Films, books, bacchanals and swamps – it's fall in the Crescent City. On your mark, get set...
Trumpeter Kevin Palmer plays a tune for his grandmother in the documentary "Musica!" coming to the New Orleans Film Festival.
It's the first weekend of the NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL with a hearty catalogue of films, panels, workshops and talks. There are world premieres, legal education programs, virtual happenings and a chance to meet actors, authors, directors and more. Some events are free, most of the films require tickets. For a complete list of the goings on and the locations for the films, check out the festival schedule here.
An evening of music, food and fun are all in good order for a good cause at the JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GALA at 7 p.m. Friday at Chateau Country Club, 3600 Chateau Blvd., Kenner. Proceeds from the glitzy galavant help the 15-year-old foundation fund community projects through the parish. A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Jefferson First award. Tickets start at $250. Get going for the gala here.
For the first time, one of the featured homes on the Patio Planters of the Vieux Carre Holiday Home Tour will be the Spring Fiesta House at 826 St. Ann St., the beautiful 19th century townhouse and headquarters of the New Orleans Spring Fiesta Association. On Sunday, the beauty, simplicity and traditions of Christmases past will come alive on the self-guided walking tour through French Quarter homes dressed for the season. Barbara Richmond, who is both the live-in docent for the Spring Fiesta House and a member of Patio Planters of the Vieux Carre, said she considers it an exciting honor that the house is part of the tour.
Since the Spanish ruled the Crescent City, opera has been a part of the cultural fabric. The Spring Fiesta Association will feature an evening of information and song for "LES SALONS ET CHANSONS" Friday at 7 p.m. Loyola's Dr. Betsy Uschkrat will not only inform but will also raise her soprano voice with selections that have a New Orleans affinity. There's also beverages, hors d'oeuvres and a chance to view the townhouse at 826 St. Ann St. in the Vieux Carré. Tickets start at $25. Check out the cultural evening here.
Put on those running shoes and head over to City Park Saturday at 9 a.m. for the annual CORPORATE CLASSIC race to benefit the YMCA's Educational Services Adult Literacy Program. Part of the Crescent City Classic family of treks, the family-friendly 3.1-mile race ends with a entertainment, awards, food and beverages. Participants can run solo or as a group of four to six members. Registration for the race starts at $40. Head for the startling line here.
A person walks past the newly constructed Liberation Pavilion at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
During a busy, busy week at the National WWII Museum, there's always time for more fun and that comes in 9 a.m. Saturday for the FAMILY AND MILITARY APPRECIATION BLOCK PARTY. Everyone is invited to the recently completed museum complex (the new Liberation Pavilion) for music and entertainment, hands-on activities, local organizations and a chance to meet the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. There's also a spot for neurodivergent visitors and free snoballs. Kids, military and WWII vets are free, with tickets starting at $10. Celebrate the national facility here.
Black Bear cub Sassafras at the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit Audubon Zoo December 4, 2022
Audubon Zoo will be ground zero for SWAMP FÊTE, a celebration of Louisiana culture and animals Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Cajun and zydeco music, dancing, dining and even a day of native Louisiana animals on display for family fun. Listen to Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, T'Monde and see black bears, white alligators, bobcats and red foxes, including Sassyfras, the bear cub. The fête is included in zoo admission, starting at $25. Make tracks, cher, to the zoo for some fun.
Jessica B. Harris
Get piggy with it at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Williams Research Center for the Historic New Orleans Collection's FOOD FORUM. The day flies under the banner "Pig Tales," with author and food historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris hosting a day of demonstrations, panels, presentations, tastings (yes!) and more about pork at 410 Chartres St., in the Vieux Carré. Tickets start at $100, with optional lunch $75. Take a big bite out of the porcine perfection here.
Books at a book sale to benefit a local library.
Ready for something fun to read? Head to the West Bank (Algiers, to be precise) and check out the FRIENDS OF NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOK SALE Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive. A tent outside the library will showcase tomes for bargain hunters. Funds from the sale support the public programs of the library, including summer reading programs, sensory-friendly storytime and more. Turn the page over here for more information.
June Coleman of the Atlanta Panyarders marches down Canal Street during the Color Me Krazy Mas Paint vs Powder Parade on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in New Orleans. The colorful parade, part of the Bayou Bacchanal Caribbean Carnival celebration, wound from Harrah’s Casino to Louis Armstrong Park for a daylong celebration of Caribbean culture with music, dancing, vendors and food.
The Friends of Culture's BAYOU BACCHANAL starts with a parade from the Hilton New Orleans Riverside at 11 a.m. Saturday, runs up Canal Street to Basin Street, then over to Armstrong Park's Congo Square for music, food, vendors and much more. The evening ends with a concert at the Historic Carver Theater, 2101 Orleans Ave., at 11 p.m. with Farmer Nappy. Tickets for the concert start at $60. Get into the spirit of the Caribbean Carnival here.
Margaret Cho
MARGARET CHO, the multitalented comedian, actor, musician and entrepreneur will be "Live and Livid" at the Orpheum Theater on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. With two Netflix specials, a host of television appearances and movies, the San Francisco native started her stand-up at age 14 and has had an off-Broadway show and Grammy and Emmy nominations. Tickets start at $39. Check out the funny lady here.