French Quarter Fest kicks off today with four days of food, music and dancing throughout New Orleans' oldest neighborhood.

Why it matters: It's the city's largest free festival.

The big picture: Festivities start at 10am today with a parade on Bourbon Street and run through Sunday night.

• More than 300 performances will be spread across the French Quarter and riverfront.
• There are free dance lessons and other special events daily. Plus, venues have post-fest shows and parties, including FQF's After Dark series.
• Don't forget about the food. More than 70 vendors will sell meat pies, drinks, poboys, seafood, sweet treats and other dishes.

What's new: PJ Morton returns after more than a decade.

• The fest's 5K race is also back after a hiatus.
• The new Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park will host two stages and several food vendors.
• Some stages have moved. Check the map.

If you go: Download the app and screenshot lineups. Our experience is that cell coverage can be spotty downtown in big crowds.

• The fest is cashless. Bring your cards or tap-to-pay options.
• Sort your trash. Green bins are for compost, blue is for recycling and black is for landfill.
• Skip the car. Organizers encourage ridesharing, biking, public transit or parking outside the Quarter and walking in.

Zoom in: Expect road closures and heavy traffic.

• NOPD will have extra enforcement for ticketing and towing downtown. Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana National Guard will be patrolling, too.
• NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick also warned people to keep their golf carts off the streets.

Zoom out: Hotel occupancy rates are already higher this weekend than for last year's fest, New Orleans & Co. says.

The bottom line: French Quarter Fest is one of our favorite ways to welcome spring in the city. We'll see y'all on the streets. Share this

A new musical opens today in the French Quarter, promising an immersive experience with gumbo and drinks.

The big picture: "Last Night at the Rue Bayou" is a love story "spiced up with a little ghost story and the soul of New Orleans," a press release says.

• It's at Storyville Music Hall, which is owned by Helen Mirren and husband Taylor Hackford. The space previously was B.B. King's and Margaritaville.
• Tickets start at $49 and include two drinks and a bowl of gumbo. The show runs through May 3. More info.

Other things to do this weekend:

🎤 Tomorrow: Fantasia is at the UNO Lakefront Arena, Marlon Wayans is at the Fillmore and Justin Hayward is at the Orpheum.

🦞 The Old Metairie Crawfish Festival is at St. Catherine of Siena. More crawfish options at Miel Brewery, the Ritz-Carlton and Colby's Cocktails.

🗑️ Love the Boot Week kicks off Saturday, with cleanup opportunities across the region.

📚 The Friends of the Jefferson Public Library have their big book sale this weekend.

🤣 Bored Teachers' comedy tour is at the Orpheum on Sunday.

🎶 "Jagged Little Pill: The Musical" is at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center. (Tickets)

Share this

Audubon Zoo plans to reopen its carousel in August, officials tell us.

Why it matters: The carousel was removed due to damage from Hurricane Ida.

The big picture: The new carousel is built and is slightly smaller than the previous one, according to Jackson Kerby, Audubon's VP of construction.

• Work continues on the pavilion, which will house the carousel and help prevent weather damage.
• The old carousel was auctioned off.
• Audubon celebrates the carousel's scheduled return next week at its annual Zoo-to-Do events.

Share this

🏨 Travel + Leisure plans to open a Sports Illustrated Resorts location in Baton Rouge. (Press release)

• The project will convert the Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center by late next year. Investment partners include Shaquille O'Neal and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

⛳️ LIV Golf, which plans to bring its tournament to City Park, could be on the verge of folding. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is considering pulling funding from the league. (Wall Street Journal gift link)

• Louisiana is spending at least $7 million to bring the controversial golf organization here in June. (Axios)

🥳 Oak Street is officially designated as a historic district. The new signs will be dedicated at 1pm today. (Press release)

🥺 Saks Fifth Avenue at Canal Place is now closed. (The Times-Picayune🔒)

👀 A suspected Molotov cocktail started a fire at the Tesla sales office on Tchoupitoulas Street, ATF says. No injuries were reported. (ABC News)

🌳 The city ends its free mulch program April 25, about a month earlier than planned. Get your free wood chips while you can. (Press release)