As a native New Orleanian, my favorite tradition to share with family and friends is the annual Mardi Gras Mask Market, a four-day family-friendly festival and a unique specialized craft fair showcasing artisan mask makers. The days, as one may expect, are filled with live local music, usually involving brass bands, local legends, and Mardi Gras Indian groups, food, drink, and Bacchanalian revelry.
Kim Welsh
Get Versed in Jazz and More in the Vieux Carré
November 05, 2018
No trip to the Crescent City would be complete without delectable seafood, great music, sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the wonderful architecture surrounding it, including the New Orleans Jazz Museum where the music New Orleans made famous is explored in all its forms in the very place it was born. The museum is housed in the historic Old U.S. Mint located at 400 Esplanade Avenue, strategically located at the intersection of the French Quarter and the Frenchmen Street live music corridor, the heart of the city’s vibrant music scene.
Pack Santa’s Sack Along the French Market District Colonnade
November 05, 2018
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! My girlfriend Christine and I always vow to give back to our community we love by doing all of our holiday shopping with local businesses. We think it is only fair to support the shops who give back to the city where we live, work, and play. Our favorite wonderland is the French Quarter, so we always look forward to a shopping extravaganza there during the holidays. We shop ‘til we drop, stop for lunch, and shop some more.
Ghostly Gallivants and Voodoo in the Vieux Carre
July 27, 2018
Strolling down Toulouse Street one warm summer night, I caught a hazy glimpse of an old woman appear out of nowhere. She was dressed in black with beads in her hand as she stepped into a doorway. Curious, I went to see where she went. As I approached the doorway, I felt a coolness and noted a strange aroma. Old yellowed mail was stuck in the door making it obvious that the place had not been visited recently. Goosebumps covered my arms, and I went home to research the area. Nearby is The Olivier House, a charming little hotel built in 1836 by Madame Olivier, a wealthy plantation owner.
Shop 'til You Drop Along the French Market District Colonnade
July 27, 2018
My best friend, Christine, is proud to admit that she is a shopaholic. She knows all the best spots to shop for any occasion. She knows how to pace herself by tying in music and craft events for diversion, and she wines and dines along the way to easily fill an entire day with everything she enjoys. She’s a pro shopper but she was kind enough to allow a novice like me to tag along.
Royalty, Explorers, and Clever Con Men Or A Salute to Bienville, Our Founding Father
May 07, 2018
When reflecting on our tricentennial and our history, it is important to remember that without Bienville, there would be no New Orleans. Enjoy a stroll over to the 400 block of Decatur Street to view the statue erected in 1955 to honor a French-Canadian explorer and colonizer, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville. He founded New Orleans on a crescent-shaped piece of high ground in the bend of the Mississippi River, a place that he felt would be safe from hurricanes and tidal surges.
Romantic French Quarter Weddings
May 07, 2018
When it comes to celebrating in style, there is no place like the French Quarter. Bursting with historical beauty, a rich, one-of-a-kind culture, and unrivaled wedding venues, this is the most fun and exciting place to be, especially on the most special and significant day of your life. Weddings in the French Quarter are as unforgettable and unique as the city itself, capturing the romance and timeless elegance of historic New Orleans.
Sidney Bechet, King of the Soprano Sax
February 01, 2018
The soprano saxophone of jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet can be found in the New Orleans Jazz Museum along with many photos and recordings of the undisputed King of the soprano sax. Best known for his throbbing vibrato and piercing rhythmic attack, he infused his playing with the essence of New Orleans and is also one of the most innovative clarinetists in jazz.
All About the Party!
February 01, 2018
Here in the Big Easy, one thing is for sure. We know how to “pass a good time,” let the good times roll, and we know how to throw a good party that people from far and wide come to attend. Mardi Gras and the French Quarter Festival, the largest free music festival in the South, are two shining examples of hospitality in our fair city where “hostess with the mostest” has a whole new ring.
Carl Mack... Mardi Gras Museum & Chris Owens, Queen of Bourbon Street
February 01, 2018
In a French Quarter version of a “rags to riches” story, Carl Mack, a Rochester, New York native first appeared in 1984 in his trademark red and white striped suit and straw hat playing his wheeled xylophone for tips in Jackson Square. Meanwhile, he was astutely observing the local culture thinking of ways he could carve out his niche in it. He expanded his repertoire of entertainment skills to juggling, face painting, balloon twisting, pantomiming, and basic magic tricks.
