Let the Good Times Roll at Southern Decadence

After three long years, Southern Decadence is making its triumphant return to New Orleans this Labor Day Weekend! From September 1-5, it’s time once again for the queer community to congregate in The Big Easy for a weekend of celebration, pool parties, music, dancing, and of course food.

Southern Decadence originally began in 1972 as a going away party amongst a small group of friends that called themselves ‘Decadents’.  They had so much fun that they planned another event the following Labor Day weekend and here we are 50 years later doing the same thing, on a much, much bigger scale of course.

Though primarily taking place in the French Quarter, the entire city gets in on the action with LGBT bars, restaurants, and other venues from the Lower Garden District to the Bywater having their own special take on Decadence Weekend. The Phoenix bar in the Marigny is a good example. This will become an extremely popular spot throughout the weekend with an assortment of beer blasts and street festivals taking place.

Of course, the main attractions will be on Bourbon Street. Gay bars like Oz,  The Bourbon Pub, and Café Lafitte In Exile will be hosting a variety of gatherings throughout the weekend for eager partygoers. And then, lest we forget, there will be the parade through the French Quarter on Sunday. It’s the perfect opportunity to show ‘em what you got and collect all the beads at this queer equivalent to the Mardi Gras parade.

In addition to all this NewOrleans.com has assembled a list of key events taking place throughout the weekend:

• Bearracuda | September 2 at the Joy Theater
• Horse Meat Disco | September 3 at the Ace Hotel
• Drag Brunch River Cruise | September 3 on the Creole Queen
• Hit IT | All Weekend, locations TBA 
• Bette Bathhouse and Beyond | September 4 at 2372 St. Claude Ave.
• Pansy Division + Dog Park Dissidents | September 2 at Phoenix Bar
• SoDec Rooftop Kickoff by GrrlSpot x Monkey Board | September 2 at Monkey Board
• SoDec 2022 by GrrlSpot | September 3 at The Howlin’ Wolf
• Decadence Drag Brunch | September 3 at Brennan’s
• Britney Spears Burlesque Brunch | September 4 at Commons Club
• LGBTEA | September 3 at Le Salon at The Windsor Court Hotel
• High Tea, No Shade – A Drag Tea | September 4, Davenport Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel

There is one major event that will not be returning this year, unfortunately. The annual free concert held outside of Napoleon’s Itch at the corner of Bourbon and St Ann’s has been canceled by organizer Chuck Robinson, citing concerns over Monkeypox.

“As large as the crowds I draw with a live concert on Bourbon Street, with everybody being in close proximity, I did not feel like I wanted to be responsible for creating and contributing to a mass-spreader.”

Everything else appears to be a go, however, with lots of queer travelers anxious to return to The Crescent City. So as the locals say “laissez les bon temps rouler”.