New Orleans in December: Réveillon Feasts & Levee Bonfires

On Christmas Eve, communities in St James Parish, about an hour upriver from New Orleans, light dozens of bonfires along the Mississippi levee. Local legend says the fires guide Papa Noël, the Cajun Santa Claus, along the river. Families spend weeks building the wooden structures, most shaped like tall pyramids and some like cabins, boats or riverboats, and the main lighting usually begins around 19:00.

The towns of Lutcher, Gramercy and Paulina have the highest concentration of bonfires. Earlier in December, the Festival of the Bonfires in Lutcher usually brings food stalls, live music and a preview lighting. Watching the fires on the levee is free, but River Road gets very congested on Christmas Eve, and fires can be postponed if a burn ban is in place.

The Natchez is an authentic steam-powered sternwheeler, built in 1975 in the style of the great 19th-century Mississippi riverboats. Before each departure, its steam calliope, an organ played with whistles, sends tunes drifting across the French Quarter. The two-hour daytime harbour cruise includes live jazz and a narrated history of the port, and usually costs around $45-60 (about €40-55).

In December the boat adds holiday-themed evening dinner cruises with jazz, and its New Year's Eve cruise is one of the best ways to watch the midnight fireworks over the river. Even without a ticket, the free calliope concert on the wharf before departure is worth catching. Dress warmly for the open decks, since the river wind is cold after dark.

Built in 1831, the Hermann-Grima House is one of the best-preserved historic homes in the French Quarter, with an elegant Federal-style facade, a courtyard garden and one of the few working open-hearth kitchens left in the city. It is run together with the Gallier House on Royal Street by a non-profit museum group, and both houses are furnished as they would have been in the 1800s.

In December, the houses are usually dressed for the holidays to show how Creole and American families in 19th-century New Orleans celebrated Christmas and New Year, from Réveillon tables to New Year's Day calling customs. Tours also tell the stories of the enslaved people who lived and worked in the house. Tickets usually cost around $20 (about €18), with combined tickets for both houses.

First played in 1935, the Sugar Bowl is one of the oldest college football bowl games in the United States, and today it forms part of the College Football Playoff. The game is held at the Caesars Superdome around the New Year period, and the exact date and matchup for 2026-27 depend on the playoff schedule. The city fills with fans from both teams in the days before kick-off.

Ticket prices range from about $100 (around €90) to several hundred dollars, depending on the teams and seats. In the run-up to the game, the Sugar Bowl usually organises a fan fest and parade, and the French Quarter fills with supporters in team colours. On New Year's Eve, fireworks are launched over the Mississippi near the riverfront.