Although most people cannot attend the actual Super Bowl game in New Orleans this Sunday, many other activities are available for the public to join in the festivities.
Along with many Mardi Gras festivities that will occur during the Carnival season in New Orleans, tourists and locals will fill up the downtown area as the city prepares to host Super Bowl XVII.
Since the average price of a Super Bowl ticket is almost equivalent to a MacBook Pro plus insurance, there will be several other free or reasonably priced events for people to enjoy.
The Verizon Super Bowl Boulevard, located at Woldenberg Park near the Audubon Nature Institute, will be open to the public beginning today until Feb. 3. The festivities surrounding this event will include several live concerts with performances by Stooges Brass Band, Bonerama, Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, and more. Also, the event will feature the “larger than-life” Super Bowl Roman numerals for fans to take pictures of. The doors open each day from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The NFL Experience is an event hosted by the National Football League that is targeted toward the youth to give them an inside look at what goes on within the world of a professional football player. Throughout the NFL Experience, youth football clinics are held, as well as interactive games, displays, and appearances by some NFL football players. The NFL Experience will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Convention Center Boulevard in New Orleans beginning on Jan. 30 until Feb. 3 at 10 a.m.
The 14th annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration will be held at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena on Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. This gospel celebration will feature a variety of Grammy Award-winning gospel and mainstream artists including Kirk Franklin, Marvin Winans, Fantasia, and Donnie McClurkin. Also, the NFL Players Choir is set to perform under the direction of the Grammy Award-winning producer Myron Butler. The concert’s main purpose is to serve as a fundraiser for local and national charities. Over the past eleven years, the concert has raised approximately $400,000 in funds. Ticket prices range from $40 to $90 and are available through Ticketmaster.
If all else fails, New Orleans always has a plan B, the French Quarter. The New Orleans nightlife has always been one of the main attractions when people visit the city. Between the Super Bowl excitement and the traditional Mardi Gras festivities, the French Quarter will be filled with people looking for a place to party. For those interested in music, Frenchman Street, on the outskirts of the French Quarter, is filled with music club venues that satisfy nearly every genre of music.  Bourbon Street is filled with clubs and bars for people to enjoy. Also, it is a great place to go on Super Bowl Sunday when looking for the right spot to watch the game.