10 Things to Do in New Orleans in December

Planning to spend the month of December in New Orleans, but have no idea what the city has to offer? Don't worry, here's a list with Christmas touches. You'll find all the tips you need to know to make your visit a success here. Make sure you have a unique stay in the tourist and cultural heart of the state of Louisiana.

Throughout the month of December you will have at your disposal a free and entertaining activity to share with the youngest members of the family. It's an exhibit of light sculptures in New Orleans' City Park, which is filled with the characteristic oak and willow trees that are so prevalent in the area's wetlands.

It is an experience that **you will have to travel by car, so it is more viable if you have rented a car to get around the city or if you are willing to pay a cab driver for the 30 to 45 minutes it will take to drive all the way.

Another alternative if you are looking for an evening activity that is not so focused on children's entertainment is to book a tour of the New Orleans Cemetery.

Details of interest

• Where: New Orleans City Park
• Price: the average price for a vehicle for up to 8 people is US$40.
• Dates: the event takes place every night in December.

New Orleans is known for the authenticity of its food and December is a great time to try it because of the Reveillon Dinners.

They consist of the typical dinners that took place after midnight mass in the city's Catholic communities and, over time, have become an event you can attend from the first days of the month until New Year's Eve.

Typically, they include dishes such as eggs Sardou, turtle soups and baked turkey stuffed with duck and meat, as well as different presentations of the oysters that have become a distinctive aspect of the local cuisine. Although some of these dishes can also be sampled on New Orleans food tours.

Interesting information

Note that more than 40 restaurants usually have these special dinners on their menu this month and all offer prices around $50 or $60 per person.

If you've wondered what the gigantic mansions that characterize the older, wealthy neighborhoods of America's southern cities look like, you'll love this activity.

In short, it's a tour of the excellently preserved homes of the Garden District, which are also decorated to the nines with Christmas decorations.

This was the area of the city where American tycoons who grew rich from New Orleans' port industry settled after the U.S. annexed New Orleans.

With the arrival of Christmas also comes another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to receive it as you could not do anywhere else in the world, on a cruise on the Mississippi. The interesting thing about this activity is that the boats are exactly the same as the ones used several decades ago. That is, its propulsion is still steam.

The most important shipping companies in the city usually offer special packages for those looking to experience the arrival of December 25 in an unconventional way. Here are some that you can join:

• Dinner cruise and private tour
• Night cruise
• Morning cruise
• Afternoon cruise

Details of interest

• Prices: it depends on the shipping company you choose, but the most common is that children under 2 or 3 years old do not pay and the price ranges from 38 € to 150 €.
• Duration: some have a duration of 3 hours and others extend throughout the evening with a disembarkation in the early morning of December 25.

Basically, it's a race that stands out because no one actually runs. Instead, thousands of participants dressed as Santa Claus and other personalities of the Christmas culture, such as the elves of the gift shop or Mister Scrooge, drink alcoholic beverages.

In other words, it is an activity that is mainly focused on adult entertainment, since everyone present is celebrating with live music from the starting point, which is supposed to be the South Pole, to the finish line, which would be the North Pole.

Participating in the New Orleans Santa Run is even more interesting when you consider that it is one of the few places in the United States where it is completely legal to consume alcohol on the street.

Useful information

• Prices: admission tickets are usually around $20 per person, but can vary yearly.
• Duration: can take up your entire afternoon and evening.
• Location: traditionally held in the Warehouse District of New Orleans, the starting and finishing points of the race change every year.
• Date: almost always on December 11, but due to the proximity to the weekend it can be rescheduled.
• Schedule: visitors start arriving as early as 2 pm.

December is a month that maintains a very special connection with childhood and the innocence that develops in that stage of life. That's why it's a great idea to take your little ones to the Krewe of Jingle parade if you're thinking of things to see and do with kids in New Orleans during this month.

Dancers, floats , inflatable sculptures, bands, street performers and more are some of the attractions that take place during the Krewe of Jingle.

The launching of the typical throws, or souvenirs, of the urban parades of New Orleans is also present in this celebration. Only, in this case, you might get your hands on some peppermint candy canes or bags of gingerbread cookies.

Useful information

• Price: it is a free activity.
• Location: Canal Street, in the Downtown area of the city, that is, in the financial center.

If you're feeling a little underwhelmed by the fact that December is so close to the Mardi Gras countdown, but not yet entering the official season, you can quickly sort it out.

The city has two museums that have permanent exhibits, mostly about the most important carnival in all of the United States:

• Mardi Gras World: this is the largest establishment in the world dedicated to the construction of floats. These will circulate along Bourbon Street and its surroundings during Fat Tuesday each year. The costumes and ornamental clothing of the event are also made in this store and for this reason you can take pictures with them if you wish.
• Mardi Gras Museum: it stands out for maintaining a more history-oriented approach and the importance of the event in the identity of the city. There is the possibility of trying on a typical costume of this carnival without having to visit the city during the month of February.

Details of interest

• Prices: Tickets for the Mardi Gras Museum tours usually cost approximately $15 per person. On the other hand, Mardi Gras World tickets go up to $20 per ticket for adults, but discounts apply for children between 2 and 11 years of age.
• Hours: Mardi Gras World is open every day of the week, but the Mardi Gras Museum is only available Friday through Monday.

Another excellent recommendation that could not be missing in this list of things to do and see in New Orleans in December is the Luna Fête organized by the Arts Council of the city.

This is one of the best things to do in New Orleans at night at this time of the year, due to the fact that it is a completely free light and technology show.

The location usually changes every year to give variety to the design of the stages and the artistic aspect of the event. In addition, an art market with drinks, food and other activities runs simultaneously at the same location during the weekend days of the month.

It's one of the best establishments in town, but just in December it gets even more interesting with a reinvention of its name under the Royal Snownesta label.

Throughout the month they're offering all kinds of activities like little sleepovers with Santa for the kids and burlesque shows with a holiday tone for the adults.

Details of interest

• Pricing: there is no admission fee to go to some of the hotel's bars such as the Jazz Playhouse, but keep in mind that consumption is 100% on your own.
• Location: at 300 Bourbon Street, a couple of blocks from the New Orleans Museum of the Dead.

Bourbon Street is the undisputed epicenter of the New Orleans party scene and this famous street offers every type of New Year's Eve celebration you can imagine. From elegant dinners inside a hotel restaurant, to jazz bars crowded with tourists.

Going out on the street with lots of people who are in the same situation as you and your companions is also possible and don't worry, because the party will continue until the next morning.

Jackson Square is another alternative for ringing in the New Year, which makes sense knowing that it is an area full of things to see and do throughout the winter in New Orleans.

New Orleans is not exactly the warmest place during the month of December, as highs hover around 18°, while lows usually reach 8° at night.

Bringing a couple of coats wouldn't hurt, but keep in mind that daytime walks will be marked by a sun that can be extremely bright, as well as cloudy at any given moment.

Long pants and some dressy clothes are also a prudent decision if you intend to celebrate the arrival of the 25th and the first of January in this city in an enclosed establishment.