Your Complete Guide To Gretna Fest
Fall is not only my favorite time of year, but it also means that it’s time for one of the best festivals – Gretna Fest! Gretna Fest is back for their 30th anniversary on October 4th, 5th, and 6th and we cannot wait.
What started as a small festival on the Mississippi River in 1994 has taken on a life of its own over time. I remember being young and going to Gretna Fest, when it only covered a small portion of Huey P Long Blvd, and let me tell you it has changed! I’ve gotten to see absolute legends like Joe Cocker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Melissa Ethridge, and Brett Michaels. Hello, did anyone else see Kool & The Gang last year? Or Blues Traveler? They were AMAZING! I also thoroughly enjoy getting to see all the talented performers that come straight from Louisiana too! The music is pretty great, but the food, drinks, and family atmosphere is what keeps us coming back every year.
Gretna Fest is super organized and better than ever! They have worked out the kinks of the cashless system and also expanded on the wi-fi this year. You can purchase tickets in advance at www.gretnafest.com but will have to pick them up from will call as all entry is RFID-Wristband. There will be no cash or credit cards accepted at this event. You will need to load money on to your wristband. There are day ($40 pp) and weekend ($90 pp) 
wristbands available, along with a separate wristband for kids ($5 for the weekend) who want to play in Kiddie Corner (entry is now only free for ages 4 and younger, this has gone down from 12) Make sure that you download the Gretna Live App as that will have the map, music schedule, and all the information you need. Let’s talk more about what is in store this year!
If you want to get familiar with the layout first, you can find the map here.
The Music
Reveling on the river in 2024 will include 4 stages this year – Main, Riverfront, Market, & The Club Backstage. There will be over 40 local and national acts over the three day festival. This years lineup looks great, there is truly something for everyone! Check it out:
Friday, October 4th
Main Stage
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Neal Francis
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Galactic Featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm | The Revivalists
Market Stage
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm | The YAT Pack featuring Louis Prima
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm | The New Orleans Mystics & The Ladies of Soul
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm | Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes
Riverfront Stage
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | Morris Day & The Time
Club Backstage
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm | Gary Brown
5:45 pm – 6:45 pm | Danny Alexander
7:00 pm – 8:15 pm | Little Freddie King
Saturday, October 5th
Main Stage
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm | The Wilder Blue
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Travis Denning
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Chase Rice
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm | Dierks Bentley
Market Stage
11:00 am – 12:15 pm | Alex McMurray
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm | M.J. & The Redeemers
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm | LVVRS
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm | Sunpie Barnes & The Louisiana Sunspots
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Lost Bayou Ramblers
8:15 pm – 9:45 pm | Sonny Landreth
Riverfront Stage
11:30 am – 1:00 pm | Flow Tribe
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm | Cowboy Mouth
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Eggy
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Natasha Bedingfield
Club Backstage
11:15 am – 12:15 pm | Justin McCoy & Destin Thibodeaux
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm | Renee Gros & Tiago Guy
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm | Rachel Fleetwood & Perfect Love
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm | Southern Fire
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm | Da Rockits
Sunday, October 6th
Main Stage
12:45 pm – 2:15 pm | Foghat
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Blue Öyster Cult
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Steve Miller Band
11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Claude Bryant All Stars
Market Stage
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm | LeTrainiump
1:45 pm – 3:15 pm | The Iguanas
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Junior Marvin & The Legendary Wailers
Riverfront Stage
11:45 am – 1:15 pm | Amanda Shaw with Choppa
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | The Record Company
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Futurebirds
Club Backstage
11:15 am – 12:30 pm | Johnny J & The Hitmen
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm | Few Blue
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm | The Klinks
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm | Nashville South
The Food & Drinks
If you don’t leave Gretna Fest fat & happy then you are doing it wrong. With the amount of delicious food you will find along the river, good luck trying to decide what you are going to
eat! They have added multiple new villages recently, make sure to check them all out as they each have different offerings.
Craft Beer Section – Join Port Orleans to taste all of the local brews they will be offering.
Margarita Village – You will find various tequilas, margaritas, mojitos, and sangrias down this delicious stretch of street. You can also find food like street tacos, nachos, and quesadillas from El Gato Negro.
Asian Village – You can find all of the best authentic Asian food & drinks here. A small sampling includes: KFC Bao, Pew Pew Pew Shrimp Bao, Pulled Pork Banh Mi, Pew Pew Shrimp Banh Mi, Grilled Pork Skewer and Pandan Rice Krispies. There will also be Indian dishes as well as new items like sushi tacos.
Italian Village – This classic area features all of the delicious Italian food that your heart desires. Here you can find things like Italian Sausage Sandwiches, Italian Wine, Moretti Beer, Italian Cookies, Italian Sausage on A Stick, Muffalettas, Meatballs, and Eggplant. You can also find Italian souvenirs in this village.
German Beer Garden – Join the kick off to Oktoberfest at 5pm on October 4th for the 
annual keg tapping by Friends of the German-American Cultural Center. Be on the lookout for free German Beer on tap, German Wine, Grilled Bratwurst, and homemade Sauerkrat.
Gretna Fest Food Court – Thought you were hungry before? There will be an all star line-up of vendors here sponsored by Zatarain’s sure to make any foodie’s mouth water. Take a seat under the tent & enjoy! Some of my favorites from the fest are the soft shell crab po-boy, charbroiled oysters, crawfish monica, street corn, and beignet fries. Delicious!
Is your local favorite going to be at the fest? Check out this list:
- Rugaroux Charities
- Serving From the Heart
- Any O’Cajun
- Bae’s Bakery
- Beryl Ragas Chicken
- Soule Cafe
- Big Deal Burger
- Chris’s Specialty Foods
- Coop’s Burgers
- Croatian American Society
- Dat Dog
- Dollish treats
- Eli’s Taco Truck
- Eli’s Tamales
- Etalian Happy Ice
- Island Paradise Restaurant & Grill
- Joel’s Lobster Rolls
- Just Eat Me Sweets
- Legacy Kitchen
- Let Us Cater For You
- Luca Eats
- Ms. Dee’s Catering Cuisine
- Nola Boils Catering
- Nola Crawfish King
- Spun Fun Cotton Candy
- Supersonic Wings
- Thanh Thanh
- Uglee Pizza
- Mama Chan
- Thai D’jing
- Bao Mi
- Nori Guys
- Everything Spice
- AOK – Asian Outdoor Kitchen
- Crabby Patty’s
- Shenell’s Seafood
- Mel’s Ice Cream
- DBest Gumbo
- Clambaughs
- Deshontae’s Sweet Home
- Eda’s Restaurant
- Leonard Mc Quarter
- T Nate’s
- Voleo’s Seafood Restaurant
- Amore Bakery & Cafe
The Family Feel
If you have gone to Gretna Fest in the past you may remember there being carnival rides. That has changed with the introduction of “Kid’s Corner”! This area
features a rock wall, inflatables, games, bungee run, art booths, face painting, train rides, and more. I have to be honest, the children’s activities are always great but my kids love the energy so much we always enjoy the entire festival with them. You can also walk over to Memorial Square where there will be live performances and you can relax on the lawn. Perfect for mid day naps!
The Crafts and Shopping
- 3DM Custom Designs
- 504 Funk
- Ace of Shade Plus
- Adorable Wooden Art
- Advanced Carpet & Rug Care
- Abear Creations
- Anton Art
- Apron Agencies
- Art by Christy
- Big Daddy Cigars
- Breaux’s Jewelers
- Daniel Borden
- Dixon Art
- Eagle Vision Crystals
- Fleur De Bees
- Glitz Galore
- Gwendolyn Cook Wigs
- Heavenly Scent Candles
- Judy Prestenbach
- Leaf Filter
- Leaf Home Water Solutions
- Lilly & Sage Boutique
- Marie’s Blazing Aromas
- Mek Wood Shop
- Neon Aura Hair by Kristy Cheramie
- Nola Fabioia
- NOLA Silver Jewelry
- Ochsner
- Of Clay & Beauty
- Our Community Health
- Pelican Publishing
- Saints for Sinners
- Science of Jiujitsu
- Speaking Against Abuse
- Sugar & Spice
- Tee Shades and Accessories
- Toys for Tots
This is just scratching the surface of Gretna Fest, if you have never experienced it for yourself – come out and have a great time.
Happy Festin’ Y’all!
Do you have carnival rides this year