The Big Easy
New Orleans in Color
For a place nicknamed the Big Easy, there’s nothing easy about choosing how to spend a day here in New Orleans–mainly because there is always something to do. In many ways, it’s always been like that. Here are our recommendations on how you should buy Black while on the bayou.
Regarding tourism, NOLA consistently earns a top ten spot as one of the most visited cities in America. This city is unique by any standard. It brims with vibrantly colored streets, soul-filled blues, and memorable flavors. Even the trees shimmer year-round with the Mardi Gras beads of celebrations past.
The town motto is Laissez les bon temps rouler, which translates to Let the good times roll. And whether you say it in French or English, that fun-loving vibe is the language of every New Orleanian you’ll meet. At its core, New Orleans has always been a city apart. Until the first major bridge linked it to the mainland in 1958, it was home to more canals than Venice. Locals got around by boat and by taking historic streetcars that traveled more than 200 miles of lines, including the infamous streetcar named Desire. Many of those trolleys are still active–and we recommend you use them to get around the city.
This coastal Louisiana enclave is the culinary heart of Creole and Cajun food. But beyond delicacies like gumbo or shrimp and grits, it's the city that brought us the muffuletta, beignets, and char-broiled oysters. People often mistake New Orleans as a French town, but it is confidently the most African city in America. Everything you’ll love about New Orleans is because of a Black person. And because of that history and energy, New Orleans can never be adequately described–it’s best experienced.
Regardless of the date you pick or the ward you stay, there’s a memory waiting for you here. Commemorate Black History Month as Mardi Gras takes over the city for weeks with parties and parades. In the spring, celebrate the season with the Jazz and Heritage Festival. With over 50 years of concert creating, this two week bacchanal is a must. If you want to recreate the movie sensation Girls Trip, Essence Festival is perfect for you and your crew. Since 1994, the festival has become the largest Black culture and music event in America. And after every HBCU has finished their homecoming, make New Orleans your home for a week during Bayou Classic in November. It is a mega-football game and party that embraces the archrivalry between Southern and Grambling.
This place celebrates the joy of life everyday. It's always a good time to buy Black here. There is no seasonality to the bliss and pride people from here have. In spite of the worst storms NOLA has weathered like Katrina, the city survives and thrives. Whether you’re joining a parade of Second Lines or taking a tour of the above ground cemeteries, New Orleans lives with its ancestral roots exposed for anyone to see. Whenever you come, we know you’ll appreciate that authenticity.
