Weekend Fun with Hogs for the Cause, St. Baldrick's, and Festivals Galore!

Happy weekend and we deserve it!!

Weekend Festivals and Fun!!

The delicious smell of pork and the amazing sounds of music are filling the air over at City Pork (a/k/a City Park) tomorrow for Hogs for the Cause! This pork lovers paradise includes 80 competing BBQ teams plus lots of beer, food and trucks and of course music! The musical line-up is spectacular with the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Rebirth Brass Band, Robert Randolph and the Family Band with special guest Anders Osborne and more!! And remember all the money goes to a worthy cause - to aid families with children suffering from pediatric brain cancer. So get high on the Hog for a very good cause! Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate - Gates open at 11:00 am - for more info click here.

Celebrate St. Baldrick's Day and help out kids with pediatric cancer.  There are two big events going on Saturday where you can have some fun and help out!!  Come on over to Finn McCool's Irish Pub (3701 Banks Street) at noon for some head shaving, some Irish fun and libations!

And no worries, if you can't make Finn's there's more head shaving fun at the Deutsches Haus (1023 Ridgewood Drive) with an after party with the Mustard Brothers. Shavings will be from 5 pm to 8 pm with numerous activities for kids while heads are shaved for donations. So if you have some extra funds you can spare, please visit www.stbaldricks.org and donate either to the event or to a team.  (Rumor has it that a really hot Pussyfooter - Ms. Kathleen Ford - will be shaving her head for the cause!!)

And if you happen to be in the Quarters head on over to the French Market for the Nola Food Fest!  The flavorful fest runs Saturday 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday 11:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  Four blocks in the French Market will be lined with dozens of top Food Fest cooks from New Orleans and all of Louisiana as well as from all across America, each offering a unique specialty. This is NOT typical and expected festival fare: it is a taste of America's most celebrated dishes, all gathered in one place: a foodie's dream. Portions are right-sized and priced to provide everyone a chance to taste the maximum number of great regional eats as they stroll through the French Market inhaling delicious smells that range from real Texas pit barbecue to Pecan Pie to artisan boudin sausage made by Cajun country's most beloved butchers. There is no admission fee - just bring plenty of appetite!  For more info visit here.

And while your in the Quarter head on over to Armstrong Park for the Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival - Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 am to 7:00 pm. Popular Brooklyn-based bhangra funk band Red Baraat and the great Cuban percussionist/singer Pedrito Martinez will be among the featured performers at the sixth annual Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival, in Armstrong Park. The Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival is one of the cultural enrichment events produced and presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. This event showcases the music and culture of the African Diaspora, tracing the musical voyage from Africa to the Caribbean and the Gulf South. Free admission and for more info click here.

And for all you crawfish lovers out there the Louisiana Crawfish Festival (8245 W. Judge Perez Dr.) continues all weekend long in beautiful Chalmette!  You don't want to miss the endless crawfish dishes, the crawfish races, rides, crafts and plenty of great music!!  For more info visit: www.louisisanacrawfishfestival.com

Alrighty, well that should keep you busy this today and tomorrow...If you're looking for more fun stuff to do...check out the WWOZ Livewire -  http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar!!



www.gratisnola.com

Weekend Fun in NOLA w/Hogs, Beer, Roadfood, Crawfish, Pups & Pirates!

Happy weekend and we deserve it - what a beautiful day and so much to do!!

Weekend Festivals and Fun!!

First things first!! The delicious smell of pork and the amazing sounds of music are filling the air over at City Park today for Hogs for the Cause! This pork lovers extravaganza includes 60 competing BBQ teams plus lots of beer, food and trucks and of course music! The musical line-up is spectacular with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, Marcia Ball and more!! And remember all the money goes to a worthy cause - to aid families with children suffering from pediatric brain cancer. So get high on the Hog for a very good cause! Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the gate - Gates open at 10:30 am - for more info click www.hogsforthecause.org!

You can also get your beer on this weekend over at Champions Square at the inaugural New Orleans International Beer Festival. There's gonna be more than 150 craft beers for the tasting from 2:00 to 6:00 pm today...so come on out and try some brews. Tickets are $40 in advance, which includes unlimited samples. For more info visit neworleansinternationalbeerfest.com

And if you happen to be in the Quarters head on over to the French Market for the Roadfood Festival!  The flavorful fest runs Saturday 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday 11:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  Four blocks in the French Market will be lined with dozens of top Roadfood cooks from New Orleans and all of Louisiana as well as from all across America, each offering a unique specialty. This is NOT typical and expected festival fare: it is a taste of America's most celebrated dishes, all gathered in one place: a foodie's dream. Portions are right-sized and priced to provide everyone a chance to taste the maximum number of great regional eats as they stroll through the French Market inhaling delicious smells that range from real Texas pit barbecue to Pecan Pie to artisan boudin sausage made by Cajun country's most beloved butchers. There is no admission fee - just bring plenty of appetite!  For more info visit www.neworleansroadfoodfestival.com

And for all you crawfish lovers out there the Louisiana Crawfish Festival (8245 W. Judge Perez Dr.) continues all weekend long in beautiful Chalmette!  You don't want to miss the endless crawfish dishes, the crawfish races, rides, crafts and plenty of great music!!  For more info visit: www.louisisanacrawfishfestival.com

And on Sunday City Park goes to the dogs with Dog Day Afternoon!!  Enjoy a day of dog loving activies with a dog walk-a-thon, food, games, dog contests music by Amanda Shaw and and the Cute Guys all funds to to benefit the LA/SPCA!!  Festivities take place at City Park's Big Lawn (near the NOMA entrance) - it's gonna be a doggone good time ya'll!!!

Ahoy me' maties!!  It's NOLA Pyrate Week with art, music, food and general swashbuckling for pirates and pirate lovers!!  For all the fun and festivities click on www.nolapyrateweek.com!

Alrighty, well that should keep you busy this today and tomorrow...If you're looking for more fun stuff to do...check out the WWOZ Livewire -  http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar!!



www.gratisnola.com

Hogs for the Cause - It's a Pork & Music Lovers Paradise - March 24th!

Great music plus yummy BBQ for a great cause can only mean one thing, and that's Hogs for the Cause (Hogs)! The pork (and music) lovers paradise is back in City Park on Saturday, March 24th - so, get ready to get high on the hog with Louisiana’s only all-pork competition & fundraiser featuring an incredible musical line-up, including Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, Marcia Ball & more!

In its fourth year, the annual fundraiser has grown featuring a larger location, more competitors, expanded on-site activities, and new competition categories. Event founders have set a goal of raising $350,000 to help support the fight against pediatric brain cancer.  And when gates open at 10:30 AM, attendees will be inundated with the sounds and smells of Louisiana, including an array of delicious pork dishes prepared by 60 competitors, bites prepared by local food truck vendors, and ice cold beer provided by sponsor NOLA Brewing. New to Hogs this year is the Porkade, an adult-themed arcade including games like “Ring Around the Rosé” Wine Toss, as well as VIP ticket packages.

Festival goers will also have a chance to vote for their favorite team through the "free" Hogs iPhone application. “By engaging fans to vote for their favorites, we expect this year’s festival to be the most competitive ever. I can’t wait to see what all of our teams cook up,” says co-founder, Rene Louapre.



And Hogs isn't just about the pork - check out the musical line-up!

Mississippi Rail Company - 11:00 am
Stooges Brass Band - 12:15 pm
Marcia Ball - 1:45 pm
The Gourds - 3:45 pm
Voice of the Wetlands Allstars - 6:00 pm
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue - 8:00 pm

So make your plans to come out to Hogs - It's going to be a fun filled, music loving, pork filled day for a very worthy cause. Recognizing the need by more children and families for their support, Hogs for the Cause, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has distributed nearly $75,000 in grants to families with children battling pediatric brain cancer, filling the gap on expenses where insurance might not cover, alleviating the financial burdens associated with the disease.

Hogs Info:

When: Saturday, March 24, 2012 - Gates open at 10:30 am; Music & food all day till 10pm
Where: Frisbee Golf Fields at City Park (1 Palm Drive)

Tickets:

General Admission - $10 in advance / $20 at the gate / Kids Under 12 Get in Free!
VIP Packages:
$100 Market Hog Pass - (Includes unlimited draft beer from NOLA Brewing & free pork samples from competitors)
$250 Boss Hogs Pass - (Includes all-access pass to Hogs VIP area with open bar, catering, private restrooms, unlimited draft beer from NOLA Brewing, free pork samples from competitors, and judging of pork cook-off)

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.HogsfortheCause.org.