Festival Facts

Festival Facts

French Quarter Festival was first produced in 1984 as a way to bring residents back to the Quarter; following the World’s Fair and extensive sidewalk repairs in the French Quarter.

More than 1,500 community volunteers help to make the festival a success.

French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is a private, non-profit 501c(3) organization.

Chief sources of funding are: sponsorships, beverage and merchandise sales, vendor fees, and annual Gala.

More than 20 stages throughout the French Quarter celebrate local music and represent every genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Zydeco, classical, cabaret, and international.

New Orleans great restaurants serve food and beverages in Jackson Square, the Jazz Museum at the Mint, JAX Brewery, and Woldenberg Riverfront Park during French Quarter Festival weekend; Satchmo SummerFest hosts New Orleans restaurants with Louis Armstrong-inspired dishes and great local cuisine. Louisiana restaurants are invited to participate in these festivals.

French Quarter Festival has been consistently voted “favorite festival”, “favorite food festival”, and “favorite event open to the public” by locals.


Economic Impact

According to an analysis of the French Quarter Festival Visitors Survey conducted by The University of New Orleans (UNO) Hospitality Research Center, in 2019 French Quarter Festival generated a total economic impact of $190 million; the festival also generated nearly $15 million in tax revenue for state and local governments.

FQF employs more than 1,700 local musicians during Festival weekend

FQF hosts over 60 local restaurants which make up the culinary lineup at the Festival.

FQF employs only local companies during the Festival (sanitation, stages, sound, security, etc.). All money spent to produce the festival stays within the local economy.

French Quarter Festivals, Inc -The Facts!