New Orleans Guides
Written from our counter on Canal Street: the city, its seasons, and what is in the cup.
The City
Things to Do in Mid-City New Orleans
A local guide to Mid-City New Orleans — City Park, NOMA, Bayou St. John, Chickie Wah Wah, and more. Start your day at Witches Brew Coffee Co. on Canal St.
10 Things to Do in New Orleans That Aren't on Bourbon Street
A local's honest guide to New Orleans beyond Bourbon Street: Mid-City, Frenchmen, Algiers Point, Tremé, and the streetcars, written from a working Mid-City coffee shop.
The Unmarked City | New Orleans Hidden Gems
Twelve places the tourist map doesn't show you. No ghost tours, no shopping, no Bourbon Street. New Orleans as it actually is — strange, layered, and very old.
What to Do in New Orleans When It Rains | A Local's Guide
It will rain, probably this afternoon. A local's guide to New Orleans on a rainy day: museums, cafes, and covered places worth ducking into.
How to Speak New Orleans | Lagniappe, Neutral Ground & More
Lagniappe, krewe, neutral ground, who dat: a field lexicon of 20 New Orleans words and phrases, with pronunciations, from a Mid-City coffee shop.
New Orleans Streetcar Guide: Lines, Fares & Route Map
Ride the New Orleans streetcar: all five lines (St. Charles, Canal, Riverfront, Rampart-St. Claude), fares, a live route map, and what to see along the way - from Witches Brew on the Canal line.
Coffee Near City Park & Jazz Fest
Coffee on the way to City Park, NOMA, or Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds. Witches Brew is 15 minutes from the Fair Grounds gates, on the Canal streetcar line. Open 8 AM to 8 PM.
A Practitioner's Field Guide to New Orleans
For visiting witches, pagans, and practitioners of every path. The spiritual context of this city, where the real botanicas are, how to find genuine readers, and how to be a respectful visitor.
Seasons, Parades & Festivals
Mardi Gras in Mid-City | A Local's Guide to the Endymion Route
How to do Mardi Gras in Mid-City instead of Bourbon Street: the Endymion route, parade-watching practicals, and a sit-down Canal Street café open all Carnival, Mardi Gras Day included.
The Hidden History of New Orleans Parades
The flambeaux, the Mardi Gras Indians, the Baby Dolls, Comus, the Courir de Mardi Gras - the deep New Orleans parade history most guides skip, and the off-season krewes that kept the craft alive.
King Cake in New Orleans | History, the Baby & the Season
King cake explained: two thousand years of history, the plastic baby, when the season runs, and how New Orleans made the tradition its own.
Joan of Arc Parade New Orleans | Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc
The Joan of Arc parade - Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc - kicks off Carnival on Twelfth Night, January 6, with medieval pageantry through the French Quarter.
St. John's Eve in New Orleans | Marie Laveau & Bayou St. John
St. John's Eve, June 23, on the banks of Bayou St. John - Marie Laveau's midsummer Voodoo tradition, still alive in New Orleans. History, what happens, and how to observe it respectfully.
Running of the Bulls New Orleans | San Fermin in Nueva Orleans
San Fermin in Nueva Orleans: the Running of the Bulls, New Orleans style, with roller derby bulls and an 8 AM start at Gallier Hall each July.
White Linen Night New Orleans 2026 | Date & What to Wear
White Linen Night turns Julia Street into an all-white art stroll every August. When it is, what to wear, and Dirty Linen Night the week after.
Red Dress Run New Orleans 2026 | Date, Route & History
The Red Dress Run takes over New Orleans the second Saturday of August. What it is, where it goes, and how to survive a summer morning in red.
Halloween in New Orleans 2026 | A Local's Guide
How New Orleans actually does Halloween: Krewe of Boo, the Skeleton House, costume nights, and All Saints Day. A local's guide from a Mid-City coffee shop.
Krewe of Boo: New Orleans' Halloween Parade
New Orleans' official Halloween parade, the Krewe of Boo - what rolls, when, the route through the Quarter, and the locally-made throws that set it apart.
Krampus in New Orleans: The Krampusnacht Parade
Krampus, the Alpine Christmas devil, comes to New Orleans. The folklore of Krampusnacht (Dec 5) and the costumed December parade in the Marigny.
Coffee & Tea
Coffee in New Orleans | An Honest Local Coffee Shop Owner's Take
A working New Orleans coffee shop owner on what's actually worth your money. Specialty coffee, real espresso, in-house pastries, witchy aesthetic. 2940 Canal St, Mid-City, open daily 8 AM – 8 PM.
The History of Coffee in New Orleans, From Rose Nicaud Forward
Two hundred years of coffee in New Orleans — from Rose Nicaud's 1840s French Market cart to the fourth wave. A history-focused deep dive from a working Mid-City coffee shop.
When Do NOLA Coffee Shops Open? Plus Mardi Gras Day Hours
When New Orleans coffee shops actually open, and which stay open on Mardi Gras Day. Most independents open 7 to 8 AM. Witches Brew opens 8 AM every day, holidays included.
New Orleans Coffee Shops With WiFi to Work From
A working coffee shop owner's guide to the best New Orleans coffee shops for laptop work: what makes a good remote-work café, and where to go (or not).
Best Witchy Coffee Shops in New Orleans
New Orleans is made for witchy coffee shops. Here are the best dark, moody, and occult-themed cafés in the city — including our own spot on Canal St in Mid-City.
Best Witchy Coffee Shops in the US
Witchy coffee shops worth a detour across the United States, from Witches Brew in New Orleans to HEX Coffee, Hasta Muerte, and The Apothecary Cafe.
Loose Leaf Tea in New Orleans
New Orleans' best loose leaf tea program. Herbal blends, fireweed, black, green, and yaupon from Wild Coast Brew — served at Witches Brew on Canal St in Mid-City.
Yaupon Tea: America's Native Caffeine
Yaupon holly is the only caffeine plant native to North America - the forgotten ’black drink.’ What it is, why it never turns bitter, and where to drink it in New Orleans.
Real Matcha in New Orleans
A New Orleans coffee shop owner's honest guide to real matcha — what to look for, what most shops get wrong, and where Mizuba single-origin matcha fits in.
Drinking Chocolate vs Hot Cocoa
Drinking chocolate is melted single-origin chocolate. Hot cocoa is sweetened powder. Here's the difference, why it matters, and how to make real drinking chocolate at home.
Alt Milks in New Orleans: Watermelon Seed, Pistachio & Oat
The milks we pour at Witches Brew Coffee Co in Mid-City New Orleans: Milkish watermelon seed, Táche pistachio, Minor Figures oat, and Black Scottie chai. Sourced with intention.
How to Brew Coffee & Matcha
Learn how to make French Press, Pour Over, Cold Brew, AeroPress, and ceremonial matcha at home. Step-by-step brewing guides from Witches Brew Coffee Co. on Canal St in New Orleans.
Around the Shop
What to Order at Witches Brew Coffee Co. | First-Timer's Picks
First time at Witches Brew in New Orleans? Picks by what you already drink: lattes, iced coffee, real matcha, drinking chocolate, loose-leaf tea.
The Mothers of the Craft
Marie Laveau, Pamela Colman Smith, Doreen Valiente, Marie Anne Lenormand, Mary Oneida Toups, and the kitchen witch of Mid-City: the women who shaped the craft.
Cat Rescue Coffee Shop in New Orleans
Witches Brew Coffee Co. donates 0.25% of every coffee sale to Tomato Club Rescue — Louisiana's only orphan neonatal kitten rescue. Here's the math and the story.