February 11, 2014
Being in the French Quarter in springtime, or festival season, is like being Marie Antoinette on the season finale of the show "Cake Boss" ; so many fabulous bites of moist and delicious cake to sink your teeth into, and so little time to do it. From February to April, New Orleans is bursting at the seams with cultural events, festivals, and parties that not only keep locals and visitors smiling, but also define the very heartbeat of the city for the rest of the year. And, the heart of the party is the French Quarter.
What's a visit to the French Quarter without a run through the six blocks of shopping, and three centuries of history, we call the French Market? While putting your finger on a single event in this part of the Quarter is hard, events are constants here, so you really need to take a stroll through this once Native American trading post that, over three centuries, has developed into one of the most commercial sections of the city. With vendors offering goods from local fruits and vegetable farmers to wares from far off ports, the shops, the dining, and the music make the French Market a shopping destination for visitors and even more so for locals. Saturday mornings bring Jazz Yoga at the Jazz Park Visitor Center while most Mondays provide free Market District Walking Tours.
Hop aboard the Steamboat Natchez (400 North Peters Street, 800.233.2628, 504.569.1401) for a romantic jaunt down the mighty Mississippi. The views alone rival the fun to be had on the inside decks. My advice: find a nice spot along the rails, and watch the skyline come and go and come again. You will get more photo opps here than anywhere else in the Quarter. Not into getting your feet wet? (Your feet won't really get wet; they have a paddle wheel.) Then hold on because we are about to talk about Mardi Gras. The biggest free party in the country is known for its small, satellite celebrations leading up to Fat Tuesday. Bite off a chunk of King Cake and lubricate your Mardi Gras by attending the Royal Sonesta's Annual Greasing of the Poles. Always scheduled for the Friday before Mardi Gras, this celebration dates back nearly 42 years. In an attempt to prevent revelers from shimming up and down the poles along Bourbon Street, this French Quarter hotel greases the poles and columns that support its world famous balconies. Catch the fun as local female celebrities throw caution to the wind and a little Vaseline on the poles, all while being judged for their technique and originality. This event has become so celebrated that it hosts its own club, the Greasing The Poles Fun Club. Slide in a few drinks and a second line and you've got all the makings of a real big party. Don't let this one slip away.
Think greased poles are a bit too "ruff" for you? Well, head down to The Mystic Krewe of Barkus Parade on February 23 at 2:00 pm. This parade is made up entirely of dogs. Not the kind of dogs who don't call you back, but the four-legged kind that licks your face and is glad you walked in from the office an hour early. Started during a meeting of WDSU meteorologist Margret Orr's fan club, this krewe has grown to epic proportions. Celebrating some of the most beautiful New Orleanians, our canine companions, this parade and party is a personal favorite, and hey, if you've ever met Margret Orr, you know this can't be a bad gig, right?
Now grab your best satire and paint it purple, green, and gold to welcome in Mardi Gras French Quarter style with the Krewe du Vieux Parade on February 25 at 6:30 PM. This satirical parade is the only parade to roll through the streets of the French Quarter. Krewe du Vieux celebrates life with wit and parody, and is made up of 17 sub-krewes that interpret the theme in their own way. Often called "the adult themed" parade, this one features 16 bands, and has become as popular for featuring some of the best brass bands in the city, as it has for the cleverly named krewes that make it up including the Krewe of Comatose, and the Krewe of LUDE.
Wait, I forgot to get you all dressed up, cupcake! In a Carl Mack costume, that is! You can't stomp the stomp at Mardi Gras without the right disguise, and if you do Mardi Gras the right way, you should need one. The design team at Carl Mack Presents (233 Dauphine Street, 504.949.4009) sets the standard for film, stage, and everyday costuming in the Big Easy. Let them get you all dolled up as Marie Antoinette (get the cake reference?). Go way overboard and take a huge departure from your everyday life, or do what I did, and choose something very close to who you are at heart. I wore the barbarian collection. It's true what they say about us savages, you know? No matter what you choose, Carl Mack Presents has it, and they've got it bigger and better than anybody else. Costumes can be purchased or rented.
Now, please don't tell me you're paraded out already, because you still have St Patrick's Day to handle (have you ever had a little green beer with your cake?). Kiss me, I'm Irish! Well, not really, I'm Italian. But aren't we all Irish this time of year? No other place in the state celebrates St. Patty's Day like New Orleans, and, you guessed it, the French Quarter is the epicenter of all the fun. Friday, March 14 sees the action start at Molly's on Decatur (1107 Decatur St, 504.525.5169) for drink specials and a social gathering right in front of the bar. Watch as the crowd forms into a parade that moves through the French Quarter celebrating the strong Irish heritage of the city. The party starts early in the day, but the parade begins as close to 6:00 PM as possible. The party lasts long into the night and as the next day dawns, Saturday March 15, grab some breakfast, and get ready for the Italian- American St Joseph's Parade. Kicking off at the intersection of Canal and Chartres Street (again, as close to 6 PM as possible) this parade celebrates the Italian community and its commitment to celebrating St Joseph's Day. Wait along French Quarter streets for 16 - 20 floats, nine marching bands, and a lot of guys in tuxedos looking to give away some prized roses. Be careful ladies: these guys are irresistible (about as irresistible as I am Irish).
The Tennessee Williams Literary Festival brings literary minds from all over the world to the city to discuss and celebrate one of the most profound literary talents. The Festival runs March 19-23 and spans the entire French Quarter with performances at the Mint and Preservation Hall among other major venues. The festival is designed to draw attention to the literary world and its strong presence in our multimedia, social-network dominated world. Catch special open-to-the-public events like The Stella Shouting Contest in Jackson Square. Participants are encouraged to dress in period attire and yell with their best voice "Stella" into the balconies above. A panel of celebrity judges decides the winner. This event is hailed as a highlight of the entire festival.
Want to eat something good? No, not cake this time. We've got the perfect thing. Be sure to catch The Oyster Jubilee on Bourbon Street March 8. Join in the destruction and consumption of the longest oyster po'boy in the world, running up and down the three hundred block of Bourbon Street. With surprise appearances by local celebrities and chefs, this event gets more and more attention each year. Oyster aficionados are on hand to answer those certain oyster questions we all wonder about. It has grown to be one of the most talked about public food events in the French Quarter. Guess what you can expect? A second line, of course.
Which brings me to my next event, and this one is good: The French Quarter Festival. Held within the streets and parks of the French Quarter and the riverfront, this festival has taken off like a rocket. Food, music, fun, and the French Quarter, all for free. That's right: free. This Festival has become the city's largest and most noted free festival. With musical acts that rival those at Jazz Fest, Woldenberg Park plays host to the largest jazz brunch in America. A dozen stages placed throughout the French Quarter keep the beat while more than 60 food and beverage vendors scatter their delicious goods all over the French Quarter. Get a taste of Antoine's, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, Jacques - Imo's Cafe and K-Paul's Kitchen. Look for free tours of gardens hidden deep inside the Quarter as well as Pirates Alley art shows, the world's largest praline (we have a lot of the world's largest things here in NOLA), and fireworks on the Mississippi River to round out the event. This festival has become a local favorite. Join the fun and learn how to party, eat, love, and celebrate New Orleans like a local. This one festival has more New Orleans culture packed into it than all the others combined. It's a real treat for everyone with over 100 music performance sponsors.
I told you the French Quarter was fun during the spring and festival season. Now don't get too caught up in all the parties, parades, and meals to miss the most important thing. Most events this time of year are free and open to the public. That's right! You won't have to break the bank to enjoy the parties, making the cost almost the best part. I say almost the best part because there still is one thing that makes the French Quarter fun all year around. What's that you ask? Well, it's simple, only in the French Quarter can you have your cake and eat it too.
What's a visit to the French Quarter without a run through the six blocks of shopping, and three centuries of history, we call the French Market? While putting your finger on a single event in this part of the Quarter is hard, events are constants here, so you really need to take a stroll through this once Native American trading post that, over three centuries, has developed into one of the most commercial sections of the city. With vendors offering goods from local fruits and vegetable farmers to wares from far off ports, the shops, the dining, and the music make the French Market a shopping destination for visitors and even more so for locals. Saturday mornings bring Jazz Yoga at the Jazz Park Visitor Center while most Mondays provide free Market District Walking Tours.
Hop aboard the Steamboat Natchez (400 North Peters Street, 800.233.2628, 504.569.1401) for a romantic jaunt down the mighty Mississippi. The views alone rival the fun to be had on the inside decks. My advice: find a nice spot along the rails, and watch the skyline come and go and come again. You will get more photo opps here than anywhere else in the Quarter. Not into getting your feet wet? (Your feet won't really get wet; they have a paddle wheel.) Then hold on because we are about to talk about Mardi Gras. The biggest free party in the country is known for its small, satellite celebrations leading up to Fat Tuesday. Bite off a chunk of King Cake and lubricate your Mardi Gras by attending the Royal Sonesta's Annual Greasing of the Poles. Always scheduled for the Friday before Mardi Gras, this celebration dates back nearly 42 years. In an attempt to prevent revelers from shimming up and down the poles along Bourbon Street, this French Quarter hotel greases the poles and columns that support its world famous balconies. Catch the fun as local female celebrities throw caution to the wind and a little Vaseline on the poles, all while being judged for their technique and originality. This event has become so celebrated that it hosts its own club, the Greasing The Poles Fun Club. Slide in a few drinks and a second line and you've got all the makings of a real big party. Don't let this one slip away.
Think greased poles are a bit too "ruff" for you? Well, head down to The Mystic Krewe of Barkus Parade on February 23 at 2:00 pm. This parade is made up entirely of dogs. Not the kind of dogs who don't call you back, but the four-legged kind that licks your face and is glad you walked in from the office an hour early. Started during a meeting of WDSU meteorologist Margret Orr's fan club, this krewe has grown to epic proportions. Celebrating some of the most beautiful New Orleanians, our canine companions, this parade and party is a personal favorite, and hey, if you've ever met Margret Orr, you know this can't be a bad gig, right?
Now grab your best satire and paint it purple, green, and gold to welcome in Mardi Gras French Quarter style with the Krewe du Vieux Parade on February 25 at 6:30 PM. This satirical parade is the only parade to roll through the streets of the French Quarter. Krewe du Vieux celebrates life with wit and parody, and is made up of 17 sub-krewes that interpret the theme in their own way. Often called "the adult themed" parade, this one features 16 bands, and has become as popular for featuring some of the best brass bands in the city, as it has for the cleverly named krewes that make it up including the Krewe of Comatose, and the Krewe of LUDE.
Wait, I forgot to get you all dressed up, cupcake! In a Carl Mack costume, that is! You can't stomp the stomp at Mardi Gras without the right disguise, and if you do Mardi Gras the right way, you should need one. The design team at Carl Mack Presents (233 Dauphine Street, 504.949.4009) sets the standard for film, stage, and everyday costuming in the Big Easy. Let them get you all dolled up as Marie Antoinette (get the cake reference?). Go way overboard and take a huge departure from your everyday life, or do what I did, and choose something very close to who you are at heart. I wore the barbarian collection. It's true what they say about us savages, you know? No matter what you choose, Carl Mack Presents has it, and they've got it bigger and better than anybody else. Costumes can be purchased or rented.
Now, please don't tell me you're paraded out already, because you still have St Patrick's Day to handle (have you ever had a little green beer with your cake?). Kiss me, I'm Irish! Well, not really, I'm Italian. But aren't we all Irish this time of year? No other place in the state celebrates St. Patty's Day like New Orleans, and, you guessed it, the French Quarter is the epicenter of all the fun. Friday, March 14 sees the action start at Molly's on Decatur (1107 Decatur St, 504.525.5169) for drink specials and a social gathering right in front of the bar. Watch as the crowd forms into a parade that moves through the French Quarter celebrating the strong Irish heritage of the city. The party starts early in the day, but the parade begins as close to 6:00 PM as possible. The party lasts long into the night and as the next day dawns, Saturday March 15, grab some breakfast, and get ready for the Italian- American St Joseph's Parade. Kicking off at the intersection of Canal and Chartres Street (again, as close to 6 PM as possible) this parade celebrates the Italian community and its commitment to celebrating St Joseph's Day. Wait along French Quarter streets for 16 - 20 floats, nine marching bands, and a lot of guys in tuxedos looking to give away some prized roses. Be careful ladies: these guys are irresistible (about as irresistible as I am Irish).
The Tennessee Williams Literary Festival brings literary minds from all over the world to the city to discuss and celebrate one of the most profound literary talents. The Festival runs March 19-23 and spans the entire French Quarter with performances at the Mint and Preservation Hall among other major venues. The festival is designed to draw attention to the literary world and its strong presence in our multimedia, social-network dominated world. Catch special open-to-the-public events like The Stella Shouting Contest in Jackson Square. Participants are encouraged to dress in period attire and yell with their best voice "Stella" into the balconies above. A panel of celebrity judges decides the winner. This event is hailed as a highlight of the entire festival.
Want to eat something good? No, not cake this time. We've got the perfect thing. Be sure to catch The Oyster Jubilee on Bourbon Street March 8. Join in the destruction and consumption of the longest oyster po'boy in the world, running up and down the three hundred block of Bourbon Street. With surprise appearances by local celebrities and chefs, this event gets more and more attention each year. Oyster aficionados are on hand to answer those certain oyster questions we all wonder about. It has grown to be one of the most talked about public food events in the French Quarter. Guess what you can expect? A second line, of course.
Which brings me to my next event, and this one is good: The French Quarter Festival. Held within the streets and parks of the French Quarter and the riverfront, this festival has taken off like a rocket. Food, music, fun, and the French Quarter, all for free. That's right: free. This Festival has become the city's largest and most noted free festival. With musical acts that rival those at Jazz Fest, Woldenberg Park plays host to the largest jazz brunch in America. A dozen stages placed throughout the French Quarter keep the beat while more than 60 food and beverage vendors scatter their delicious goods all over the French Quarter. Get a taste of Antoine's, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, Jacques - Imo's Cafe and K-Paul's Kitchen. Look for free tours of gardens hidden deep inside the Quarter as well as Pirates Alley art shows, the world's largest praline (we have a lot of the world's largest things here in NOLA), and fireworks on the Mississippi River to round out the event. This festival has become a local favorite. Join the fun and learn how to party, eat, love, and celebrate New Orleans like a local. This one festival has more New Orleans culture packed into it than all the others combined. It's a real treat for everyone with over 100 music performance sponsors.
I told you the French Quarter was fun during the spring and festival season. Now don't get too caught up in all the parties, parades, and meals to miss the most important thing. Most events this time of year are free and open to the public. That's right! You won't have to break the bank to enjoy the parties, making the cost almost the best part. I say almost the best part because there still is one thing that makes the French Quarter fun all year around. What's that you ask? Well, it's simple, only in the French Quarter can you have your cake and eat it too.
