Happy Friday with Boudin, Beer, Mirlitons, Swamp Fun and Gleason Gras!

TGIF!!!

Hooray for wine!

It's the weekly wine tasting over at Cork & Bottle (Orleans at Moss St.) - from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  Come out and sample some fantastic wines and the tasting wines are always 10% off!

And you can double your wine tasting fun in Mid-City! Check out Swirl located on Ponce de Leon right off Esplanade and enjoy a FREE wine tasting at 6:00 pm. 

Hooray for Boudin and Beer!!

Boudin and Beer is tonight!! Celebrate boudin, beer, bourbon, and boots as New Orleans plays host to Emeril Lagasse's 2nd Annual Boudin and Beer, a food and music festival celebrating all-things Louisiana at The Foundry (333 St. Joseph) from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. The charity bash, presented by Abita Beer and sponsored by Buffalo Trace, is hosted by Emeril Lagasse and honorary co-chairs Mario Batali and New Orleans' own Donald Link. Fifty of the country's hottest chefs from San Francisco to New York, with several of New Orleans' top chefs represented, will be cooking up their take on boudin, with plenty of craft brews from Abita Beer. Dancing to the music of Drake White, Feufollet and Red Stick Ramblers. The event benefits the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. Tickets are $85 - for more info click - www.boudinandbeer.com

Enjoy a Night at the Museum!  Check out The Where Y'Art? party this evening over at the New Orleans Museum of Art beginning at 5:00 pm and celebrate the weekend!  The event is FREE with museum admissions. $10 Adults, $8 seniors, students, active military, $6 children ages 17 to 7, children 6 and under are free.

• 5pm to 8pm: Art Making Activity
• 6pm to 8pm: Music by Kristin Diable
• 6pm to 8pm: Visiting Artist in Museum Shop: Denise Mehurin (more info coming soon) 6pm: Talk and Book Signing with author/historian, Hugh Howard: Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s WAR
• 6:30pm: Gallery Talk: Ida Kohlmeyer: 100th Anniversary Highlights with curator, Anne C. B. Roberts 
• 7:30pm: Lecture with curator, Rachel Stevens: The Bayou School: 19th Century Louisiana Landscapes

Fun All Weekend Long Fun!

It's time to celebrate the mirliton!! It's the 2012 Mirliton Festival Saturday from 11 AM to 7 PM at the Brick Yard on Chartres St. at Montegut St. in Bywater. There will be delicious mirliton delicacies and a fantastic musical line-up!! Check out the fun below.

Special events between sets include Fringe Festival performers, the NOLA Cherry Bombs, and the 504 Dancing Man.
11:00-11:45 Archdiocese Gospel Choir
12:00-12:45 Daria and the Hip Drops
1:00-1:45 Luke Winslow King
2:00-2:45 Hot 8 Brass Band
3:00-3:45 Charmaine Neville
4:00-4:45 Kristin Diable
5:00-7:00 Kermit Ruffins

It's time to party in the swamp for the Louisiana Swamp Festival as the Audubon Zoo celebrates Louisiana Cajun culture and heritage through education and entertainment all weekend long. This family-oriented festival gives visitors insight into the Cajun way of life through cultural demonstrations, music, food and crafts. The weekend salute to Louisiana's Bayou country at the Zoo features hands-on encounters with live Louisiana swamp animals and special animal feedings.  Plus an incredible musical line-up!

Saturday

Capital One Stage
10:25am - 11:45am Lafayette Rhythm Devils
12:05pm - 1:25pm Swamp Fiddler Tribute feat. Sarah Jayde Williams
1:25pm - 1:45pm Zydeco Dance Lessons
1:45pm - 3:05pm Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
3:25pm - 4:45pm Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers

Louisiana Swamp Exhibit
11:30am - 12:00pm Cajun Dance Lessons
12:00pm - 1:15pm Lafourche Cajun Band
1:30pm - 2:15pm Cajun Music Petting Zoo
2:15pm - 4:00pm Lafourche Cajun Band

Sunday

Capital One Stage
10:25am - 11:45am Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band
11:45am - 12:05pm Zydeco Dance Lessons
12:05pm - 1:25pm Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie
1:45pm - 3:05pm BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
3:25pm - 4:45pm Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunpots

Louisiana Swamp Exhibit
11:30am - 12:00pm Cajun Dance Lessons
12:00pm - 1:15pm Tour Les Soirs
1:30pm - 2:15pm Cajun Music Petting Zoo
2:15pm - 4:00pm Tour Les Soirs

*Audubon Zoo is located at 6500 Magazine Street in New Orleans. Event hours are 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. No outside food or beverage allowed during special events and festivals. Zoo admission is required. Free for Audubon Zoo members. Purchase tickets at entrance gates or online.

Join the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation Sunday for the 2nd Annual Gleason Gras from Noon to 8:00 pm at Champions Sqare (right next to the Superdome). The purpose of the event is to raise awareness for ALS and to support the Gleason Family Trust. The Gleason Family Trust is set up to help offset the incremental costs of living with ALS. Contributions go toward Steve Gleason's participation in advanced and experimental technology, equipment and treatments. So come celebrate with great local food, cool music, a silent auction and more! Click here for the entertainment line-up and all the fun! Gleason Gras
*Tickets: General Admission - $20 • Kids 12 & under - Free

Alrighty, well that should keep you busy this evening...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

GEAUX SAINTS and CELEBRATE!!

Good Morning Everybody,

I'm pretty sure I know what most of ya'll will be doing between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 pm, but there is other stuff going on to.

There's a FREE Birthday party going on at the New Orleans Museum of Art - NOMA is turning 100 - with lots of fun stuff to do before the big game!! Here's the schedule....
11am - Opening Remarks
11:30 am - New Orleans Ballet Theatre begins Lakme and Broadway performer singing
11:30am- Art-making activity begins
Noon - Cake cutting and coffee from Cafe du Monde
12:15pm - Tour of Great Collectors/Great Donors by John d'Addario
1pm - Symphony Chorus on steps in Great Hall
1:30pm - Sculpture Garden Tour by Pamela Buckman
2pm - Opera a la Carte in the Sculpture Garden (in case of bad weather, Opera will be in Auditorium)
4pm - Art Activity ends
4:30pm - Last admission


Celebrate the Battle of New Orleans Anniversary - "The British are coming, the British are coming" to the Chalmette Battlefield to commemorate the Battle of New Orleans. Walk through British and American camps, listen to generals planning strategy, soldiers swapping stories around campfires, and women wondering what fate has in store for New Orleans. Over 100 living history experts share stories of the War of
1812, fire cannons and muskets, and bring the era to life. Also check out the Kid's Camp where the little ones can make pirate and military hats, play period games, and try on military uniforms. End the day with lunch or dinner at Rocky & Carlo's Restaurant. The kids will love it!
Where: Chalmette Battlefield, 8606 West St. Bernard Hwy, Chalmette.
When: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Watch the Saints game on Decatur near Canal and take some great music breaks along the way at the Louisiana Music Factory (200 Block Decatur) with a great triple header of in store concerts!  
3:00pm - Golden Orchid
4:00pm - Plunge
5:00pm - Neslort

After the Saint's big win...there's lots of great music going on!!

d.b.a. (618 Frenchmen) has The Todd Duke Quartet at 8:00 pm....and stay on for Little Freddie King at 10:00 pm!

Chickie Wah Wah (2828 Canal) has the amazing Ogya Band at 8:00 pm....and don't forget, come hungry cause they got some yummy food in the kitchen!!

And for some Rockin' & Bowlin' fun at of course Rock N' Bowl (corner of S. Carrollton and Earhart)...you got the shake your booty Zydeco sounds of the one and only Rockin' Dopsie!  Remember get an entree' next door at Ye Olde College Inn and you'll get a discounted ticket tot the show!!

Have a great day and GEAUX SAINTS!!  And for even more fun stuff going on...check out the WWOZ Livewire!

2010 is Ending with a Holiday Ho-Down & More!!

Soooo much to do today...it's crazy!!

Start off your evening with the early show over at dba (618 Frenchmen)....The Washboard Chaz Blues Trio gets things kickin' at 7:00 pm....and then stay on for Walter "Wolfman" Washington & The Roadmasters at 10:00 pm it's gonna be a fun one!!

Go by Chickie Wah Wah (2828 Canal) right after work for a fun happy hour that kicks up at 4:00 pm, and be sure to stay for the Asylum Street Spankers at 8:30 pm! (and come hungry cause there's  yummy food coming from the kitchen!)

If you're looking for some holiday fun you got to go to the Hi Ho Lounge (2239 St. Claude) tonight!!  It's the  2010 Anxious Sound Holiday Ho-Down featuring James Singleton, Simon Lott, Donald Miller, Jesse Morrow, Will Thompson and more!!!

There's another special show over at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta!!  Irvin Mayfield's NOJO Jam presents the music of Count Basie this evening at 8:00 pm...it's gonna be an amazing concert!!

Looking for some dinner and then some music?  Rock 'N Bowl (3016 S. Carrollton) can help you out!  Get an entree' over at Ye Olde College Inn and then get a half price ticket to the show right next door at Rock N' Bowl....It will be easy to work off that yummy food off when you're dancin' to the Zydeco sounds of Geno Delafose tonight at 9:00 pm!

Another great evening full of music at the Spotted Cat with free swing dance lessons at 5:00 p.m.!!  Brett Richardson at 4:00 p.m., The Orleans 6 at 6:00 p.m., and to top off the night St. Louis Slim & The Frenchmen St. Jug Band at 10:00 p.m.!

If you're looking for more fun stuff to do...check out the WWOZ Livewire!

French Quarter Fest and Treme Premiere!

Good Morning Everybody,

It's time to get up early and get down for the last of day of French Quarter Fest 2010.  Bring an empty stomach so you can load up on your favorite foods (I need some Vaucresson sausage, meat pies and turtle soup!!)  It will be another amazing line-up of bands all over the Quarter, from the Mint to the Aquarium (schedule) - with the Radiators as the closeout at 5:30!

If you're heading out of the fest and looking for more music.....get right on over to Bacchanal to catch Los Poboy-Citos at 6:00 pm for a FREE Sunday show! (and make sure you save a little room for their fabulous food!)

Tonight is also the premiere of New Orleans based series "Treme" on HBO....if you were like me and so many others who lived in New Orleans early post Katrina...you may want to gather with friends to watch this already, critically acclaimed, series.  (And even if you weren't living in New Orleans at that time - I think this is going to truly move you.)  The Mother-In-Law Lounge is having a premiere party - so head over at about 8:00 pm to gather, view, reminisce and appreciate the truly great CITY we live in.  (Treme airs at 9:00 pm Central tonite).

Well, that's it for now...put on your sunscreen and get yourself over to the Quarters!!!  Until tomorrow.....

French Quarter Fest Saturday!

Got a late start today....If you're not already headed down to the Fest.  Check out today's schedule.....

If you feel like going for a lovely drive....head on over to the Pontchatoula Strawberry Festival here's what's going on at the fest this weekend....and of course they'll be delicious food (and you've got to try the fresh strawberry daiquiris and wine!)

Pontchatoula Strawberry Fest!

Saturday April 10th -
11:00a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Kenny Fife
  1:00p.m. - 2:00p.m.  Strawberry Auction
 2:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. The Bucktown Allstars
 4:00p.m. - 4:30p.m. Sack Race
 5:00p.m. - 7:30p.m. Domino's
8:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. Amanda Shaw

Sunday April 11th -
12:00p.m. - 1:30p.m.  Ampersand
 1:30p.m. - 2:00p.m. Sace Race
 2:30p.m. - 3:30p.m. The Issue
 4:00p.m. - 5:30p.m. Waylon Thibodeaux 

Get out and enjoy this lovely Saturday - it's going to be a good one!!

French Quarter Fest Friday

Wow...what a beautiful day!

I can imagine if you're in New Orleans there's only one thing you gonna do today....and that's GO to the largest FREE FEST in the City - French Quarter Fest!  Not to mention....you couldn't have ordered a more perfect day.

So, I'll make it a short and sweet one, check out the schedule, go see some only in New Orleans music, eat some amazing only in New Orleans food, layout in the sun and have an all around great day!!

If you're looking for more to do check out the Offbeat listings for evening fun!

See you later gator!