On Fat Tuesday, people wear masks to go incognito and unleash their alter ego. The practice of disguising one's true identity behind a mask dates back to the European celebration of Carnival interlaced with customs of pagan Rome. In the beginning, donning masks during Mardi Gras allowed wearers to escape societal and class constraints. Masked carnival goers were free to be whomever they wanted to be and mingle with whatever class they desired. On Fat Tuesday, wearing masks adds to the enigma and debauchery of celebrations throughout the French Quarter.
spring 2020
More than Twenty Shows at More than Twenty Venues in the Vieux Carré
January 29, 2020
Everywhere else in the country, it may not yet be spring, or it may be spring that feels like the final throes of winter, but this is New Orleans—spring has decidedly sprung. Carnival comes early this year, and even the chilly days radiate with celebratory buzz. Mardi Gras Day (February 25), French Quarter Festival (April 16-19), and the first weekend of JazzFest (April 22-27) fire off in rapid secession to bookend the blitz between the new year and summertime.
Rolling on the River
January 29, 2020
Let the good times roll! The newest addition to the New Orleans riverfront and sister vessel of the Steamboat Natchez, the renovated riverboat City of New Orleans offers unforgettable daily jazz brunch and dinner cruises down the Mississippi River. On the cruise, visitors are offered an inside look at the artists at work on our Mardi Gras tradition. Mardi Gras World, where they build the floats that will eventually make their way down St. Charles Avenue in the grand and opulent Mardi Gras parades, offers a tour that rounds out a uniquely New Orleans experience.
All Hail, Krewe of Cork!
January 29, 2020
Patrick van Hoorebeek, a Belgium-born French Quarter bon vivant, is founder of the Krewe of Cork and serves as their King for Life. On February 14, he will lead fellow Corkians on their 20th annual wine-fueled Mardi Gras jaunt through the French Quarter. “We have an 11 am Bloody Mary block party in front of the Court of Two Sisters, followed by a ‘sparkling lunch’ where the champagne shall flow in the lush courtyard, culminating in the 3pm parade, explains the benevolent King.”We celebrate Wine! Food!
New Orleans Music Observed
January 29, 2020
The New Orleans Jazz Museum will debut a new exhibition entitled, “New Orleans Music Observed: The Art of Noel Rockmore and Emilie Rhys.” Visitors are invited to the free opening reception on Thursday, January 30, 2020, from 6-8 pm featuring live music and light refreshments. This new exhibition brings together for the first time the musical portraits of acclaimed artists, Noel Rockmore and Emilie Rhys.
Oh, What a Difference a Century Makes!
January 29, 2020
Take a look around at your surroundings in the French Quarter and try to imagine what it was like one hundred years ago. In the Roaring Twenties, the neighborhood attracted artists and writers with its low-rent, faded charm, and colorful street life. Jackson Square was the center of a vibrant yet short-lived bohemia. The Quarter was mostly a gritty working class slum where people spoke French as often as English. Women lowered baskets to the street to grocers who loaded them with food and added a pint of gin. Artists and writers had taken to the area, seduced by its cheap rent.
Let’s Party!
January 29, 2020
The Greatest Free Show on Earth, otherwise known as Mardi Gras, will be celebrated this year on Tuesday, February 25th. The biggest free party thrown in North America always falls 46 days before Easter and is the city's most popular attraction. Visitors and locals alike love the party atmosphere, jovial crowds, and costumed revelers.
So New Orleans - Casual, Classic, Trendy & Fun!
January 29, 2020
Seductive whiffs of magnolia blooms fill the air, a gentle breeze keeps the humidity at bay, crawfish season is at its savory peak, and the city is abuzz with lively festivals. It’s springtime in the Crescent City and one of our favorite times of the year. As festival season kicks off, we turn our taste buds to more casual cuisine. From a beckoning bowl of richly flavored gumbo to an artfully crafted po-boy, tempting tidbits are boundless. We’ve honed in on a few scrumptious must-have’s that are well worth the indulgence.
Mahony’s Original Po-Boys & Seafood
Mahony’s Original Po-Boys & Seafood
Festive Libations
January 29, 2020
New Orleans may well have invented the festival. This is a town that throws parties to honor the homely mirliton and local Creole tomato. We celebrate oysters, fried chicken, gumbo and Louisiana seafood. Neighborhood fêtes abound–more than 130 every year--with toes tapping from the Treme to Uptown on Freret. Diversity is heralded at Greek Fest, Southern Decadence and Soul Fest. Local art, inspired literature, live music, and good eats are the common denominators and usually entrance is free.
Teamwork Makes the Art Dream Work
January 28, 2020
Artist Emilie Rhys will be celebrating the start of 2020 with a historic exhibit at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Featuring her work together with that of her father, Noel Rockmore, this will be the first time the two artists have been celebrated in one showing. Rhys brings her live oil portraiture to the event in a magnificent scale; the sizes of the pieces are notable with some as large as 30 x 40 inches. Emilie has gained fame for her live sitting portraits, and this show is no exception. The work has been created over multiple sittings with musicians in her studio.
It Doesn’t Always Feel As New As It Looks
January 28, 2020
Once upon time in a land known as Southeast Louisiana, there lived a little prince who had an unusual relationship with a pair of Winnie the Pooh shorts. The prince’s most-favored shorts had a waistband adorned with a fabric inner lining depicting Winnie the Pooh tumbling along with a bowl of honey spilling over. The little prince wore the shorts to church; he wore them to birthday parties and to crawfish boils. He wore them to vacation in Grand Isle and even wore them to sleep, when he could get away with it.
