New Orleans Greek Festival 2024 kicks off this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know.

The 49th annual New Orleans Greek Festival will take place this weekend (May 24-26). The three-day festival will bring Greece to the bayou in a Memorial Day weekend tradition jam-packed with eating, shopping and dancing.

The Greek festival will be held on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, 1200 Allen Toussaint Blvd. Tickets cost $10 for an individual day and weekend passes are $25. Children under 12 get in free.

Pets are not allowed, but service animals are welcome.

Hours:

• Friday, May 24: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• Saturday, May 25: 11 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Sunday, May 26: 11 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Where to park?

Guests will be able to park free at the former John F. Kennedy High School site, 5700 Wisner Boulevard along Bayou St. John. Two shuttle buses will travel between the parking lot and festival site daily. One of the shuttles will be handicap accessible.

Shuttles will begin running 30 minutes before the festival opens and continue running until 30 minutes after the festival ends.

Parking information can be found here.

What to do?

There are plenty of activities and entertainment for you and your family to enjoy at the New Orleans Greek Festival. Whether you want to chill out and listen to the music or take a tour of the cathedral, there’s a wide range of things to do.

Live Greek music: Thymios and His Greek-American Super Band will be performing on the outside stage.

Hellenic dancers: Stop by and watch the Hellenic dancers as they perform in authentic costumes on the Hellenic Culture Center stage. That’s not all! A variety of Greek dances will be featured to keep your feet moving all night.

Cathedral tours: 

The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral was the first Greek Orthodox church in North and South America, established in 1864 on Bayou Road in New Orleans. The congregation moved and grew over the years, landing in its current spot in Lakeview in 1976.  Have you ever wondered what the inside of the imposing cathedral looks like? Now you can see for yourself. Cathedral Dean Father George Wilson will be giving free guided tours through the building and teaching some basics of the Orthodox faith.

• May 24: Vespers 6:30 p.m., cathedral tour 8 p.m.
• May 25: Cathedral tours at 1, 3 and 5 p.m.; great vespers tour at 6 p.m.  
• May 26: Cathrdral tours at 2 and 5 p.m.

Athenian playground: If you have little ones, they will love the Athenian playground. This year the playground will be equipped with face painters and two inflatable obstacle courses! There will also be snowballs, snacks and other refreshments available for all ages at the Kafé snack bar.

Runners party: The festival offers a chance for some guests to enter the festival an hour early on May 25. Every runner who participates in the runner’s party will receive two tickets for early entry. All that running can make you thirsty, so there will be special beer stations where participants can get free drinks while supplies last.

The runners party begins at 8:30 a.m. on May 25. Early entry will be from 10-11 a.m.

What to eat?

Make sure you come ready to eat! There is so much amazing Greek cuisine to choose from. From home-made pastries and delectable Gyro to sweet frozen drinks, the full menu for the festival can be found on the cuisine page.

This year, lemon will be a key ingredient. Many of the drinks, foods and deserts available will feature the zesty fruit.

Where to shop?

After all the fun, you can grab a few things for the road. The Greek Festival will have multiple shopping areas. The Greek grocery, inside the Hellenic Cultural Center, offers specialties such as cheese, olives and home-made dips. The Holy Trinity Archives allows guests to purchase images, gifts cards and other religious items.

Outside, the Agora booth will have an assortment of gift items, T-shirts, jewelry and more. On the way out, you can stop by the Grab and Go or Pastry Express. The booths are located next to each other. They will have items such as dolmades, moussaka, baklava and pastries so guests can stock up on their favorites.