traditional cuisine of the state of Louisiana, with its Cajun roots and Caribbean influences.

The French Quarter is one of New Orleans' most popular neighbourhoods: the colourful and contrasting buildings, bars and shops make it very special. But if there is a time to enjoy the picturesque streets of this neighbourhood even more, it is in April, when the French Quarter Festival takes place.

Four days of music of all styles: swing, funk, rock, gospel, Latin music and even cabaret will accompany you on the stages that are set up all over the city during these days. More than 2,000 artists are taking part in this event, so you can enjoy live music and dance for free!

The venues around Jackson Square are also open to host concerts and offer delicious food and cocktails. Gastronomy is also a strong point of this famous festival. Don't forget the typical seafood such as barbecued oysters or Cajun meat pies.

Another square that comes alive in spring is the centrally located Lafayette Square. This is where you'll find Wednesdays in the Square, live music concerts featuring local bands of all musical styles that will get the afternoon going and make you enjoy yourself on numerous stages.

You can't imagine a festival like this without the street food and drink stalls to keep you going, can you? And local artists also sell souvenirs and other arts and crafts at outdoor stalls.

To enjoy the concerts, you can bring a chair or sit on the ground with your blanket to meet the best artists on the New Orleans music scene. Great!

Although Easter Sunday changes every year to coincide with Easter, it usually falls in April. That's why I invite you to witness the processions that New Orleans hosts in commemoration of this Christian feast.

There are several parades that run through the city, starting with the one in the French Quarter, where the locals, elegantly dressed, walk on foot or in horse-drawn carriages to hand out Easter bunnies to the children. After mass, they gather for lunch in the local restaurants.

But don't miss the gay Easter parade, the most colourful of all. It takes place in the afternoon and features bikers in leather costumes and Easter hats, who also give surprise gifts to passers-by.

Easter Day for kids

If you're travelling with little ones, take them to enjoy the Egg Scramble at New Orleans City Park. You'll have family fun, hunt for Easter eggs, get a special visit from the Easter Bunny and ride unlimited rides on all the attractions.

Afterwards, let them relax and get their adrenaline pumping as you tour New Orleans' most iconic sights by booking a seat on the City Sightseeing Bus.

If you're a thrill-seeker, you've got to see an NBA game. The New Orleans Pelicans are the city's basketball team and, coinciding with your trip in April, you can also watch the vibrant NBA playoffs if they qualify.

Watching stars such as Zion Williamson, all-star Brandon Ingram and Spanish centre Guillermo Hernangómez live at the Smothie King Center will stay in your memories forever.

However, I recommend that you buy your tickets to see the New Orleans Pelicans as far in advance as possible because they fly!

Vibrate to the NCAA Men's Final Four

College basketball is another unforgettable experience that your visit to New Orleans can give you. Coinciding with spring, the Caesars Superdome hosts the NCAA Men's Final Four, where only four teams will battle it out on the court in a highly coveted tournament.

Throughout the weekend of the Final Four, fans of the sport can also play basketball on the various courts in the stadium and enjoy some musical performances.

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra hosts an annual event, free and open to the public, that you're going to love.

The show is called Swing in the Oaks and will thrill you with the best classical music scores and soundtracks in the best possible setting: the fabulous New Orleans City Park, the green retreat of the city in the state of Louisiana, an oasis to give you a breath of fresh air.

You can come to this concert with your own chair and blanket to enjoy the music until the end in this beautiful natural setting by the bayou. Make the most of the good weather in April and discover the park in all its glory!

If you have time and arrive a little before the concert, you can take a stroll through the more than 500 hectares of City Park, one of the largest urban forests in the USA. There, you can discover the park's flora along its trails, go boating on Big Lake or discover the old carousel inside the amusement park.

If you're passionate about American food and want to devour pork in all its forms, this event is a must-do for your trip to New Orleans. Every year, teams of friends and family gather at Hogs for the Cause, a festival that raises funds to help children with brain cancer.

Around the Lakefront Arena Festival Grounds more than 100 pre-registered teams barbecue pork, ribs, bacon, chicken wings... Every meat you can imagine is cooked juicy there! Then you can vote for the one you like the most and the money collected by all the teams will be donated to associations that fight for this cause.

You can accompany your binge with beer and music on the many stages that are set up for the two-day festival. The event began in 2009 with a pig roast to raise funds for a child suffering from the disease and now there's not a spring that goes by without it.

April is a great month for excursions outside of New Orleans because the heat is not too hot yet and you can spend time outdoors without getting overheated.

A visit to New Orleans is not complete without learning about its darker past, and for that, nothing beats a trip to one of the many plantations that remain as a reminder of what should never happen again:

• Visit Houmas House Plantation: the tour lasts between 1 and 3 hours and costs CAD 59.
• Visit Laura Plantation: the tour lasts about an hour and costs CAD 46.
• Visit Laura Plantation and Houmas House: The tour lasts about 9 hours and the price is CAD 383.
• Visit Oak Alley Plantation: The tour lasts just over 5 hours and the price is CAD 123.
• VisitLaura, St. Joseph and Oak Alley Plantations: the tour lasts 6 hours and the price is CAD 209.

If nature is your thing, the New Orleans Botanical Garden is a must-see. With over 2000 varieties of plants from all over the world, you can admire the beauty of the old live oak trees, among many other species, and meet the native animals.

But if you can also attend on Earth Day, April 21, you can celebrate the importance of environmentalism and care for natural resources in the beautiful gardens on the other side of Victory Drive. They offer outdoor music and informative lectures to raise awareness among visitors.

You can also visit the bird-watching centre, recognised by the best nature magazines.

Evenings with Enrique

In addition, the reconstructed garden, whose plants were hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, offers a **free program to visit the sculptures of Spanish-American artist Enrique Alférez. The event takes place in April on Wednesday evenings. **** Come and see the beautifully illuminated sculptures while enjoying live Latin music and tasting local dishes in an unbeatable setting.

More Earth Day events

The New Orleans Museum of Art also joins in the Earth Day celebration with the Melange Dance Company in a dance performance that transports audiences to the wonders of the sea. It will be a surreal journey that will connect you with nature and the importance of conserving the environment.

It's not all music and festivals in New Orleans. You can also sign up for the popular Crescent City Classic 10km run, which takes place every year on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. It's aimed at participants of all levels, in fact you can even walk, and it's a fun way to have fun too because you can dress up!

During the race weekend you can also attend the free health and wellness days that are organised in the surrounding area or come along to the post-race party where sport gives way to live music and local food.

Participants can register as charity runners and will have some advantages during the race. All funds raised will go to the Louisiana charity programme, in particular to help the most disadvantaged areas of the city of New Orleans.