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2011 New Orleans Seafood Festival schedule

Signature DMC is once again producing the New Orleans Seafood Festival for the sponsoring Louisiana ... more.
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Local Culture

Very simply, New Orleans is a place that has so much to offer all year round. Starting as early as January 6th, the official Mardi Gras season kicks-off and doesn't end until February, or sometimes, even March. But New Orleans is not the only place in the area that celebrates this festival season that leads up to Lent for Catholics. Other cities such as Mamou, Ville Plate, Lafayette and Carencro celebrate a more traditionally Cajun Mardi Gras. There are also the Mardi Gras Indians and their flamboyant headdresses and fantastic music.

In March, just after Mardi Gras, the large Italian and Irish populations of the New Orleans area come forth to celebrate the Italian feast of St. Joseph and the Irish feast of St. Patrick. Of course, these celebrations include fun parades, lively music and great food.

As spring descends upon the city, festival season gets into full swing as the French Quarter Festival kicks off with amazing Louisiana cuisine and music. This particular festival originated as a way to get New Orleanians to be tourists in their own town. It is the festival that the locals love and it becomes more and more popular each year.

Of course, the famous New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has become one of the most beloved music fests in the world attracting anywhere from 60,000-95,000 per day over a six day period. It is the most convenient way to sample a wide variety of Louisiana food, as well as hear just about every type of music from all over the world.

Over the remainder of spring and well into the summer, there are countless other festivals such as the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Tales of the Cocktail, The Creole Tomato Festival, the Zydeco Festival and the Louisiana Seafood Festival. And these are just the festivals in New Orleans. Louisiana has more festivals than any other state in the country and there isn't a weekend that goes by that something isn't celebrated.

Besides all the festivals and special occasions, New Orleans has some wonderful museums, historic homes and one of the top zoos and aquariums in the country, and now a brand new Insectarium. New Orleans is home to the National WWII Museum that attracts veterans and their families from all over the country.