New Orleans is world famous for its Mardi Gras, and its annual Jazz Festival draws tens of thousands of people. However, there are many other options for groups that might want to savor the exotic New Orleans but not deal with the large crowds.
“This is a huge festival town,” said Marc Becker, area director of sales and marketing for the New Orleans Hotel Collection. “There are festivals nearly every weekend.”
Two unusual festivals that Becker recommended would give a different perspective to the city. The Running of the Bulls is held the same July weekend as the famous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain but with a twist: The bulls are some 600 roller derby women from around the country dressed in bull costumes.
“The runners wear white clothes and red scarves like in Spain,” said Becker. “The derby girls roll around the streets with Nerf bats they use like horns. There were 8,000 runners last year; it was quite a riot.”
Several events are held in conjunction with the run, including a Bull Bash on Saturday and a Sunday Poor Me hangover party for the runners. The events raise funds to fight animal cruelty.
Another “colorful” run in early August raises money for local charities. Instead of wearing white, the runners, members of the Hash House Harriers, are decked out in red dresses.
“The entire day the city is filled with people in red dresses,” said Becker. “The photo ops are abundant. It’s a little bit weird.”
