The Inside Scoop on Southern Decadence in the French Quarter
Photo by David Fary
Born in the early 70s as a going-away party, Southern Decadence has evolved into a massive and immensely popular four-day festival that celebrates LGBTQ+ culture and attracts participants from all over the world. It’s traditionally celebrated over the Labor Day weekend and is considered the fifth largest event in New Orleans after Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Essence Festival, and the French Quarter Festival.
This year’s Southern Decadence falls on Saturday, August 31, through Wednesday, September 4, 2024. The 2024 Grand Marshalls Jeffrey Mayeux, Paribe Meyer and Vanessa Carr Kennedy announced that this year’s theme is “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” and the official colors are blue (50 shades of blue to be exact), gold, and pink flamingo pink. Just like every year, most activities will be centered in and around the French Quarter, with lots of block parties and dance parties at bars and clubs on Bourbon Street.
The hub of the festival is again Bourbon Pub/Parade, with two rocking floors and an expansive balcony. The Pub will be open late nightly, especially on Friday and Saturday (till 5 a.m.)
Photo by David Fary
The Pub will be hosting numerous events throughout the festival, including a kick-off and closing parties. It will again serve as an epicenter of the annual Bourbon Street Extravaganza, a free show/block party happening at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets.
The annual Southern Decadence Grand Marshal Parade on Sunday will start at the Golden Lantern Bar (1239 Royal St.) at 2 p.m.
Photo by David Fary
Several French Quarter bars and clubs will also host the festival crowds that weekend. Oz dance club and Lafitte’s, both on Bourbon St., will be hopping as they do every year. Oz has DJ’d shows every night and fills up during Southern Decadence. Lafitte’s, a 24/7 French Quarter mainstay since the 1950s, has generous happy hour deals and a wraparound balcony. Although not part of the Bourbon Street stretch, the Good Friends bar at 740 Dauphine St. in the French Quarter also receives a fair share of the festival partygoers. The downstairs will be open for 24 hours Wednesday through Sunday.
Although a lot of events are confined to the French Quarter, the festival generally spills into quite a few bars and clubs in the Marigny and the Bywater. The Friendly Bar at 2301 Chartres St. is a quiet neighborhood bar with a pool table, solid jukebox, and well-priced drinks. Big Daddy’s Bar (2513 Royal St.) also has a pool table, a jukebox, and a neighborhood vibe. These two bars, plus Pepp’s Pub right next door to Big Daddy’s Bar (it replaced Cutter’s), are great for a quiet after-party conversation.
Photo by David Fary
Are you planning to spend some time in New Orleans during Southern Decadence? To stay close to all the action, book a historic boutique hotel in the French Quarter at FrenchQuarter.com/hotels today!
