Gretna Fest 2025
Gretna Fest reinforced its Westbank presence as a major cultural and music festival in Greater New Orleans.
Once again attracting thousands of festival goers in search of outdoor live music, freshly made food, and lots of fall fun, the Jefferson Parish party had many stages performing, often with crossover options, and others cleverly timed to allow fans to jump from stage to stage so not to miss major headliners.
Although the festivals overall footprint was tighter than previous years, the quality in offerings was every bit as high. The RTA operated the Gretna ferry from the New Orleans terminal, allowing many city residents to attend without increasing traffic in the otherwise largely residential Old Gretna center.
Despite threatening weather and between sporadic drops Sunday, excited festival goers embraced the weather and filled the viewing areas for the multiple acts. Knockout performances by regional and global artists included (Friday) Better Than Ezra, Collective Soul; (Saturday) Natasha Bedingfield, Sam Hunt, Amanda Shaw, Brothers Osborne; (Sunday) Uncle Lucious, and Trombone Shorty.
Many locals were equally excited—some might say more excited—to see their alma mater marching bands and Roots of Music musicians impress with talent beyond their years by the Jefferson Memorial arch near Gretna City Hall.
Food areas were teeming with hungry people indulging in the vendor's reasonable prices for abundant servings. Vendors were conveniently divided by ethnic cuisine options, including Asian and Italian, as well as a a larger centralized area along the riverfront centered around a large tented sitting area with tables.
Although it was a rainy start, that didn't stop the crowds from going over to Gretna Festival this past weekend to have a good time.
Festival goers came prepared on Sunday with their ponchos and rain boots ready to enjoy the last day of the festival with family and friends. Chase Tyler Band took the Riverfront Stage to start the day off with some southern country rock while Trombone Shorty closed out the day on the Main Stage with his hip-hop and funk energy.
Everyone gathered around watching the Saints game, dancing to live music, and enjoying delicious cuisine from all over. The weather couldn't stop the New Orleans energy we all know and love from coming together to have a fun time with our community!
While some may have been deterred by the predictions of rain, those in attendance were able to enjoy international headliners with great food, manageable crowds, and even a relaxing boat ride back.
