Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to soak up that last bit of summer fun, and there’s no place better to spend it than the Big Easy. The city is celebrating the farewell to extreme Louisiana heat and humidity, but it’s plenty hot enough for outdoor adventures and ice cold treats to toast to the best of summer. Check out these 5 things to do for Labor Day weekend in New Orleans to send your summer out with a bang!
- Join in on the Celebration- Football season in Louisiana is a whole lifestyle, and college ball season begins with the Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff on September 2 in the Superdome featuring country artists and events celebrating all things college football. Hit the streets for Southern Decadence, a weekend-long LGBTQ+ celebration featuring events throughout the city including Bourbon Street Extravaganza and the Southern Decadence Parade. Head to City Park for a day of honoring all the summer fun such as a round of mini golf at City Putt, a visit to the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, or a picnic and paddle boating on Big Lake.
- Go Ziplining– Finish off your summer bucket list on the world’s first fully aquatic swamp zipline! Zip on five lines through the Maurepas Swamp where you’ll encounter Louisiana wildlife like turtles, cranes, and alligators. Climb the one-of-a-kind spiral cypress staircase and cross two sky bridges through the swampland. ZipNOLA also offers a 2000ft elevated spectating deck with deck games and fantastic views. Pick up a unique souvenir and have an encounter with a baby alligator in their gift shop.
- Take a Swamp Tour– No trip to Louisiana is complete without some time in the swamp! Experience the unique fanboats that speed over land and water at heart-pumping rates on an airboat tour through the swamp. Take a leisurely cruise on a covered tourboat as you take in the wondrously wild sights. With exotic landscape of cypress knees and placid waters home to alligators and swamp lilies, a swamp tour is a must!
- Enjoy a Sno-Ball– Shaved ice treats in endless flavors and dozens of toppings, New Orleans snowballs are not your average snow cone. Snowballs are sold at roadside stands or in specialty shops. Try a traditional flavor like bubblegum, a creamy concoction like wedding cake, or sample a local creation like praline. Then top it off with condensed milk, stuff it with ice cream, sprinkle it with gummy bears, or spike it with a shot (or two)! With all these combinations, just one surely is not enough!
- Brunch Time- There’s no better cure for late nights on Bourbon Street than New Orleans brunch. Get some “hair of the dog” with a morning cocktail with a NOLA twist. Get your fill of delectable dishes such as crawfish eggs benedict or stuffed beignets. Soak up the last of those summer days with a courtyard setting and some live jazz music or take a brunch cruise down the river.
Anytime in New Orleans is always a good time, but Labor Day weekend is especially great for celebrating and sampling the city with that long weekend off. Amazing food and drinks, parties and parades, and adventures through the swamps- there’s so much to experience in New Orleans in just a few days!
