Oak Street Closes to Traffic Today for Po-Boy Fest
New Orleans, LA · November 8, 2026
The aroma of fried seafood and warm French bread will take over Carrollton long before lunchtime today.
The Lead
The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival returns for its 18th edition today, closing the corridor between the 8100 and 8700 blocks to vehicle traffic through this evening. Organizers expect tens of thousands of visitors to descend on the eight-block stretch, where more than 40 food vendors will dishing out upwards of 100 variations on the city's signature sandwich. Beyond the classic fried shrimp and roast beef, festivalgoers will encounter creative takes ranging from smothered rabbit to lobster rolls.
While the block party remains free to enter, anyone planning to purchase food must secure an official wristband, with proceeds benefiting the local youth mentorship nonprofit Son of a Saint. To bypass parking snarls around South Carrollton, Bike Easy is operating a free secure bicycle valet at the Hancock Whitney lot at 1324 S. Carrollton Avenue through 6:00 PM.
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Today's Outlook
- High 69°F · Low 50°F — Overcast
- Grab a light outer layer before heading out into the cool, gray Sunday afternoon.
What's On Around Town
Today
Oak Street Po-Boy Festival Oak Street (8100–8700 blocks), 10:00 AM–6:00 PM · Free Forty food vendors, live local music, and dozens of sandwich variations.
Sing Fest 2026 Deutsches Haus (1700 Moss St), 1:00 PM · Paid Four-part harmony showcase along the banks of Bayou St. John.
Big Easy Band Fest Finale Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall (6363 St. Charles Ave), 3:00 PM · Free Regional high school musicians take the university stage for an honor concert.
Charlie Halloran & The Tropicales Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro (626 Frenchmen St), 7:00 PM · $35.65 Vintage Caribbean brass rhythms and Latin dance grooves in an intimate room.
Tomorrow
Evening Playtime Mid-City Library (4140 Canal St), 5:00 PM · Free
Preservation Brass Preservation Hall (726 St. Peter St), 5:00 PM · Paid
Charmaine Neville Band Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro (626 Frenchmen St), 7:00 PM · $35.65
Tuesday
TechConnect Drop-in Lab East New Orleans Regional Library (5641 Read Blvd), 10:00 AM–Noon · Free
Preservation All-Stars ft. Mark Braud Preservation Hall (726 St. Peter St), 5:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- 504
- In 1947, telecom engineers assigned a single three-digit area code to cover the entire state of Louisiana. Even as suburban splits carved out 225, 318, and 985, these three numerals became the city’s shorthand emblem tattooed across brass drums, t-shirts, and everyday slang.
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