By Karen Brem, Marketing Director, Historic Mardi Gras Inn
COMING SOON!!!
Hello food lovers, party people, and tomato queens of all flavors!
It’s your girl Karen Brem here—Marketing Director for the Historic Mardi Gras Inn, and full-time connoisseur of NOLA fabulousness—ready to serve you up a juicy slice of summer you don’t wanna miss: The 39th Annual French Market Creole Tomato Festival, coming in hot June 7 & 8, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day.
Now listen, sugar, this ain’t your average fruit and veggie fest. This is peak tomato worship in the heart of the French Quarter, where we give thanks to the almighty Creole Tomato—thick-skinned, sun-kissed, and sassier than your ex during Pride. 🍅
Held at the Historic French Market (1235 N. Peters Street), just steps from Jackson Square and right by the river, this beloved summer tradition is packed with food, music, family-friendly fun, and plenty of tomato-themed nonsense. Think Bloody Mary bars, tomato-eating contests, and chef battles over who can make the best tomato-stuffed… well, anything. Tomato pies, tomato popsicles, tomato cocktails—baby, we’re gonna be red in the face for more reasons than one!
TOMATOES & TUNES & TONS OF FLAVOR
Let’s talk food first—because honestly, I could write a steamy romance novel about these dishes. The Creole Tomato Festival is where chefs from across the city flex their tomato game like it’s the culinary Olympics. Shrimp and tomato skewers, fried green tomato po’boys, tomato basil gelato (yes, you read that right), and gumbo so good it’ll slap the taste outta your mouth. The French Market vendors and local restaurants are out here doing the most—and we thank them for it.
And while your taste buds are busy praising the tomato gods, your ears are gonna be living it up too. Live music sets all weekend long, from bounce to brass to zydeco and jazz. There’s something about dancing in the middle of a historic market with tomato juice dribbling down your chin that just screams “I’m thriving!”
WHERE TO STAY, YOU ASK? BABY, I GOT YOU.
Now here’s the tea—and it’s freshly steeped: when you’re heading into the Quarter for this fruity fiesta, you need a spot that’s close, cute, and queer-welcoming. That’s why you should plant yourself at the Historic Mardi Gras Inn, just one short block off the French Quarter with a streetcar stop two minutes from our front door. And did I mention we’ve had a total glow up recently? Honey, our inn is looking like she just got back from a spa retreat in Palm Springs. ✨
We’re now proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated, and we serve clean, affordable accommodations with a staff that’ll make you feel like royalty at brunch. That’s it. That’s the promise. No fluff, no glitter-coated falsehoods—just genuine warmth and hospitality with a splash of sass.
MAKE IT A WHOLE WEEKEND OF WICKED FUN
Sure, you’re coming for the tomatoes… but why not stick around and taste everything else the Quarter has to offer? And by “everything,” I mean ALL the wild, wicked, and oh-so-naughty nightlife that only New Orleans can dish out.
Once the sun sets on those Creole cuties, the real spice gets sprinkled all over Bourbon, Dauphine, and beyond. Drag shows that defy gravity. Craft cocktails that’ll make you flirt with strangers. Bars where the tomato juice might just be replaced with vodka on demand. Whether you’re butch, femme, enby, or none of the above—we don’t judge, we pour. 🥂
So what are you waiting for, boo? Book a long weekend with us at the Historic Mardi Gras Inn. Come for the tomatoes, stay for the scandal. And don’t forget your sunscreen and your stretchy pants—you’re gonna need both.
See y’all June 7 & 8. Bring your appetite. Bring your attitude. And for the love of all things juicy, bring a bib.
With red-stained kisses,
Karen Brem
Marketing Director,
Historic Mardi Gras Inn
(Looking fierce just one block from the French Quarter)
FOR INFORMATION ON ACCOMMODATIONS CALL US DIRECTLY AT 504.949.5815 OR 1.800.209.9408. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT US ONLINE AT historicmardigrasinn.com.