New Orleans is getting its indoor winter wonderland back. The 13th annual NOLA ChristmasFest returns to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from December 23, 2026, through January 2, 2027, with 11 days of festive, family-friendly fun under one roof. This year’s theme, “Rooted in Tradition,” celebrates the holiday experiences local families return for year after year, while adding fresh reasons to make new memories.
The festival transforms 300,000 square feet of the Convention Center into a sparkling holiday playground. Skaters can glide on The Big Freezy, the city’s only ice-skating rink with real ice, zoom down the Big Freezy Ice Slides, spin through the Big Blizzard Blast and ride the Kringle Carousel. Story times, decorated displays and photos with Santa and his North Pole friends keep every age smiling, whatever the weather outside.
Two all-new attractions join the fun this year. Twinkle Twirl spins guests inside their very own ornament, and Polar Putt adds a second arctic-themed mini golf course with three holes made of ice. A beloved extra also returns on Christmas Eve morning: Skating with Santa, a special early session on December 24 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. with hot cocoa, coffee and doughnuts, at $65 for adults and $45 for children.
General admission stays at $25 on weekdays and $30 on Saturdays and Sundays, unchanged for the fifth year in a row. Most sessions last four and a half hours, the event is cashless, and guests under 18 must be with a parent or guardian. Tickets for each date and session are on sale now through the festival’s official site, so pick a day, lace up and let the yuletide roll.
Photo: NOLA ChristmasFest / New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
