This guide was researched in spring 2026. Timing below describes when events usually happen, not confirmed dates. For this year's dates, prices and vendor details, see the listed upcoming events or check the organizer's website before you go or apply. How we verify events

Craft Shows & Fairs in New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans supports one of the densest craft and artisan market scenes in the South. The Frenchmen Art Bazaar on Frenchmen Street in the Marigny is open every night from 7 PM to midnight. Arts Market New Orleans, produced by Arts New Orleans, runs as a juried marketplace in City Park on the last Saturday of each month, with a rotating roster of more than 300 regional artists. From Jackson Square's year-round outdoor vendors to the craft marketplaces at Jazz Fest, craft shows in New Orleans operate on a schedule unlike any other city in the country — multiple markets weekly, some daily, in a city where handmade tradition is centuries old.

New Orleans Craft Show Scene

The Frenchmen Art Bazaar and adjacent Frenchmen Art Market anchor the nightly art market culture on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny. The Bazaar is open 7 PM to midnight, seven days a week, with local illustrators, painters, jewelers, sculptors, and makers selling handmade goods alongside live art; the Frenchmen Art Market is at 619 Frenchmen Street. This is not a weekend pop-up — it is a permanent fixture of the Marigny neighborhood.

Arts Market New Orleans calls itself the city's largest juried fine arts and crafts market. Produced by Arts New Orleans, this open-air market runs on the last Saturday of each month in City Park with a rotating roster of more than 300 juried regional artists showing paintings, photography, ceramics, glasswork, jewelry, and handmade items. The juried format ensures quality; this is a curated market for serious artists and buyers.

Arts Market New Orleans also holds expanded holiday markets at LUNA Fête and Marsalis Harmony Park. Jackson Square hosts year-round outdoor artist vendors along its iconic fence — portrait artists, painters, and craft vendors in the heart of the French Quarter. The French Market on Decatur Street adds a broad vendor mix.

A Rotary Club craft show in the Riverbend area has featured crafts, fine art, and homegrown products; check local listings for current dates.

Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras, and Louisiana Craft Traditions

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, held late April through early May, includes three craft areas: the Louisiana Marketplace, featuring handmade crafts representing New Orleans and Louisiana culture; Contemporary Crafts, with a different array of craftspeople each weekend; and the Congo Square African Marketplace.

Mardi Gras generates its own craft economy that runs year-round. Mask-makers working in papier-mache, feather, and wire produce handmade pieces for krewe members and collectors. Mardi Gras Indian beadwork and featherwork involves months of preparation for a single parade appearance — intricate, labor-intensive work rooted in African American and Native American traditions. Costume artists and float builders add to a craft economy that peaks in January and February but supports artisans through the full year.

Creole ironwork is another tradition specific to New Orleans. Decorative wrought iron balcony railings, gates, and hardware trace back centuries to free Black craftsmen. This is living craft — ironworkers in New Orleans still produce custom work in the tradition. Magazine Street in Uptown and Royal Street in the French Quarter are the primary corridors for fine craft galleries, independent studios, and ironwork shops.

Best Times to Visit New Orleans for Craft Events

The best months for outdoor craft events in New Orleans run from October through May. Fall (October-December) and spring (March-May) are the peak seasons, with comfortable weather and the heaviest concentration of markets.

The holiday season is especially strong. Arts Market New Orleans adds expanded holiday markets. Christmas craft markets appear at various venues across the city. December tourist traffic adds to the buyer base.

Jazz Fest in late April through early May is a major craft market opportunity with its Louisiana Marketplace and Contemporary Crafts areas. Mardi Gras season (January-February) is not a traditional craft fair period, but the mask and costume economy peaks.

Summer (June-September) is the quietest period for outdoor events due to heat and humidity. Indoor venues continue — the Frenchmen Art Bazaar operates nightly year-round — but many outdoor markets go on hiatus or reduce schedules.

Nearby Cities for Craft Shows

Covington — ~40 miles north via I-12; Covington Three Rivers Art Festival (150+ artists, November); Columbia Street arts district
Baton Rouge — ~80 miles northwest via I-10; Baton Rouge Arts Market (monthly); MidCity Makers Market
Lafayette — ~135 miles west via I-10; Louisiana Crafts Guild gallery; Cajun craft traditions
Houma — ~57 miles southwest; Craftin' Cajuns Craft Show (check the organizer for dates)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the best craft shows in New Orleans?

The Frenchmen Art Bazaar on Frenchmen Street is open nightly — it is the most consistent venue in the city. Arts Market New Orleans is a juried marketplace with more than 300 regional artists, held on the last Saturday of each month. Jazz Fest (late April-early May) includes the Louisiana Marketplace and Contemporary Crafts areas. Jackson Square hosts year-round outdoor vendors in the French Quarter.

When do craft shows happen in New Orleans?

New Orleans has craft markets operating daily. The Frenchmen Art Bazaar runs nightly year-round. Arts Market New Orleans runs monthly in City Park, with expanded holiday markets. The best outdoor conditions run October through May. Jazz Fest craft markets are in late April-early May.

Are craft shows in New Orleans free?

Many are. The Frenchmen Art Bazaar is open nightly, and Jackson Square vendors are open to the public; check Arts Market New Orleans for current admission. Jazz Fest requires festival admission, which includes access to its craft areas.

What makes New Orleans craft markets different from other cities?

New Orleans has craft traditions found nowhere else — Mardi Gras mask-making, Indian beadwork, Creole ironwork, and a nightly art market culture on Frenchmen Street that operates seven days a week. The city's tourist economy supports year-round vendor activity at a density most cities cannot sustain.

Find Events in New Orleans

CraftShow Events covers craft shows, artisan markets, and handmade fairs in New Orleans and across Louisiana. Search by date and event type to find the Frenchmen Art Bazaar, Arts Market New Orleans, holiday markets, and everything in between.