Southern Decadence in New Orleans

Founded in the summer of 1972 by a few friends as a modest celebration, the Southern Decadence festival has since grown into one of New Orleans’s largest annual tourist events.

The multiday extravaganza features street parties, drag contests, dancing, drinking, and bead tosses, culminating with a boisterous parade through the French Quarter. With over 200,000 participants—predominantly LGBT+—these unbridled, pre–Labor Day festivities now generate millions of dollars in revenue.

Howard Philips...