New Stories from FQJ: August 18, 2026

Light in August

You’ll have a new appreciation for August in New Orleans if you come to the French Quarter before the end of the month!

35 French Quarter restaurants - like the Pelican Club (above) – are offering incredible specials. And dozens of museums across the city – including these 10 in the French Quarter – are offering free admission if you have a membership to any of them!

The Quarter is blissfully uncrowded and you can reserve a parking spot using our favorite new app, SpotHero. It’s easy to beat the heat when you just have to walk a few blocks between lovely air-conditioned restaurants and museums!

And you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s the link to our new Weekly Happenings page, with regularly scheduled concerts, tours and cooking demos categorized by day of the week!

For upcoming Special Events in the Quarter, scroll down or just go straight to our FQ Curated Special Events page for the full shebang!

Photo above: Dirty Linen Night in Exchange Alley. Which reminds us, you don’t want to miss the extraordinary James Michalopoulos exhibit at the Cabildo! Details here.

Frank Perez was an integral part of French Quarter Journal from its beginning in 2019. We join his loved ones, the community and the city in mourning his recent passing.

Frank Perez: Part of the Quarter’s Continuum

1968 – 2026

Frank’s stories were always a heavy pour – his writing could intoxicate listeners and readers, bringing on a kind of double vision where suddenly, the past existed alongside the present.

– by Ellis Anderson

Top: Frank at Dauphine Street Bookstore. Above: Frank at the Cabildo, photos by Ellis Anderson, 2025

BK House 200th Birthday Bash Block Party

The beloved historic house museum and gardens welcomed the neighborhood to an evening birthday bash, offering dozens of cakes, a cake walk, and dancing in the streets.

– photos by Ellis Anderson

Quarter Kaleidoscope: Amzie Adams – From Marine to Musician

A young Marine on leave visits New Orleans and winds up at the Wrong Place Bar – only to find the city is exactly the right place.

– by Amzie Adams

Amzie at a Love In in Jackson Square, 1968, photo by Michael P. Smith, HNOC

Dirty Linen Night Artwalk 2026

The French Quarter’s most popular art event of the year takes place in August. The heat didn’t faze regional art lovers, who turned up in droves.

– photos by Shawn Fink and Ellis Anderson

From Our Archives:

A Few Reader Favorites by Frank Perez

Access all nine entries of Frank’s COVID Quarter Diary series here.

Meet Our New Quarter Kaleidoscope Supporter!

Rosemary James

Volunteer Managing Director of The Pirates Alley Faulkner Society

FQJ is extremely pleased to welcome Rosemary to our circle of supporters. As a longtime advocate for writers and the literary scene in New Orleans, she co-founded the Faulkner Society with her husband Joe DeSalvo in 1992. The society hosts annual events and a nationally recognized literary festival in September, Faulkner For All.

The 2026 Faulkner For All will be held September 25 – 27 in the French Quarter, featuring National Book Award winner Sarah Broome and award-winning writers Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Nicholas Lemann and Gerald Howard – and many more.

We’ll be featuring the schedule for the upcoming festival in our next newsletter, so stay tuned!

Many thanks, Rosemary, for lifting up writers, enriching lives and preserving the stories of New Orleans!

If you or your business would like to support our Quarter Kaleidoscope Project or become FQJ Community Partners, contact us!

Thank you to these new and renewing members of our Readership Circle!

Readers’ Circle members help us develop important community resources like our new Weekly Happenings page and our new narrated versions of stories - and keep FQJ firewall-free!

We’re grateful for these new members!

McClure Enterprises

Connie Gale Singley

Miriam Fontaine

Lori Underwood

Cindy Van Duyne

Wendy Lodrig

Gregory Davis

And a special shout-out to Linda Keenan, the owner of the much-missed shop California Drawstrings on Royal: She’s been an FQJ supporter from get-go!

Our team is thankful and excited about the growth we have planned for the rest of 2026 and beyond! Thank you for helping make it all possible!

If you’re not a member, become part of our team right now by using the button below!

FQJ’s Don’t Miss Events

You'll find full details and links to tickets on our FQ Events page – along with many more happenings.

Louisiana Vintage Festival

Saturday and Sunday, August 22 & 23
Early bird: 10:30am–12pm
General: 12pm–4pm

House of Blues, 225 Decatur Street

Over 50 vendors take over the House of Blues for this annual extravaganza!

Find more information here on our curated FQ Special Events page!

Patio Planters 5 O’clock Somewhere Party

Sunday, August 23: 5pm – 8pm

The Misi, 600 Decatur Street, Suite 305

Beat the August doldrums with great people in a great spot: Join Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré for 5 O’Clock Somewhere, an annual cocktail celebration with an open bar and food.
All welcome; you don’t have to be a Patio Planters member to come!
The Misi‍, located in the Jax building, specializes in top-tier service, excellent food, and excellent spaces for any event.
Buy Tickets

Find more information here on our curated FQ Special Events page!

Museum Month

August 1 – 31

At participating museums (11 in the French Quarter)

During the month of August, an active annual membership at any participating Museum Month museum gets you and a guest FREE admission to all participating museums!

Photo of Historic New Orleans Collection: Ellis Anderson

Find more information here on our curated FQ Special Events page!

COOLinary New Orleans

August 1 – 31

At 35 participating restaurants in the French Quarter!

COOLinary New Orleans has existed for the last 20 years to showcase some of New Orleans’ premier restaurants and chefs during the dog days of August. Diners can enjoy special menus and often-very-affordable prix fixe pricing at dozens of restaurants.

Photo: Cindy Brennan at Mr. B's Bistro (participating in Culinary New Orleans). Read our story about her here!

Find more information here on our curated FQ Special Events page!

Quarter Kaleidoscope

Wednesday, August 26, 6pm

Historic BK House, 1113 Chartres Street

The Historic BK House & Gardens, in collaboration with VCPORA and French Quarter Journal, hosts another unforgettable evening of Quarter Kaleidoscope, a live storytelling event that celebrates the vibrant spirit of the French Quarter community. Read stories from our project here!

Find more information here on our curated FQ Special Events page!