Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

This is a unique way to spend a relatively cheap day in New Orleans. Depending on you budget, you can eat, drink, and gamble as much as you want. Some of the food vendors here are actually pretty good. Drinks are not cheap and the lines are not short. Betting on the horses can be a fun way to pass the time whether you are a serious gambler with an addiction or just a novice looking at the cool horse names.
Tips: Try to figure out the different ways of betting besides just picking a winner.

I’m not a gambler, so while I have been to the Fair Grounds race track dozens of times it has never been to try and make money. I love to watch the horses and to watch the people watching the horses. It is free to get into the stands, so you can go and have a reasonably good time without dropping so much as a dime.
In addition to being a great place to people watch, the Fair Grounds is the site of the Jazz & Heritage festival each spring, which in itself is a great people watching endeavor. But, really, the best people watching at the Fair Grounds occurs on Thanksgiving day. Locals of all generations don their finest apparel and head-​wear to participate in the tradition that goes back for decades. Since we live within walking distance, it is our family tradition to put the turkey in the oven and spend a few hours at the race track… just another reason I LOVE my city.

It’s one of those places where you at least said you tried. If you’re not a hard core horse racing fan it’s a can be a long day at the track. We went to see the ostrich and camel race. Let’s just say it’s also a one and done event. I though camels would run faster. Food was pricey for pretty average food. The $ 9 burger was bland. The beans and rice was okay for $ 6. At least parking is free…

Review of a wedding reception held on 7÷18÷2015:
When my brother proposed to his fiancé in 2014, she immediately began planning her wedding and reception. My sister in-​law stated that she wanted a venue that was different than the common reception halls around the city. The reception took place on the fourth floor with a beautiful view of the city of New Orleans. There was an elevator & escalator available for guests easy access to and from the reception area. The venue was spacious enough for 100 guests that entailed a full serviced bar, buffet-​style menu, 20 round tables that seated 5 – 7 to a table, a disc jockey, & a large wooden dance floor. There were television monitors and an outdoor big screen that repeated a slideshow of the bride and groom that guests enjoyed throughout the reception.
The food was excellent that included sweet assorted fruit, boiled shrimp, shrimp cocktail, crab claws, chicken pasta, carved roast beef, & chicken rolls. Alcohol & non-​alcohol beverages were available at the bar. There were no paper plates, cups, or utensils. The bride’s cake was a traditional white wedding cake & icing & the groom chose his favorite King Cake. The wedding party & guests danced to the DJ until the Brass Band arrived at 7:30 pm. New Orleans is synonymous with Brass Bands; especially at weddings, so it was only appropriate to conclude this four hour reception with a Second Line. The band played the most popular songs as we second lined through the reception area, down the escalator, then out to the parking lot.
A special thank you to Shannon, the event coordinator & staff, security, clean up staff, & the entire Fairgrounds crew for making this a memorable event for my brother, sister in-​law, & family. We had a great time with lasting memories.

Always a fun spot for horses food drinks music and fun. Good value too. Younger set comes here to drink and socialize not knowing there are horses running around!

I love going to the track, have had many winning days here, the last star was removed because of the food venues which I have tried all and for them to be in NOLA it is disturbing how bad the food is

I have been going to the track for most of my life living in the neighborhood. I loved the old wooden track and was saddened when it burned down. The new track has kind of grown on me but is nowhere near the culture of the old one. The facility is host to the Jazz and Heritage Festival in the spring that is always a world class event. As far as the races go since Churchill Downs took over the quality of the food has gone down including the famous corned beef poboy which is still a must have if your at the track. The best race days are Saturday and its still the cheapest way to entertain the family as on most days admission is free.

Fair Grounds is a great place to spend Thanksgiving if you don’t have any family or friends. If you’re going spend the extra $ 10 on the Clubhouse make sure you reserve ahead to also get the orange bracelets for the buffet. This was not clear at the entrance.
The view is god from upstairs both over the course and of a distant New Orleans skyline. Service is very pleasant.

Yat Bettors All Cheer
(Infield Small w/​out Jazz Fest)
Ostrich & Zebras
#Haiku #NOLA_​Haiku
#FairGrounds #NOLA

I went as a guest of a friend to the Club House and enjoyed the time for the most part. Food was acceptable and the service was fine. Before leaving I misplaced a personal item and did not discover the lost until I was on my way home. Could not find any link on their web site to contact anyone.
That may be my fault but called the number I located to get some advice to see if the personal property was turned in to «Lost and Found.» Never could get to a live person and left a detailed message about my problem.
Weeks have past and the silence is deafening. Customer Relations is non existent here and the reason for the low rating.
If you support this business do not forget or lose anything on the premises for there is no one to assist you.

My alumni chapter had a day at the races fundraising event on a Sunday.
I was pleasantly surprised at this place. I had never gone to the races on a Sunday and ate at the buffet. It’s a really nice getaway for a family to have a nice brunch or a cool day date. The horses are on the first floor but you can overlook the grounds from above. The food was great and so were the mimosas. Service was pretty good. I plan on going back soon. It is definitely something different to do on a Sunday.

I went to see horse racing at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, LA on 2÷9÷2014. It was my first time there. I came by taxi, so I don’t know about the parking. The program cost was $ 3.00 and I paid $ 10.00 to go to the Clubhouse. I enjoyed my day at the races here very much. All in all I bet $ 48.00 and won $ 28.00, so I lost $ 20 for the day. Not bad — Plus, I took photos.

I’ve only been to fairgrounds for horse racing, day and night, and one special event.
I’ve only walked through the slot machine area, and like it infinitely better than Harrah’s because it’s less crowded and not smokey. I actually wonder if it’s smoke free because of the lack of smoke.
When there for races, walk around a bit to check out the prices of the different bars. A beer from a person walking around can be as much as two dollars more expensive than the bar in the back. And when you’re spending the day there, those two dollars can add up.
It does get packed for special events such as starlight racing and exotic animal racing. This also means special admissions prices too — check their website for prices. Just get there early, and camp out at your favorite spot. But crowds are fluid enough that you can find a new favorite spot if you decide to move.
I like going here because its a fairly cheap and fun.

This is a great place to spend the day with friends. You can bet as low as $ 1 and up to high roller money. They do a great job keeping the place clean. I am not big on slot machines but they do have an area for that. They keep the races moving along with only short pauses between to move the post gates. If you’ve never bet you can ask some of the helpful staff and they can help you. Try the place out you may like it.

This was my first time ever at the track for Thanksgiving!
Since I had never been here, I really had no idea what to expect. Now I am about sound a little childish, but here we go. I don’t gamble. I’m not good at it, I always lose, and I prefer to spend my money on clothes or yummy food than try my luck. With that said, YAY HORSIES! I really liked getting to watch the horses race and get to see them line up and all that. I’m sure there is a more technical term than that, but I’m new at all this.
It was cold. Luckily the area where you place bets/​get snack and drinks is enclosed, so that made for a nice place to stay warm. It gets boring in between races, so don’t be shy about chatting it up with other people who are waiting for the race to start. Everyone seemed pretty friendly.
I want to go back and watch the ostrich races one of these days!

My first time to the races, and I had no idea what to expect. We had special tickets for the clubhouse, so we dressed the part. Though we hadn’t made a clubhouse restaurant reservation, we were able to easily get a table with a great view of the track and a mini tv showing the races up close.
Service was friendly, though it sort of seemed like everyone wanted to help us except our actual server. At one point, we ordered dessert — a slice of key lime pie and pecan pie. When we remarked that the pecan pie was undercooked (the filling was basically a puddle on the plate), she replied that she would never have ordered pecan pie there… Well, thanks for letting us know!
Ladies at the info desk gave us pamphlets that explained the different bets we could place, and programs for the day’s races. We didn’t have to leave the dining room to place bets — there were kiosks right near our table.
The races were exciting, and I won a few dollars (that I then lost)! I’d go back, now that I see what it’s about.

Much improved since they were purchased by the people who own the Kentucy Derby track.
The best time to go here is opening day on Thanksgiving.

The Fairgrounds are easily accessible and offer something for the family, partiers and the degenerate gambler. Thats quite the accomplishment.
The races happen nearly every 45 minutes or so and if your the uninitiated, can be entertaining. If you’re coming for the zebra /​camel races, arrive LATE, because no matter what they publish they aren’t racing until after 8:30 p.m.
Great way to spend an afternoon/​evening on a Saturday.

Yet another place in NOLA that I had never been, until just recently.
Today was the Zebra & Ostrich race. I knew my daughter would love it, so we decided to attend. Besides, what better place to spend a Saturday night than taking a 3 year old to a race track/​casino?
Anyway, apparently the entire city had the same idea, because parking was a nightmare. When I first arrived, I found quite a bit of street parking, but decided not to park in a not-​so-​wonderful area with a small child. We waited for 30 minutes in the line to enter the parking lot, only to be informed that it was full. Boo!
After driving around for another 10 minutes, and almost deciding to give up, I found myself a good spot reasonably close.
The Fair Grounds was, of course, packed full of people for this event. However, it was easy to get around, well maintained, and lots of fun!
It would be nice to have some sort of «betting for dummies» book on hand. We just pressed some buttons and made a bet. Luckily, you can just put your ticket back into the machine after the race to see if you won (we didn’t).
This is actually a good family activitiy, and a good value at $ 10 (kids free!).

Its the home of Jazz Fest, horse racing, a casino and lots of fun times. They have a grandstand with a clubhouse that often books bands along with multilevels of numerous little food booths, bars, and all manner of nooks and crannies to explore. This is also the epicenter of the popular NOLA Thanksgiving day tradition to eat, drink, and bet on the ponys. Some of the most fun times to be had here, other than Jazz Fest, are during the Starlight racing series.