Galatoire's Restaurant and Galatoire Foundation have named the nine local nonprofits that will share the proceeds from this year's Christmas and Mardi Gras table auctions, marking the 20th anniversary of a French Quarter tradition that pairs fine dining with philanthropy. The Christmas Table Auction is set for Monday, November 30, 2026, with the Mardi Gras Table Auction to follow in January 2027.
According to Biz New Orleans, this year's auctions will benefit Galatoire Foundation and eight other local nonprofits, including two table partners and six micro-grant recipients. The table partners are Young Leadership Council and Winston Rhea Scholars, the outlet reports. Galatoire's Restaurant, in its own announcement, lists the six micro-grant recipients as Be Loud Studios, Junior League of New Orleans, Manning Family Children's, New Orleans Opera Association, The Idea Village and Upturn Arts, per Galatoire's Restaurant.
Galatoire's says 100% of proceeds from this year's Christmas and Mardi Gras table auctions will go to Galatoire Foundation and the eight other nonprofits, the restaurant notes. The beneficiary organizations work in education, workforce development, housing assistance, health and wellness, and arts and cultural programs, per the same account, reflecting the broad reach the auctions have built since their founding in 2006.
How the Bidding Works
Each auction event begins with a cocktail reception in Bar 33 before guests move on to a lively evening of bidding on coveted first-floor tables, the restaurant's announcement notes. Winning bidders earn the right to reserve a table for the Friday lunch before Christmas or Mardi Gras, according to NOLA.com, a prize that has long been prized among regulars navigating the restaurant's notoriously competitive seating culture.
Christmas Table Auction paddles and tickets can be purchased online or by visiting galatoires.com, the restaurant's announcement notes. Over the past two decades the event has benefited dozens of organizations across the city, and Galatoire's says the auctions have raised nearly $5 million for New Orleans-area nonprofits since they began in 2006.
Conflicting Figures on Last Year's Record
Just how big last year's results were depends on which account you read. Biz New Orleans reported that the 2025 auction series set a record, raising $635,000, or more than $4,123 per seat. But Galatoire's 33 Bar & Steak's own January 2026 recap attributed a $635,000 record to its 2026 auction series, describing proceeds above the half-million-dollar mark and noting the haul came in at over $4,000 per seat.
The two sources also diverge on the December Christmas auction's total: Biz New Orleans put the 2025 Christmas Table Auction at $187,500, with the highest bid reaching $24,000 for an eight-person table, while Galatoire's 33 Bar & Steak reported the December Christmas auction raised $189,000. Those same figures aside, there is no dispute that the Mardi Gras Table Auction held January 12, 2026, raised $447,300, with the night's top bid soaring to $36,000 for a 12-person table, according to Galatoire's 33 Bar & Steak.
A Tradition Two Decades in the Making
The auctions have grown considerably since their early years. NOLA.com reported that by the event's 10th anniversary, the auction had netted $1.2 million for local causes, with a catalog charting out 25 tables in different configurations for a total of 150 seats and an average winning bid of about $500 per seat. Two decades later, the event has become a fixture of the French Quarter social calendar, blending the restaurant's storied dining traditions with a philanthropic mission that now touches nine organizations across the city.
