History of Tremé
Tremé Fall Fest is the most culturally authentic festival in New Orleans. It is in the heart of the Tremé neighborhood. It is dedicated to public good. The festival and the accompanying patron party has donated over $80,000 to Tremé's cultural assets like St. Augustine Catholic Church, the oldest African-American Catholic parish in the United States.
The purpose of the festival is to highlight the rich culture and history of the Tremé community, raise funds to help with the extensive repairs of St. Augustine Catholic Church and help the struggling music and cultural groups within the community to stay alive and functioning.
St. Augustine Catholic Church
St. Augustine Catholic Church has a rich and important history in America as is considered the centerpiece for the oldest African-American Catholic Church in the country. It was dedicated on October 9, 1842. Free people of color bought more pews for their families than any other contributors, and then bought all the pews of both side aisles. The side-aisle pews were given to the enslaved, who were welcomed to worship there, a first in the history of slavery in America. The mixture of pews resulted in the most integrated congregation in the United States. Free people of color, white people, ethnic people, and the enslaved regularly attended the church together.
Friends of Tremé Culture
As we mark this important moment in our organization’s history, we invite you to stand with us again—for the first time—as a sponsor. Your support will directly fund grants, programming, and preservation efforts that empower the people who keep Tremé’s traditions alive.
Over the past ten years, FOTC has worked tirelessly to invest in the people and places that make Tremé a cornerstone of New Orleans’ cultural identity. Together, we’ve achieved the following:
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Granted over $115,000 to 49 individual culture bearers who continue to shape and preserve our city’s traditions.
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In 2024, awarded $30,000 in grants to historical, cultural, and educational organizations, funded by proceeds from the 9th Annual Tremé Fall Festival served as fiscal agent for over 70 culture bearers, helping facilitate more than $188,000 in grant funding from the New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Fund (NOTCF).
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In January 2025, FOTC hosted the MLK Day of Service celebration, supporting the revitalization of the historic St. Augustine Catholic Church. As part of this effort, our board members and volunteers joined the church's cleanup day—clearing the sanctuary of dust and debris left from Hurricane Ida—and we proudly distributed grants to local culture bearers continuing the work of cultural preservation
Each of these efforts reflects a shared commitment between FOTC, our supporters, and our community to keep Tremé’s legacy strong and thriving. Thank you for your ongoing belief in our mission. We look forward to celebrating this special 10th anniversary with you in October.
