Forecast rain has pushed the National Fried Chicken Festival to next weekend and canceled City Park’s Fall Garden Festival, changing New Orleans’ weekend calendar. The Oct. 2, 2026, guide lists parades, performances, sports and cultural events, several of them free.
Rain, Access and the Parade
The Krewe of Krampus’ Swampus Halloween parade is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the French Quarter. Organizers say it celebrates the “uniquely Southern spirit of Halloween in the Deep South.” The parade emphasizes sustainable throws and handmade costumes, and includes a dedicated viewing area for people with disabilities.
The National Fried Chicken Festival won’t happen this weekend. Organizers moved it to next weekend. City Park canceled the Fall Garden Festival. The guide offers no reason for the cancellation and gives no details about either festival’s finances or workers.
Abita Fall Fest on the North Shore is scheduled for Friday only. Organizers say they’re unsure about the event’s future. The listing doesn’t explain why.
The Skeleton House has returned to St. Charles Avenue for the season. At Big Couch, “Spicy Bits” features performers tackling increasingly difficult improv comedy games as they eat progressively hotter hot sauce.
Free and Cultural Events
The free Salon de Jeanne d’Arc conference is scheduled for Saturday at the East Bank Regional Library. Its subjects include Joan of Arc, medieval history, puppetry, food and military history. A historical fencing demonstration is also on the program.
A free Filipino cultural celebration at the New Orleans Jazz Museum is part of National Hispanic Heritage Month. It features film, dance and live music. The guide identifies these two events as free, but doesn’t list ticket prices for most of the others.
NOLAxNOLA events appear at various venues, with no further details in the weekend guide. The calendar also lists Tank & the Bangas with Dawn Richard and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum; comedian Terry Fator at the Mahalia Jackson Theater; and Jose Madero at House of Blues.
Music, Theater and Sports
The George Porter Jr. Trio plays Double Dealer, where admission is free. Icelandic indie-folk band Of Monsters and Men performs at the Civic. “My Fair Lady” is scheduled at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, while Rivertown lists “Trolls Jr.”
The Saints host the Falcons at the Dome for Monday Night Football. LSU plays McNeese at home. Tulane is off, and Southern plays the University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff for homecoming.
The guide names venues, performers, schedules and selected access details. It doesn’t report wages, employment figures, event revenue or union involvement. The listed changes are specific: one festival has been postponed, another canceled, and Abita Fall Fest organizers say its future remains uncertain.