As the end of the year approaches, New Orleans welcomes the holiday season with its official Christmastime parade.
On Saturday, December 2, at 1 p.m., the Downtown Development District and The Roosevelt New Orleans, will host their annual Krewe of Jingle parade in downtown New Orleans. The parade will start at Lee Circle in the Central Business District, making its way to the French Quarter, and will end in the CBD at Howard Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.
The route
The parade will start at Lee Circle at 1 p.m., and roll down St. Charles Avenue toward Canal Street. At Canal Street, the parade will make a right toward the river. Once it hits North Peters Street at Canal Street, the parade will make a U-turn on Canal Street, traveling away from the river. At Baronne Street and Canal Street, the parade will make a left. It will keep Baronne Street until it reaches Howard Avenue, which is the end of the parade route.
What to expect
New Orleans’s official Christmas parade will have marching bands, dance troupes, decorated cars and floats, and a real-life Santa Clause. Check out the Downtown Development District’s 2016 recap video below.
The Downtown Development District and Blue Bikes will debut the city’s new bike share program in this year’s parade. You’ll find a series of the special bikes rolling through the route, the District and Blue Bikes announced in a release earlier this week.
How to get there
Primarily rolling through the French Quarter and CBD, walking, ride-hailing, or public transport will be your best bet. Public transportation routes that cross the Central Business District and the French Quarter will operate on detour routes from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.
The Canal Streetcar line will stop just short of Marais Street, about six blocks from the parade at Canal Street. The St. Charles Avenue line will stop service on Erato Street, which is three blocks from the start of the parade. A shuttle bus will service Erato Street to Canal Street via O’Keefe Avenue during the parade, in case you want to catch a French Quarter vantage point.
If you’re interested in more Christmastime happenings in New Orleans, check out our map of light displays around the city.