If you’re reading this, you already know: New Orleans is unlike anywhere else. It’s the music “bubbling up from the streets” (in the words of the late, great Ellis Marsalis). It’s family recipes, passed down for generations. It’s the artists, chefs, musicians, and culture-bearers who make this city come alive every day.
French Quarter Festivals, Inc. exists to uplift and sustain these folks – the people who create our cultural economy. We’re the small, independent local nonprofit organization behind some of New Orleans’ most beloved free cultural events, including French Quarter Festival and Satchmo SummerFest – events that serve as essential infrastructure to harness and grow that bubbling culture.
Our festivals are more than a party—they are a vital investment in the people, culture, and traditions that define New Orleans. Every year, FQFI creates valuable opportunities for more than 1,700 local musicians, supports hundreds of local businesses, and ensures that world-class cultural experiences remain free and accessible to everyone.
We create programming that belongs to the community it represents. Our festivals are a chance for New Orleanians to practice their culture and take pride in what they have created, while inviting New Orleanians-at-heart to share in that experience with authenticity and respect. Our stages feature legendary artists right alongside emerging musicians, because preserving culture means giving it room to grow. And our programming is offered for free to all, because experiencing art together is paramount to our quality of life and cultural identity. That is how communities are strengthened, traditions are sustained, and new generations become part of New Orleans’ living culture.
Events like French Quarter Festival may feel like timeless traditions, but they aren’t guaranteed. The future of these traditions depends on all of us.
If you believe New Orleans’ culture is worth protecting, celebrating, and sharing, stop by our table. We’d love to show you how you can be part of keeping the spirit of this city alive for generations to come.