Stay in New Orleans in March
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March in New Orleans is defined by its St. Patrick's Day celebrations, which rank among the three largest in the United States. Multiple parades roll through the Irish Channel neighborhood over several days around March 17, and unlike the beer-focused affairs in most American cities, float riders here throw cabbages, potatoes, carrots, and onions to the crowds. The scene along Magazine Street is loud and chaotic. The tradition traces back to the city's 19th-century Irish immigrant community, and the atmosphere feels closer to Mardi Gras than to anything you would see in Boston or Chicago.
Daytime temperatures hover around 22°C (72°F), dropping to about 14°C (58°F) at night. That's comfortable walking weather for the French Quarter and Garden District without any of the punishing heat that arrives by June. Mind you, March is one of the wetter months, with rain spread across roughly a dozen days. Showers tend to arrive in the afternoon, pass within an hour, and leave the evening clear. Humidity hovers around 75%, noticeable but a long way from the oppressive wall you would hit in July or August.
Crawfish season hits full stride by March, and weekend boils pop up across the city from backyards in Mid-City to restaurants in the Warehouse District. If Mardi Gras falls in early March (it shifts with Easter and lands here perhaps twice a decade), expect the first week or two to carry peak-season hotel rates. In years when carnival wraps in February, March pricing settles toward moderate levels, though St. Patrick's Day weekend and spring break still push rates above the annual average.
Why visit in March
- Comfortable spring temperatures let you walk the city for hours without the brutal heat and humidity that descends from June through September.
- Peak crawfish season fills neighborhood restaurants and backyards across Mid-City and Uptown with weekend boils at the year's best seasonal prices.
- St. Patrick's Day parades in the Irish Channel draw tens of thousands of spectators over multiple days, with fresh produce thrown from the floats instead of the standard Mardi Gras beads.
- Restaurant reservations are easier to secure than during Mardi Gras (February most years) or Jazz Fest (late April), even at well-known spots in the French Quarter.
Worth knowing
- Rainfall in March reaches 152mm spread across roughly 12 days, nearly double October's 78mm total and enough to disrupt outdoor plans for a day or two.
- Hotel rates spike 20-30% over the annual average during St. Patrick's Day weekend and during spring break weeks, which vary by school district across the country.
- Solo travelers should exercise caution after dark, particularly on poorly-lit blocks between the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny or Bywater neighborhoods.
Best for
Think twice if
March marks the transition from winter cool into genuine spring warmth. Mornings start mild, often requiring a light layer, and afternoons warm enough for a T-shirt. The humidity is present but manageable for anyone accustomed to coastal climates. Rain arrives in bursts, with a typical pattern of sunny mornings followed by a 30-to-60-minute afternoon downpour, then clearing skies by evening. Occasionally a cold front drops through from the north and pulls temperatures down to around 10°C (50°F) for a day or two, so layering matters more than in April. The breeze off the Mississippi River in the French Quarter can make evenings feel cooler than the thermometer suggests.
Seasonal caution
- March is the start of severe thunderstorm season across the Gulf South. While tornadoes are rare within the city proper, strong storms with heavy rain, lightning, and gusty winds can develop quickly on warm afternoons. Monitor forecasts from the National Weather Service New Orleans office if you see dark skies building to the west.
Year-round climate
Averages from the last 5 years.
| Month | Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | 8 | 112 |
| Feb | 19 | 11 | 102 |
| Mar | 22 | 14 | 152 |
| Apr | 25 | 18 | 112 |
| May | 29 | 22 | 167 |
| Jun | 31 | 25 | 182 |
| Jul | 31 | 26 | 193 |
| Aug | 32 | 26 | 211 |
| Sep | 30 | 24 | 165 |
| Oct | 26 | 19 | 78 |
| Nov | 21 | 14 | 85 |
| Dec | 19 | 12 | 129 |
Holidays and festivals in March
Public holidays
- Good Friday(Good Friday)26 March 2027
Headline events
St. Patrick's Day Parades
Parades typically on the Saturday and Sunday nearest March 17, plus the day itself
Multiple parades roll through the Irish Channel neighborhood and downtown over several days around March 17. New Orleans's version features float riders throwing fresh vegetables to spectators rather than beads. The celebrations have roots in the city's 19th-century Irish immigrant community and draw tens of thousands across the parade route along Magazine Street.
Best things to do in March
Watch the St. Patrick's Day parades in the Irish Channel
festivalThe parades through the Irish Channel along Magazine Street and surrounding blocks are participatory in a way most American parades are not. Float riders throw actual vegetables, and spectators bring bags and coolers to collect them. Several blocks host open-air cooking with the thrown produce afterward, and the atmosphere feels more like a neighborhood celebration than a formal civic event.
The parades run on the Saturday and Sunday nearest March 17, plus the day itself. This only happens once a year.Booking tipNo tickets needed. Arrive 1-2 hours early along Magazine Street near Felicity Street for a good spot. Bring a bag for the thrown produce.
Visit St. Joseph's Day altars across the city
culturalOn March 19, New Orleans's Italian-American community opens elaborate food altars at churches, community centers, and private homes, particularly in Mid-City and the French Quarter. The altars are stacked with baked goods, stuffed artichokes, fig cookies, and symbolic foods. Visitors are welcome and typically receive a fava bean for good luck and a small bag of cookies to take home.
St. Joseph's Day is March 19, and the altars are erected only for this specific occasion. Hundreds open across the city.Booking tipNo booking needed. The Times-Picayune publishes a list of open altars in the week before March 19.
See the Mardi Gras Indians on Super Sunday
culturalOn the Sunday nearest St. Joseph's Day (around March 19), Mardi Gras Indian tribes parade through the Treme and Central City neighborhoods in hand-sewn beaded suits that can weigh up to 50 kg (110 lbs) and take a full year to create. The suits are elaborate works of folk art. The procession through the area near A.L. Davis Park is unscheduled, which is part of the tradition.
Super Sunday occurs once a year, on the Sunday closest to March 19. The Mardi Gras Indian tradition dates back over 200 years in New Orleans.Booking tipNo tickets. Head to the Treme neighborhood around Claiborne Avenue and Orleans Avenue by late morning. There is no fixed start time.
Walk the Garden District and Magazine Street
sightseeingMarch temperatures make the Garden District's tree-lined blocks of antebellum mansions a comfortable walk. Magazine Street runs along the neighborhood's edge for about 10 km (6 miles) and is lined with independent shops, galleries, and restaurants. The live oaks that canopy many of the residential streets are fully leafed out by March, and the light through them is worth the trip alone.
Spring temperatures around 22°C make extended walks pleasant before summer heat makes midday outdoor time uncomfortable from June onward.Explore New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden
museumThe museum (founded 1911) sits inside City Park, and the surrounding Besthoff Sculpture Garden displays over 90 works across 5 hectares (11 acres) of lagoons and live oaks. The sculpture garden is free to enter. In March, the park's azaleas and camellias are in bloom, and the Spanish moss catches afternoon light in a way that rewards photographers.
Spring blooms in City Park peak in March and early April. The comfortable temperatures let you spend 2-3 hours outdoors in the sculpture garden without overheating.Booking tipThe sculpture garden closes at dusk. Arrive by 14:00 to have enough time for both the museum and the grounds.
Catch live music on Frenchmen Street
nightlifeFrenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny is where locals go for live music. On any given March night, you might hear brass bands, jazz combos, funk, or blues within a 3-block stretch. Most venues charge no cover, and the music typically starts around 22:00. The Spotted Cat Music Club, d.b.a., and The Maison are clustered within walking distance of each other.
March falls between the peak-season crush of Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, so venues are busy but not overwhelmed. You can walk in without a line on most weeknights.Tour Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1
historyThe oldest active cemetery in the city (founded 1789) contains above-ground tombs laid out in a grid of whitewashed vaults. The burial style reflects the city's high water table, and the tombs have a weathered, chalky texture that photographs well against green vegetation. Licensed tours run daily and last about an hour.
March temperatures make the outdoor tour comfortable. In summer, the white tombs reflect heat and the cemetery becomes genuinely unpleasant by midday.Booking tipUnescorted entry has been restricted since 2015. You must book through a licensed tour company. Reserve a few days in advance for weekend morning slots.
What to eat in March
In season: fruit
Louisiana strawberries
Ponchatoula, about 80 km (50 miles) northwest of New Orleans, calls itself the Strawberry Capital of the World. The harvest begins in March, and local farmers' markets and restaurants start featuring the berries in shortcakes, daiquiris, and by the pint. They tend to be smaller and sweeter than California varieties.
On menus now
Boiled crawfish
March sits right in the middle of crawfish season. The mudbugs have grown to a good size by now and supply is up, so prices tend to drop from early-season highs. Louisiana produces over 100 million pounds annually, and March is when backyard boils and restaurant specials reach full frequency. Corn, potatoes, and garlic cloves go into the pot alongside the crawfish, seasoned with cayenne-heavy boil spices. The smell, peppery and slightly sweet, carries for blocks.
Gumbo z'herbes
This green gumbo appears on menus during Lent, which typically overlaps with March. Made from a mix of greens (mustard, collard, turnip, spinach, and sometimes up to 7 or 9 different varieties by tradition), it serves as the city's Lenten alternative to meat-based gumbo. You'll find versions at traditional Creole restaurants through the French Quarter and Treme.
Oysters on the half shell
March falls within the traditional R months (September through April) when Gulf oysters are at their plumpest and coolest-water best. Raw bars across the city serve them with horseradish, lemon, and cocktail sauce spiked with Tabasco, which is produced about 210 km (130 miles) west on Avery Island.
What to drink
Sazerac
The city's official cocktail since 2008 combines rye whiskey, Peychaud's Bitters (invented in New Orleans in the 1830s), sugar, and an absinthe rinse. March is a good time to seek one out because the cocktail bars are less crowded than during Mardi Gras, and the evening temperatures suit a spirit-forward drink.
Regular events in March
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
A 5-day festival in the French Quarter featuring panel discussions, theatrical performances, writing workshops, and a Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest held on Jackson Square. The festival draws writers and readers from across the country each year.
Late March (usually the last full week)Wednesday at the SquareFree
A free outdoor concert series at Lafayette Square in the Central Business District on Wednesday evenings, starting in March and running through late May. Each week features a different Louisiana-based band, with food trucks lining the surrounding streets.
Every Wednesday evening, starting mid-MarchSuper Sunday (Mardi Gras Indians)Free
Mardi Gras Indian tribes parade through the Treme and Central City neighborhoods in hand-sewn beaded suits on the Sunday closest to St. Joseph's Day. No fixed schedule or route. The tradition dates back over 200 years.
Sunday nearest March 19Crescent City Classic 10K
A 10 km road race through the French Quarter, along Esplanade Avenue, and into City Park. One of the largest 10K races in the United States, typically drawing around 20,000 runners and walkers.
Late March or early April (date varies by year)Best places this March
Jackson Square
landmarkThe historic square (established 1721) in the heart of the French Quarter sits between St. Louis Cathedral (1794) and the Mississippi River. In March, street performers and tarot readers work the square in pleasant weather, and you can sit on the flagstone steps facing the river without baking in the sun. The Cabildo, a colonial-era Louisiana history museum, stands on the square's northwest corner.
French QuarterCity Park
parkOne of the oldest urban parks in the United States, covering about 530 hectares (1,300 acres). March brings azalea and camellia blooms along the park's lagoons, and the ancient live oaks, some estimated at over 600 years old, provide a full canopy. The park also contains the Besthoff Sculpture Garden and connects to Bayou St. John, where locals picnic on the grassy banks.
Mid-CityCongo Square in Louis Armstrong Park
historical siteCongo Square is the site where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to play music, dance, and maintain cultural traditions during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is considered one of the birthplaces of jazz. Louis Armstrong Park surrounds the square and connects to the Treme neighborhood, the oldest African-American neighborhood in the United States.
TremeAudubon Park
parkA 140-hectare (350-acre) park in the Uptown neighborhood, named after naturalist John James Audubon. The park's 2.9 km (1.8-mile) jogging loop passes under massive live oaks draped in Spanish moss. March temperatures sit right in the window for comfortable running or walking, and the park is less crowded than it gets once spring break groups arrive later in the month.
UptownThe French Market
marketA continuous open-air market running for several blocks along the Mississippi riverfront in the French Quarter. The produce section is worth checking in March for early Louisiana strawberries and locally grown citrus. The flea market section toward the downriver end has a mix of local crafts and imported goods, and the whole stretch smells like pralines from the candy vendors.
French QuarterFrenchmen Street
nightlife districtThe Faubourg Marigny's main music corridor runs for about 3 blocks and, on a typical March evening, 8 to 10 venues offer live music with no cover charge. The art market that sets up on weekend evenings near the intersection with Chartres Street is a good place to find local prints and photography. The street is at its liveliest between 21:00 and midnight.
Faubourg Marigny
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Insider tips
Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny has better live music than Bourbon Street on any night of the week, and most venues charge no cover. The quality tends to be higher, the drinks cheaper, and the crowd skews more local. Worth noting that the 3 blocks of Frenchmen between Decatur and Chartres are the core of it.
If you are in town for St. Patrick's Day, the parade route through the Irish Channel is more fun than the downtown parades. Position yourself along Magazine Street between Jackson Avenue and Napoleon Avenue for the heaviest produce throws.
Crawfish prices drop noticeably between early March and late March as supply ramps up. Neighborhood spots away from the French Quarter tend to run significantly cheaper than tourist-facing restaurants in the Quarter for the same quality.
March oysters are still at peak R-month quality, and oyster prices at neighborhood raw bars in the Bywater and Uptown tend to run well below what French Quarter spots charge for the same Gulf product.
Avoid these mistakes
- Walking alone at night through the blocks between Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street along Esplanade Avenue. The stretch is poorly lit in places and the 5-minute trip is better done by rideshare, especially after midnight.
- Driving and trying to park in the French Quarter during St. Patrick's Day parades or any parade day. Streets close with little advance notice, and parking spots disappear. The St. Charles streetcar or a rideshare dropped outside the parade route is the better option.
- Packing only warm-weather clothes. While most March days are comfortable in a T-shirt, a cold front can pull temperatures down to 10°C (50°F) overnight, and at least one warm layer saves an emergency shopping trip.
- Assuming Mardi Gras always falls in February. In some years, Fat Tuesday lands in early March, and the city's hotel rates, crowd levels, and street closures shift dramatically for the first week. Check the calendar for your travel year.
Practical tips for March
Book accommodations 3-4 weeks ahead if your trip includes the St. Patrick's Day parade weekend. The St. Charles streetcar runs along St. Charles Avenue from the CBD through the Garden District and Uptown, and it is the best way to move during parade days when streets close to car traffic. Many sit-down restaurants in the French Quarter close between lunch and dinner, typically between 14:30 and 17:00, so plan meals accordingly. Tipping 18-20% at restaurants is standard in New Orleans. Rideshare apps operate throughout the city, but during parades and late-night hours on weekends, expect surge pricing and longer wait times in the Quarter. Carry cash for street food vendors, parade-day purchases, and some smaller music venues on Frenchmen Street that do not accept cards. The city scores 7.2/10 for family friendliness (see the TTDI Family-Friendliness Index). For LGBTQ+ friendliness, it scores 7.5/10 (see /research/lgbtq-friendliness/), making it welcoming for both groups. For further logistics on arrival and local transit, Wikivoyage's New Orleans guide covers options in detail (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Orleans#Get_in, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Orleans#Get_around).
FAQ
Is March a good time to visit New Orleans?
March is a strong month to visit. The weather is comfortable for walking, crawfish season is at its peak, and the St. Patrick's Day parades are a genuinely unique experience. It ranks around 4th out of 12 months, behind October and November (drier, lower prices) and April (Jazz Fest begins late in the month). The main downsides are the rain, which is heavier than in fall, and the potential for spring break and parade-weekend price spikes.
What is the weather like in New Orleans in March?
Expect warm days and mild evenings. Highs average 22.2°C (72°F) and lows average 14.4°C (58°F), though cold fronts can briefly pull temperatures down to around 10°C (50°F). Rainfall totals about 152mm across roughly 12 rain days, typically arriving as afternoon showers that pass quickly. Humidity sits at 75%. T-shirt weather during the day, a light layer needed for evenings.
Is New Orleans crowded in March?
Crowd levels are high but manageable. St. Patrick's Day weekend and any spring break overlap bring surges, especially to the French Quarter, the Irish Channel parade routes, and Frenchmen Street. Outside those specific windows, the city feels busy but not overwhelmed. It is noticeably less packed than during Mardi Gras (usually February) or Jazz Fest (late April and early May).
Is New Orleans safe for solo travelers in March?
New Orleans carries real concerns about street crime, particularly after dark in certain areas. Stick to well-populated streets and consider rideshares for late-night trips between neighborhoods. The French Quarter, Garden District, and Frenchmen Street are generally busy and safe during peak hours, but avoid walking alone on poorly-lit blocks, especially along Esplanade Avenue between the Quarter and the Marigny late at night. For further safety guidance, see Wikivoyage's coverage (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Orleans#Stay_safe).
What should I eat in New Orleans in March?
Crawfish is the headline item. March is peak season, and boils turn up everywhere from backyards to restaurant specials across the city. Gumbo z'herbes, a green gumbo made with multiple varieties of greens, appears on Creole restaurant menus during Lent. Louisiana strawberries from Ponchatoula start arriving at markets. Gulf oysters remain in their prime R-month window through April. For broader dining guidance, Wikivoyage's food section covers the main categories (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Orleans#Eat).
Things to Do in New Orleans in March
Free cancellation New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation
Day trip: 5 hours, free cancellation.
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Free cancellation New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option
City tour: 3 hours, free cancellation.
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Free cancellation New Orleans City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Day trip: 1 day, free cancellation.
via Viator
Free cancellation Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Day trip: 7.8 hours, free cancellation.
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Free cancellation New Orleans Sightseeing City Tour
City tour: free cancellation.
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Free cancellation New Orleans Demonstration Cooking Class with Meal
Cooking class: 2 hours, free cancellation.
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