Winter travelers seeking warm weather and outdoor fun can satisfy their sunny desires in New Orleans this March.
Daily high temperatures range from 69 degrees to 75 degrees throughout the month. And March activities include festivals, a marathon, and a string of St. Patrick’s Day events.
More aptly described as a weekend, celebrations of Auld Sod, or Ireland, begin and end in the French Quarter.
Molly’s at the Market will start the weekend with its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on Friday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m.
This popular Decatur Street party spot is known for fun that spills into the street. Its parade of formally dressed riders in horse-drawn carriages will roll through the French Quarter with the Storyville Stompers and New Wave Brass Band in tow.
A planned 30-minute pit stop at the Erin Rose Bar on Conti Street will allow revelers to refill their drinks before cruising Bourbon Street and ending back at Molly’s at the Market.
The appropriately named Irish Channel is where St. Patrick’s Day events will be found on Saturday, March 16.
Located in the Lower Garden District between Tchoupitoulas and Magazine Streets and bordered by Jackson Avenue and Delachaise Street, the Irish Channel is one of New Orleans historic districts.
The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club will celebrate Auld Sod with its 66th annual mass at St. Mary’s Assumption Church at noon to be followed by a parade at 1 p.m.
The parade will begin and end near Jackson Avenue, circle Prytania Street, and spend time on both St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street.
This year, the Club is adding a riding float open to those who want to join in the fun without walking the route. Chairs are provided, tuxedos are required, and the limited seats cost $30 each.
Those who wait to celebrate Auld Sod on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17 may also want to venture into the Irish Channel.
Parasol’s Bar & Restaurant located at Third and Constance Streets will host its annual St. Patrick’s Day block party complete with green beer, music, and food from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Also at 6 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, the Downtown Irish Club parade will roll from Burgundy and Piety Streets in Bywater across Esplanade Avenue and onto Bourbon Street.
Seven pit stops are scheduled at bars along the way including Mimi’s in the Marigny and Tujague’s.
As soon as the city stops seeing green, five days of literary, theatrical, and cultural experiences commence. Locals call it TWFEST, and its known worldwide as the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival.
Literary panel discussions, theatrical performances, musical events, walking tours, writing classes, and contests fill the festival’s 2013 program that spans March 20 to March 24.
Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning playwright John Patrick Stanley and multi-award winning director and playwright Emily Mann highlight the festival’s line-up.
Finally in March, New Orleans will host the annual Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10K marathon on March 30.
The 6.2 mile race begins at the Mercedes Benz Superdome at 8 a.m. Runners will journey along Poydras Street and through the French Quarter before finding the finish line at New Orleans City Park.
The Crescent City Classic will be preceded by a free, two-day health and fitness expo at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans and followed by the Michelob-Ultra Racefest.
Runner awards will be presented at Racefest along with food, beer, and music. Admittance is free for runners and $5 for everyone else.
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