New Orleans is inviting the world to join in the celebrations of the city’s 300th anniversary.

“As we approach 2018, we honor our city’s history and her place in the world,” said New Orleans’ mayor, Mitchell J. Landrieu.

“New Orleans is a resilient city, as history has proven many times over,” Landrieu added. “We have faced and overcome the challenges of rebuilding a great city after fire, war and disasters–both natural and manmade. With the Tricentennial, we now have the opportunity to celebrate the hard work of generations of New Orleanians who have made us one of the world’s most authentic and beloved cities and to remember the fullness, richness and diversity of our history as it should have always been remembered. I invite you to join us.”

Tricentennial Events

A number of events are taking place throughout the city to honor the milestone.

At the end of this month, visitors can take in a special exhibit at the Historic New Orleans Collection: “New Orleans The Founding Era Exhibition.” The event is free and is an exploration of the city’s first few decades and its earliest inhabitants.

On March 3, 2018, there is a Tricentennial Symposium on “Making New Orleans Home.” The event is free and open to the public.

READ MORE: Hit These Bourbon Street Bars in New Orleans

Visitors can attend lectures and panel discussions that explore historical and cultural topics. An evening program features music at venues across the city.

The French Quarter Festival will take place April 12-15, 2018. The celebration supports the New Orleans music community, with 23 stages featuring locals-only musicians.

The Tricentennial NOLA Navy Week will begin on April 19. Navy ships from around the world will be in New Orleans for a weeklong festival. Visitors can take advantage of free ship tours, a cook-off between vessels and more.

Tall Ships New Orleans takes place at the same time, with a selection of antique ships on display through the weekend, April 19-22, 2018.

A Tricentennial Fireworks show will close this year’s JazzFest. The event will take place on May 6, 2018.

Later in the year, the New Orleans Museum of Art will present the New Orleans Collection, which features selections from the magnificent collection of the city’s namesake, Philippe II, Duke of Orleans. Items will be on display from October 26 to January 27, 2019.

The Tricentennial Fete de Fromage will take place on November 7, 2018.

2018 Tricentennial Projects

A number of special projects have taken place in order to prepare the city for its milestone anniversary.

Construction of a new airport terminal is underway and scheduled to be completed in 2019. The streetcar system is undergoing an expansion, new recreation centers have opened and more.

One of the biggest undertakings, however, is the Bourbon Street Infrastructure Project. The famous street, which has not seen an upgrade since 1928, received a complete makeover for the Tricentennial.

READ MORE: NOLA Noshes: Where to Eat in the Big Easy

Existing drain and water lines were upgraded, sewer lines were repaired and gas pipes and electrical conduits were replaced. Additionally, the roadway received an upgrade with fresh pavement, giving the famous street a refreshed look and feel for visitors.

Where to Stay

When visitors head to New Orleans, they should plan to stay in the heart of the action. Royal Sonesta New Orleans is set in the heart of Bourbon Street just a short walk from Saint Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square.

Four-hundred-and-eighty-three recently renovated rooms come with free Wi-Fi access, flat-screen televisions, Keurig coffee makers, French doors and views of the courtyard pool or of Bourbon Street.

Guests booking suites have several options including rooms with whirlpool tubs, spiral staircases, separate dining areas or extra-large sitting rooms.

The Senators Suite is 500 square feet and offers a large seating area, a dining table, a parlor, a dressing room and a bar with French doors that open to the courtyard pool.

When it comes to dining, there’s no need to go far. Visitors can take advantage of the Restaurant R'evolution, Bar R’evolution, Desire Oyster Bar, the Jazz Playhouse, PJ’s Coffee Cafe or Le Booze.

Royal Sonesta New Orleans' signature event this month is the 48th-annual Greasing of the Poles which occurs next Friday, February 9 to kick off Mardi Gras weekend.

Look out for deals that celebrate New Orleans Tricentennial later in the month.