Louisiana Mosquito Control Association and the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board co-host the Annual Louisiana Mosquito Control Association’s Education Day 

NEW ORLEANS – The 67th Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association (LMCA) will be held in New Orleans from Dec. 11 through 12. This meeting brings together operational administrators, staff members, educators, students, state employees, and industry representatives from across the state to discuss best practices for mosquito abatement and preventing the diseases they transmit based on sound scientific principles. Each year, in conjunction with the professional meeting, a day is designated to invite local schools to educate students about mosquitoes and the activities of local mosquito abatement districts. 

The Annual LMCA Education Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the NOMTRCB Building located at 2100 Leon C. Simon Dr. This event will introduce over 500 students from 5 local schools to mosquito biology, surveillance, and control methods. 

The LMCA Education Committee is composed of mosquito abatement professionals from the NOMTRCB Board, East Baton Rouge Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control, West Baton Rouge Mosquito Control, Iberia Parish Mosquito District, Jefferson Davis Parish Mosquito Abatement, Calcasieu Parish Mosquito Control, Ouachita Parish Mosquito Abatement and Tulane University. Members of the LMCA Education Committee and NOMTRCB employees will staff exhibits designed to provide students and teachers with instructional hands-on experience. Students will be presented with concepts on general mosquito biology (habitat), life cycle (metamorphosis), morphology (speciation), behavior, medical importance, and equipment used to control mosquitoes. The goal of this event is to stimulate students’ interest in science through an interactive experience and empower them with an understanding of mosquito biology and the integrated efforts to manage them.  

Enjoy the Outdoors at Audubon Louisiana Nature Center

8:30 am - 3:00 pm

 Audubon Louisiana Nature Center

11000 Lake Forest Blvd

New Orleans LA 70127

Notes regarding time

Trails are open Monday - Saturday. Interpretive Center Thursday and Saturday 10 am - 2pm. Ranger Programs Saturdays at 11 am.

Description

The walking trails are open at Audubon Nature Center so take your kids on a nice little hike! Audubon Louisiana Nature Center is a cherished community resource. Located adjacent to Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East on 86 acres of hardwood bottomland forest, its creation was a project of the Junior League of Greater New Orleans, opening March 23, 1980. The Main Boardwalk and Adventure Trail (and restrooms) are open Mon-Sat 8:30 am - 3:00 and are monitored by rangers. The Interpretaive Center is open Thursdays & Saturdays 10 am - 2pm and the Ranger Programs are on Saturdays at 11:00 am. Click here to learn more.

Who

Everyone - family friendly.

Cost

FREE

Travel Back in Time with Dinosaurs at Audubon Zoo

EXTENDED by Popular Demand

Now - January 5, 2025

Enjoy even more time with the popular Dinosaurs at Audubon Zoo exhibit featuring over 50 life-size animatronic dinosaurs & dino-themed activities.

Hurry before they are extinct!

Now - January 5, 2025 only

| Daily 10AM - 5PM (Last entry 4:30PM)

Experience the awe-inspiring world of the pre-historic era with our spectacular collection of over 50 life-size, lifelike dinosaurs. This must-see exhibit at Audubon Zoo is perfect for dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages.

Stroll through our immersive outdoor adventure at your own pace and marvel at the wonders of 65 million years ago. Encounter iconic dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, and Stegosaurus. Don't miss this thrilling journey into the past!

A Vanishing Bounty: Louisiana’s Coastal Environment and Culture

Explore the beauty and history of Louisiana's natural environment and the threats to its continued existence posed by human habitation.

20 years of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture GardenThis year, the New Orleans Museum of Art celebrates 20 years of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, one of the city's favorite places for discovery, wonder, and respite. Free and open to all, NOMA's Besthoff Sculpture Garden features world-class artwork from the 19th century to the present day, all set within the unique landscape of South Louisiana.

Open seven days a week, 10 am–6 pm.

We’re headed back to Houston! The Tigers will play Baylor in the Texas Bowl at 2:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

The application period for selection to volunteer on a police district-based Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB) is NOW OPEN!

Police Community Advisory Boards are volunteer, independent, police district-based, citizen led advisory groups that communicate and engage with their police district community at large to provide at least four quarterly PCAB/community meetings. The PCAB led quarterly community meetings are designed to gather the police district community together to allow it to discuss New Orleans Police Department policy and policing with the goal of then identifying board recommendations to improve policy and policing for NOPD to consider.

The eight police district-based PCABs are seeking applicants willing and able to provide the time to this important civic work. 

In terms of basic requirements, applicants must be at least 18 years old, a resident of New Orleans (Orleans Parish), a resident of the PCAB police district, and must be willing and able to provide the time to assist with organizing the PCAB/community meetings, to spend time learning about NOPD policies and operations, to meet and regularly communicate with your fellow district PCAB members as necessary and as a team, and to participate in PCAB outreach that builds awareness of the district PCAB so that community participation at quarterly PCAB/community meetings is robust.

Selected members of a police district-based Police Community Advisory Board serve at least one two-year term with an option for a second two-year term.

The DEADLINE to SUBMIT is 5 pm, Monday, December 30, 2024.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11

OPEN AT 1:00 PM

j.j. and the a-ok's

1:00pm-5:00pm

boardwalker & the 3 finger swingers

5:30PM-8:30PM

THE QUEEN & FRIENDZ

9:00PM-12:00AM

THURSDAY DECEMBER 12

OPEN AT 1:00 PM

caleb nelson & his hot 5

1:00pm-5:00pm

CRISTINA KAMINIS & THE MIX

5:30PM-8:30PM

WOLFE JOHNS BLUES

9:00PM-12:00AM

FRIDAY DECEMBER 13

OPEN AT 11:00 aM

BETTIS AND THE 3RD DEGREE BRASS BAND

the rug cutters

11:00aM-1:45PM FELIPE ANTONIO'S QUINTETO

2:15PM-6PM

LES GETREX AND CREOLE COOKIN'

6:30PM-9:30PM

BETTIS AND THE 3RD DEGREE BRASS BAND

10:00PM-2:00AM

SATURDAY DECEMBER 14

OPEN AT 11:00 aM

THE JAYWALKERS

11:00PM-1:45PM

boardwalker and the three finger swingers

1:30PM-6PM

jOHNNY MASTRO BLUES

6:30PM-9:30PM

PAGGY PRINE AND SOUTHERN SOUL

10:00PM-2:00AM

 FRITZELS DECEMBER 2024 MUSIC CALENDAR

SUNDAY

12:30PM  DOYLE COOPER BAND (12/1, 12/15, 12/29) MARTY PETERS BAND (12/8, 12/22)

5PM SAZERAC JAZZ BAND 

8PM FRITZELS ALL STAR BAND W/MIKE FULTON

MONDAY

1PM MATINEE ALL STARS BAND

5PM TIN MEN 

8PM RICHARD SCOTT AND FRIENDS 

TUESDAY

1PM RICHARD "PIANO" SCOTT (CLOSED FOR PRIVATE PARTY 12/17)

5PM COLIN MYERS ORCHESTRA 

8PM FRITZELS ALL STAR BAND W/JAMIL SHARIF 

WEDNESDAY

1PM RICHARD "PIANO" SCOTT 

5PM BOURBON STREET STARS

8PM FRITZELS ALL STAR BAND W/KEVIN RAY CLARK 

THURSDAY 

12PM RICHARD "PIANO" SCOTT  

2PM DOYLE COOPER BAND 

5PM JOHN SAAVEDRA BAND 

8PM FRITZELS ALL STAR BAND W/CHUCK BRACKMAN

FRIDAY

12:30PM RICHARD "PIANO" SCOTT (SAZARAC JAZZ BAND 12/13)

2:30PM SAM FRIEND JAZZ BAND

6PM WOODIS/LANGE BAND (12/13, 12/27))  SAM LOBLEY BAND ( 12/6, 12/20)

9PM FRITZELS ALL STAR BAND W/KEVIN RAY CLARK 

SATURDAY

12:30PM RICHARD "PIANO" SCOTT (SAZARAC JAZZ BAND 12/28)

2:30PM STEVE DETROY BAND

6PM BOURBON MATINEE JAZZ BAND W/CHUCK BRACKMAN

9PM FRITZELS ALL STAR BAND W/JAMIL SHARIF 

Kevin Ray Clark

Clark Entertainment Consultants, LLC

619 23rd Street

Niagara Falls, NY 14301

contact: kevinclarkentertainment@gmail.com

website: www.kevinrayclark.com

nightcrawlers website: www.neworleansnightcrawlersbrassband.com

 Music Director

Fritzel's Jazz Pub

"Bourbon Street's oldest jazz club"

733 Bourbon Street

New Orleans, LA 70116

www.Fritzelsjazz.com 

11

Orleans Parish Appreciation Days 2024 On the second Wednesday of the month Orleans Parish residents with one proof of residency will get free admission with up to four guests to Audubon Zoo. On the third Wednesday of the month Orleans Parish residents with one proof of residency will get free admission with up to four guests to Audubon Insectarium. On the fourth Wednesday of the month Orleans Parish residents with one proof of residency will get free admission with up to four guests to Audubon Aquarium. *Program shifts up a week to account for Thanksgiving & Christmas break

11

1 PM – 5 PM

German Coast

Farmers Market-

Westbank Bridge Park

13825 River Rd, Luling, LA 70070-6219, United States

TODAY'S THE LAST DAY TO GET YOUR TICKETS!

2024 NACE New Orleans

Chapter Awards & Holiday Party

____________________________

Wednesday, Dec. 11th @ 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Tis the Season to Party 🎉🎉

Join us in The Gallery of The Chicory,

the entrance is at 611 Fulton Street.

JUMP IN ON THIS TICKET BUNDLE & BRING YOUR TEAM

$350 for a Bundle of 5 Tickets

~~ or Bring your Team ~~

$75 for Single Tickets

Sponsored by:

The Chicory, Calfee Productions & On Fire Entertainment, Yur Event Rental, Reel Photo Booth, and Carl Mack Presents, New Orleans Best Fortunetellers For Events

Spaces are limited. For inquiries and sponsorship opportunities, please contact neworleansnace@gmail.com

*Tickets are non-refundable

*Dietary alternatives will be available

GET TICKETS TODAY!

Christmas Lights at Destrehan Plantation

December 2024

6:00 pm

 Destrehan Plantation

13034 River Road

Destrehan LA 70047

Step into the holiday season ~ take the family to see the wonderful Christmas lights at Destrehan Plantation in the beautiful Alley of Oaks! Destrehan Plantation is only 25 minutes from New Orleans and 10 minutes from the airport. The kids will love all the fun activities at The Spirit of Christmas including pictures with Santa, Santa’s Workshop, duck races, Christmas caroling, Christmas stand-ins, light projections, holiday treats and pony rides for the kids. Free parking is available. Purchase tickets here! This family friendly holiday event is a fundraiser for the Greater New Orleans Therapeutic Riding Center. The Creole Christmas Combo Tour includes a walking tour of The Spirit of Christmas Lighting in the Alley of Oaks and a tour of the stately house with all of its festive holiday decorations. The Spirit of Christmas Walking Tour, is a 1/4 mile walking tour that winds through 5 acres of stately oak trees. The tour sports over 70 lighted frames, 50 Christmas trees, a lighted tunnel, and features The Cajun Night Before Christmas, by Trosclair, with permission from Arcadia Publishing. During the House Tour, guests will walk in the footsteps of those who lived in the house for 128 years. See, hear, and experience the French customs of a Creole Christmas among the beautifully adorned home in traditional finery befitting the time and style of this historic home as you tour. Learn how both free and enslaved people who lived here shaped holiday customs, brought to life through unique decorations and accounts of the past. Tours dates are time specific and are as follows: Tour times are 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm December 13 through 23, 2024. ADMISSION: $20.00 Adult (18+); $15.00 Youth (7-17 yrs. of age); $5.00 per child (3-6 yrs. of age). Free for children 2 and under

Who

Everyone - family friendly!

Cost

$20.00 Adult (18+); $15.00 Youth (7-17 yrs. of age); $5.00 per child (3-6 yrs. of age). Free for children 2 and under

How

Pay admission here.

More Info

https://www.destrehanplantation.org/

Christmas in Lafreniere Park

Jefferson Parish's Lafreniere Park returns its Holiday Light Display this Christmas season. A longtime festive tradition, the park will be adorned with snowflake, candy-cane, and nutcracker lights that will turn on at 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. daily! Opening on December 1 through December 25, tickets range in prices from $10 to $15 per car.

Make Memories to Last a Lifetime

November 29 - January 3

City Park’s largest fundraiser, Celebration in the Oaks, is THE New Orleans holiday tradition. This incredible light festival has enchanted Park visitors since the 1980s and is vital to the Park’s maintenance, care, and beautification year round. Make memories with your loved ones in City Park this holiday season.

Tickets On Sale!

Purchase Now

Everyone’s favorite holiday party is now a little bit more festive!

Get Tickets

MON-THURS + SUN HOURS

Driving Tour: 6pm–10pm

Walking Tour: 6pm–10pmFRIDAY/SATURDAY HOURS

Driving Tour: 5pm–11pm

Walking Tour: 5pm–11pm *Christmas Hours: 6pm–9pm

Proceeds benefit the continued beautification and preservation of New Orleans City Park’s 1,300 acres

WedDec11

6:30pm

Tin Men

RSVP

Tickets

The Tin Men are America's premier sousaphone, washboard and guitar trio. They have been performing at home in New Orleans, around the USA and abroad since 2002! Percussionist/vocalist Washboard Chaz, sousaphonist Matt Perrine and Guitarist vocalist Alex McMurray explore a truly eclectic array of North American Pop music. Through it all they put their own zany spin on the material and make it their own. Throw in a generous dose of McMurray's own songs, the precocious wit of Perrine's sousaphone and Washboard Chaz’s seemingly boundless charm!

WedDec11

9pm

Lagniappe Brass Band

The term Lagniappe comes from cajun French for “a little something extra.” Started in 2010, Lagniappe Brass Band was just an idea that quickly grew into something much more. Through our time, we have had the pleasure of playing around the United States, Canada, and have done several overseas tours in Spain and France.

Verterans of getting funky and bringing that soulful New Orleans brass, we’re done countless festivals and are a huge lover of the music culture in New Orleans. 

Which of the following uses the most water on a daily basis?

 Sink

 Dishwasher

 Washing Machine 

Toilet

Lauren Daigle

Saenger Theatre

Wednesday, December 11 & 

Thursday, December 12

7:30 PM

Lauren Daigle is a two-time Grammy®, seven-time Billboard Music, four-time American Music, and twelve-time GMA Dove Music Award winner. Since the release of her GRAMMY® Award-winning, 2x platinum-certified 2018 album Look Up Child, which included the 6x platinum-certified hit “You Say,” Daigle has been a mainstay on the Billboard charts. When Look Up Child debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart, Daigle became the first female artist in history to simultaneously hit the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian Album charts. Her recent GRAMMY Nominated and Mike Elizondo-produced, 23-song, self-titled album’s debut single, “Thank God I Do,” gave Daigle her 6th Billboard No. 1 and was recently certified Gold. She’s garnered over a billion streams and wowed crowds for years with sold-out US and international tours. Daigle continues to cement her status as a modern vocal powerhouse with a huge global fanbase.

2836 Lasalle Street, New Orleans, LA, United States, Louisiana 70115

Takin' It to the Streets

Weekly Brass Band events:

Mondays - Big 6 Brass Band at Da Jump Off Lounge (1901 N. Claiborne Ave.) - 9pm

Tuesdays - TBC Brass Band at Maple Leaf Bar (8316 Oak St.) - 9pm

Tuesdays - Sporty's Brass Band at Hi Ho Lounge (2239 St. Claude Ave) - 9pm

Tuesdays - Brass Band at Rabbit Hole (1228 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.) - 10pm

Wednesdays - New Breed Brass Band at Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen St.) - 9:30pm

Thursdays - Brass-A-Holics at Jazz Playhouse (300 Bourbon St.) - 7:30pm

Thursdays - Where Y'At Brass Band at Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen St.) - 9pm

Fridays - Sporty's Brass Band at Brass Hall (1104 Decatur St.) - 9pm

Fridays - Trumpet Slim & Brass Flavor at Blue Nile Balcony Room (532 Frenchmen St.) - 10pm

Saturdays - Marigny Street Brass Band at Blue Nile Balcony Room (532 Frenchmen St.) - 10pm

Saturdays - City of Trees Brass Band at Maison (508 Frenchmen St.) - 10pm

Sundays - Brass Band Sundays at Treme Hideaway (1234 N. Claiborne) - 10pm

Sundays - Street Legends Brass Band at Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen St.) - 10:30pm

Sundays - Hot 8 Brass Band at the Howlin' Wolf (907 S. Peters St) - 10:30pm

Since the inception of the Krewe of Red Beans, the Treme Brass Band has been a cornerstone for our group. It is a dream-come-true for us to host them every Thursday beginning tonight!  Join us 6 to 8 pm!

Free for members of Beanlandia! Join us and help our space grow!

3300 Royal St

Skate Country, located at 1100 Terry Parkway in Terrytown,

Skate Country is open from 8-11 p.m. on Thursdays, 7-10 p.m. on Fridays and from 1-10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission prices range from $8 to $15, and skate rentals are $5.

Skate Country’s schedule offers the following events:

• “Adult Night” from 8-11 p.m. Thursdays
• “Top Music Chart Night” from 7-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
• “Family Matinee” from 1-3:30 p.m. and 4-6:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

“Sunday Night Skate” from 7-10 p.m. Sunday. 

For the month of December we feature our Meowy Catmas special - purrformances JUST FOR MEW ORLEANS! Celebrate Christmas (or Catmas) with us by watching cats jump through wreaths, roll an ornament, push a sleigh, and performing an array of other seasonal tricks. Real rescued house cats that delight and amaze audiences of all ages.

There will also be a special appearance by The Rock-Cats (the only cat band in the entire WORLD!) playing seasonal holiday selections such as "A Cat in a Manger," "Catnip Roasting on an Open Fire," and "God Rest Ye Merry Kittens" (songs might not be performed as described).

Our Amazing Acro-Cat bus is also a mobile fostering unit for Rock Cats Rescue, helping cats and kittens across the nation find their furrever homes. Proceeds always benefit our cause of foster and rescue. Rock Cats Rescue has fostered and found homes for over 350 cats and kittens, some of them being from Mew Orleans!

This two-hour show has very limited tickets so we suggest buying online to make sure you get your seats. This show sells out! There is no intermission.

All tickets include the Meet & Greet which occurs immediately AFTER the show!  

Not Allowed

laser pointers, smoking, animals

Additional Info

All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges can be accommodated. Please be certain you choose the correct show date and time

Talent

The Amazing Acro-Cats

Event Details

• Age:
• All Ages
• Category:
• Pets
• Performing Arts
• Location:
• The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret
• 2240 St. Claude Avenue
• New Orleans, LA 70117

Racing Schedule

Thursday through Sunday

We love seeing horses in the paddock again! Doors open at 12, first race is at 12:45

•  Comedy club
• 609 Fulton St, New Orleans, LA 70130-1612, United States, New Orleans, LA, United States, Louisiana
• (504) 444-9553

9:00 pm - 10:15 pm

(Entry at 8:00 pm

Swirl Wine Bar & Market

3143 Ponce de Leon Street

Learn a little, drink a little, and have some fun with us!

FNWS 

We know how crazy things are this time of year - so much hustle and bustle, buying gifts, attending parties, shopping for special dinners... we wanted to offer you a moment to unwind on the patio with us and hopefully discover new wines that we think are perfect for both giving and sharing. Whether you're gifting a bottle to a wine snob or family member, holding a dinner party or simply toasting with friends, we promise our handpicked selection will elevate the moment. To make things a bit more celebratory, we'll also supply you with a story on each wine (paper copy and email) that can be added to your gift or talked about at the table. And in true Swirl style, these won't be wines you'll find in other places or boring varieties but unique selections, just great expressions from some of our favorite places, and presented by Alex Minton of Uncorked. We hope you'll join us for this special evening. Somehow we have 3 tickets left...get them quick, Holiday Cheer

Friday Night Heights at Above the Grid

 Friday, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Friday, December 27, 2024 at 10:00 PM (CT)NOPSI Hotel, New Orleans • New Orleans LA Get my tickets

NOPSI Hotel, New Orleans

• 317 Baronne Street New Orleans, LA 70112
• Friday
• 1
• 7:00 PM
• 
  

The US National Guard will celebrate its 388th birthday on December 13, 2024. The Museum will mark this service birthday with FREE admission for all active-duty members, reserve members, retirees, and veterans of the National Guard.

Get tickets here: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/buy-tickets

Marigny Opera Ballet Presents: HERE

Marigny Opera House Foundation

725 Saint Ferdinand Street

New Orleans, LA 70117

Friday-Sunday, December 13-15, 2024

8:00PM Performance | 7:30PM Doors Open

$75 VIP Red cushioned chairs, great views – Only 20 available each show, online only!

$65 General Admission / $40 Student, senior, etc.

The Marigny Opera Ballet presents a premiere of original song & dance for two wintry weekends – an uplifting & joyful journey through art!

HERE presents movement and musical collaboration exploring our journey through time—honoring the past, embracing the present, and looking toward a hopeful future. With uplifting choreography by Christian Denice and Diogo De Lima, as well as live music by Ted Joyner, these performances aim to inspire with a sense of hope and positive momentum.

HERE is an immersive exploration of time and place, centered around the history and present-day significance of the Marigny Opera House, originally built in 1847 as Holy Trinity Catholic Church by New Orleans’ German immigrant community. With choreography by internationally acclaimed choreographer Christian Denice and Artistic Director Diogo de Lima, this program of two contemporary ballets reflects on the passage of time, the power of presence, and the historical narratives embedded in the Marigny Opera House, and the Marigny Opera Ballet achieves yet a higher level of artistic and technical achievement.

This program fuses classical and contemporary elements to bring the past into conversation with the present. Music for HERE is composed by Ted Joyner (of Generationals) and performed live by The Delachaise Ensemble (featuring string quartet, bassoon, and piano). Jeff Pagano collaborates on orchestration and arrangement, while Brian Danos – composer, producer, and electronic experimentalist – will assist with both arrangement and performance, utilizing sequencers, samplers, and analog synthesizers to enhance the score.

Soon, we present programming that celebrates connection and life’s beautiful moments.

TODAY AT 11 PM – 2 AM

Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers

Blue Nile

Friday, December 13 · 5 - 6:30pm CST

Location

The Garden District Book Shop

2727 Prytania Street New Orleans, LA 70130

Gypsy-Rose Blanchard will be at the Garden District Book Shop December 13 for an author meet & greet for her memoir My Time to Stand. 

A victim of her mother’s Munchausen by proxy and child abuse survivor, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s unique and controversial case made headlines across the world. Now, she’s finally free to start living her life on her terms—and to tell her own story as only she can.

Forced to use a wheelchair in public and endure a lifetime of faux illness, fraud, and exploitation, Gypsy was subjected not only to her mother’s medical, physical, and emotional abuse, but deprived of childhood milestones. Prevented from attending school or socializing, Gypsy’s formative years were defined by pain and isolation. 

After serving 8 years in prison for the role she played in her mother Dee Dee’s murder, Gypsy is embracing her fresh start—and reminding all of us that it’s never too late. Featuring Blanchard family photos and new facts about Gypsy’s life that she previously kept private, My Time to Stand offers an unprecedented look at the real Gypsy proudly embarking on her ongoing journey to recovery and self-discovery.

The evening will begin at 5:00 PM. Early Bird tickets are now on sale for $35 and include a signed copy of My Time to Stand and a photo opp with Gypsy. Guests are encouraged to knock out some holiday shopping while they wait around The Rink.

Arts Market New Orleans: Holiday Edition

City Park’s Great Lawn (8 Victory Ave.)

Dec 14 & 15 | 10 AM - 4 PM

Shop 50+ local vendors and join a free holiday card workshop led by fiber collage artist Blu Dahlia (@bludahlia). Celebrate the season while supporting local artists and makers.

Holiday Home Tour

Tour the interiors and grounds of several stunning homes in the historic Garden District. Festivities also include live music, a boutique and more!

THIS SATURDAY!

DECEMBER 14, 2024

NOLA Tree Project Hosts

the Annual Holiday Fruit Tree Sale at

Ye Olde College Inn Gardens

Saturday, December 14th, 2024

8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Ye Olde College Inn Gardens

3000 S. Carrollton Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118

BECNEL FARMS

PLAQUEMINES PARISH FRUIT TREES

* $50 each

* Meyer Lemon

* Bumper, Owari, Artic & Orange Frost Satsuma

* Louisiana Sweet Hamlin, Navel, & Moro Blood Oranges

* Ruby Red Grapefruit

* Key & Persian Limes

* Southern Cherry

* Freedom Blackberry

*Tart & Sweet Kumquat

*Sweet Native Persimmon

* Celeste Fig $40

* Haas Avocado $60

* Arbequina Olive $60

The gift that keeps growing and giving!

Central Grocery, famous for muffulettas, to reopen in French Quarter. See the plan.

Closed since massive hurricane damage in 2021, a rebuilt legend returns.

• BY IAN MCNULTY

A half muffuletta from Central Grocery, the famous Italian market in the French Quarter.

Staff photo by Ian McNulty

More than three years after massive hurricane damage closed its doors, Central Grocery, the historic market and deli famous for its muffuletta sandwich, is finally set to return.

Central Grocery now plans to reopen on Saturday, Dec. 14, with regular hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, confirms Tommy Tusa, one of the shop's third-generation family owners.

The return of the market at 923 Decatur St. will restore a New Orleans icon that’s beloved by locals — and a bucket list stop for tourists.

The Central Grocery muffuletta will be available, and the shop’s retail shelves and deli cases will again be filled with Italian food products and other specialty items.

History and comeback

Central Grocery dates to 1906 and an era when the French Quarter was home to so many Italian immigrants that it was sometimes known as Little Palermo. The neighborhood was dotted with Italian groceries serving the microcosms of local life that developed here. Most are gone, but Central Grocery endured, in large part because of its muffuletta.

That long history was thrown into doubt by disaster.

During Hurricane Ida in 2021, a large portion of the three-story townhouse that rose above Central Grocery’s own two-story building collapsed, dumping tons of masonry down through the market’s roof. The building remained open to the elements for weeks, including through a tropical depression that lashed the area that same year.

The work to bring back Central Grocery was no mere round of repairs, but rather a complete rebuild of the Decatur Street property. At one point, the space was reduced to a floor and the three brick walls around it.

The Tusa family was determined to rebuild. Facing what was essentially a blank slate, they had a decision about how to bring it back — either replicating what was there or making a more modern deli. They chose to go back to their roots, and bring back the store along the lines that people remember.

“I wanted it to be like it was before. I feel I owe that to my family. We owe it to the people and to the city,” Tusa said.

A muffuletta network

The muffuletta is like an antipasto platter crossed with a sandwich, and Central Grocery has become synonymous with it. The house version is striated with layers of mortadella, salami and ham, Swiss and provolone cheese, and then topped with olive salad, a briny mix of marinated olives and vegetables squeaking with oil, all on a distinctive round seeded loaf.

All the time the French Quarter shop was closed, Central Grocery muffulettas have remained available thanks to moves the company took during the pandemic to stay afloat.

Working from a commercial-grade commissary kitchen in Kenner, Central Grocery has been shipping its signature sandwich nationally through the service Goldbelly, and distributing them through other New Orleans-area stores.

That network of retail locations has grown, and will continue as the French Quarter market returns. Tusa said working with these other businesses has been instrumental in keeping staff employed during the long rebuilding process.

Handel's Messiah - 7:00 pm on Saturday, December 14 at St. Domenic Catholic Church (Harrison Ave) and 3:00 pm on Sunday, December 15 at St. Mary's Assumption Catholic Church (Joseph St).

Click the auditions link to get information on singing Messiah with us!

2024 Full Moon schedule

(all times Eastern)

• 
  
• Dec. 15 — 4:02 a.m. Cold Moon

Cold Moon (December): Evocative of winter’s chill.

  Sponsored

 North Pole Express Safari at Global Wildlife Center Get ready to go on a journey this holiday season with the Global Wildlife Center for their North Pole Express Safari, on December 15, and 22! 

The North Pole Express Safari includes:

• Hot Chocolate and S'mores
• Children get a Believers Bell and Golden Ticket
• Santa and Mrs. Claus available for free photos
• Snap a selfie in front of Global Wildlife Center’s giant Christmas tree

Experience a whimsical adventure with winter wonderland decorated safari wagons in your holiday themed pajamas. There will also be "snow" in the forecast.

Here’s the Saints’ full 2024 schedule in list format

Regular season



Week 15: vs. Washington Commanders, noon, Dec. 15 (FOX)



Week 16: at Green Bay Packers (Monday Night Football), 7:15 p.m., Monday, Dec. 23 (ESPN)

Week 17: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, noon, Sunday, Dec. 29 (FOX)

Week 18: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, TBD, Saturday or Su

nday, Jan. 4-5. (TBD)

Harahan Farmers Market

• weekly on Sunday
• Address: 6601 10th Street, Harahan, LA
• Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
• Price: FREE

Pups & Pints at Chafunkta Brewing Co.

• Recurring Recurring weekly on Sunday
• Time: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Price: Free
• Chafunkta Brewing Company
• 69123 Skybrook Rd., Mandeville, LA 70471
• (985) 869-0716

Make your Sunday a true FUNDAY with Chafunkta Brewery's "Pups and Pints," every Sunday! Bring your dog to the brewery on Sundays and your second pint is free. Don't have a pup or can't bring one? That's OK, as 10% of ALL SALES will go to the Northshore Humane Society.

Please join us Dec 15th from 5-8pm for our Holiday Open House Full Moon

Party.

Complimentary Beverages and Appetizers.

Spread good cheer - Bring a friend and enjoy the entertainment!

Hope to see you there

❤️

B

--

Barbara Ann Locklear

InnKeeper

1261 Esplanade Ave

NOLA 70116

(228) 342-5382 - cell

hotelstoryville.net

Kermit's Treme Mother In Law Lounge is at Kermit's Treme Mother In Law Lounge.

 · New Orleans

Kermit Ruffins every Monday at 6 o’clock at the mother-in-law lounge

• 1500 N Claiborne Ave, New Orleans, LA, United States, Louisiana
• (504) 814-1819

 NOLA Jitterbugs

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans

Tickets

nolajitterbugsfall2023.dancecamps.org/booking.php

Public 

Join the award-winning (1st place, baby!) NOLA Jitterbugs for a 6-week series with live music in the last class!

Our live music classes with local musicians and culture bearers, as well as our overall emphasis on music appreciation is what makes our lessons stand out among the rest!

Starts at The Contemporary Arts Center!

6-7pm Intro to Swing

For total beginners to swing dancing or dancing of any kind. Also for those looking to refresh their basics and learn some ragtime dances. We use these pre-swing era dances to teach beginners how to step on rhythm, step on rhythm while connected to another person, how to connect in order to lead or follow, you'll learn to syncopate your footwork, and then we'll slowly start to let go of one hand and create the beginnings of what will eventually be a bad-ass swing out.

7:30-8:30 Lindy Hop Vocab - Intermediate Level

This class is gonna give you some must know moves, some technique, some philosophy, and of course, we'll continue to clarify and polish up your swing outs.

No partner required to take either of these classes. Come alone or with friends!

SIGN UP HERE:

https://nolajitterbugsfall2023.dancecamps.org/booking.php

• 900 Camp St, New Orleans, LA, United States, Louisiana
• (504) 528-3805

Mayor's Office of Nighttime Economy and Health Department Announce Developing Series of Free Narcan and Stop the Bleed Trainings for Hospitality Workers

NEW ORLEANS – The Mayor's Office of Nighttime Economy, in collaboration with the Health Department, is excited to announce a developing series of Narcan and Stop the Bleed trainings to equip hospitality workers with critical, life-saving skills. These free trainings will provide participants with the knowledge to respond effectively to overdose incidents and severe injuries, helping to make the nightlife community safer. To maximize accessibility, trainings will be scheduled in neighborhoods across the city.

Narcan training sessions will include free Narcan for all participants, while Stop the Bleed training will cover essential skills for managing bleeding emergencies. As an extra incentive to participate, The Broadside will offer free movie tickets to a screening at the Broad Theater for the first 15 attendees at each of their hosted sessions.

Upcoming Training Schedule

• 
  
• 
• Tuesday 12/17/2024 at 3 p.m. - Narcan Training at The Broadside, 600 N. Broad Street
• 
  
• Wednesday 1/8/2025 at 6 p.m. - Narcan Training at Sports Drink, 1042 Toledano Street
• Monday 1/13/2025 at 3 p.m. - Stop the Bleed Training at The Broadside, 600 North Broad Street

"Bystanders hold the power to change the outcome of a crisis. Awareness and training can create a community of lifesavers,” said Summer Lander, Opioid Outreach and Education Coordinator at the New Orleans Health Department.

“Hospitality workers are on the front lines of our nightlife, and we’re committed to providing them with the resources they need to respond to emergencies,” said Julia Heath, Policy and Outreach Manager at the Mayor's Office of Nighttime Economy. “Through this training series, we’re empowering them with the essential skills and confidence needed to handle life-threatening situations.”

For more information or to volunteer a nightlife business to host a training, contact nighttime@nola.gov

New Orleans Bowl matchup is set. See which teams will play in Dec. 19 game.

• BY TED LEWIS

Georgia Southern and Sam Houston State will meet in the 24th New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19 in the Caesars Superdome.

Kickoff for the first meeting between the two schools is 6 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2.

“This matchup is an incredible opportunity to showcase the hospitality of New Orleans,” bowl executive director Billy Ferrante said.

Georgia Southern (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt) finished second to Marshall in the league’s Eastern Division despite a 24-23 victory against the Thundering Herd. Late-season losses to Old Dominion and Troy denied the Eagles the championship game berth.

Sam Houston (9-3, 6-2 Conference USA) would have played Jacksonville State for the league title if Western Kentucky did not defeat the Gamecocks, 19-17, on a last-second field goal last week.

Still it’s been a significant year for the Bearcats, who are playing in their first bowl game in the program’s second season at the FBS level.

However, Sam Houston will be without longtime coach K.C. Keeler was named the coach at Temple earlier this week after 11 seasons at the Huntsville, Texas, school.

Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen and assistant head coach John Johnson are in charge of the team for the bowl game according to athletic director Bobby Williams, who added that both are under consideration to succeed Keeler.

“Coaching changes are never easy,” Williams said. “But they also give you a chance to evaluate your program and we have a very strong candidate pool thanks to the job K.C. did.

“At the same time, it’s very important to us to make this the best bowl experience possible for the players who have put in so much strong work to get us into this position.”

Georgia Southern is in its seventh bowl in 10 years at the FBS level and the third straight under former Southern Cal coach Clay Helton. The Eagles improved from 6-7 the last two years.

It’s the second New Orleans Bowl appearance for Georgia Southern. The first came in the COVID-affected 2020 season, which saw 11 bowls cancelled when the Eagles played Louisiana Tech in a virtually empty Superdome due to game restrictions that also limited the teams not coming to New Orleans until the day before the game and leaving immediately thereafter.

“Billy and his staff did their best under the circumstances,” said Georgia Southern athletic director Jared Benko, who was then deputy athletic director. “The best thing was the outcome (Georgia Southern won, 35-3).

“Now we’re getting to return to Eagle Nation behind us. Our fans love going to bowl games and are especially looking forward to coming to a great city like New Orleans.”

Likewise, Williams said, Sam Houston fans will be enthused about coming to New Orleans.

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Holiday Spectacular

• Thursday, December 19, 2024
• 7:30 PM  9:30 PM
• Orpheum Theater
• 129 Roosevelt WayNew Orleans, LA (map)

Matthew Kraemer, conductor

Featuring:

Robin Barnes

The 2025 Jazz & Heritage Spring Concert Series, produced by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and presented by Goldfarb Financial, is set to be a remarkable celebration of music! Taking place at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, located at 1225 N. Rampart Street in New Orleans, the concerts will honor both traditional and contemporary jazz. The four-week series will be an unforgettable experience that bridges the timeless and modern evolution of jazz! 

2025 Traditional and Contemporary Jazz Series presented by Goldfarb Financial

Friday, January 10 – Mark Braud’s New Orleans Jazz Giants 🎟 $10

Saturday, January 11 – Victor Campbell 🎟 $10

Friday, January 17 – Mikhala “Jazz Muffin” Iversen 🎟 $10

Saturday, January 18 – Jason Marsalis Presents: The Rare Works of Ellis Marsalis 🎟 $10

Friday, January 24 – The Pfister Sisters 🎟 $10

Saturday, January 25 – Jason Stewart Quintet ft. Donald Vega 🎟 $10

Friday, January 31 – Panorama Brass Band 🎟 $10

Saturday, February 1– Steve Masakowski Family and Friends 🎟 $10

39th Annual

Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame Gala

Join us for this year's gala at the JW Marriott on February 1, 2025.

This exciting celebration will include a cocktail reception, a silent auction, a delicious, seated dinner, and the presentation of awards to our amazing inductees, and our National Honoree!

This year’s National Honoree: Sal Paolantonio of ESPN. 

LAISHF Inductees: 

Wayne Francingues, Ryan LoProto (posthumously), and Sam Scelfo. 

Awardees: 

Louis Prima Arts & Entertainment Award: Tony Orlando

Buddy “D” Media Award: Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco

Business Achievement Award: Arthur Brocato 

Dr. John Adriani Medical Award: Dr. Jeffery Scott Pinto

Joseph I Giarrusso Civic Award: Leon Cannizzaro

Joseph Maselli Heritage Award: Joe Scelsa

Join us as we celebrate these deserving people, click below for tickets!

*Don't miss Appearances by Rocky Marciano Jr. and Vince Ferragamo, former quarterback of the LA Rams!

Super Bowl LIX may happen more than three weeks before Fat Tuesday, but the host committee wants to make sure the city -- and the throngs of visitors in town for the NFL's championship game -- get the carnival experience.

The day before the game, February 8, there will be a Mardi Gras-style parade complete with elaborate floats, marching bands, and throws.

Our partners at NOLA.com report details of the parade are still being finalized, but float-builder Barry Kern says it will likely be a 20-float parade made up of signature floats from various krewes.

And because it is not an official carnival parade, corporate sponsors will also be a part of it.

Todd Graves, founder of Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, will serve as grand marshal.

Rather than follow one of the traditional Mardi Gras routes, the Super Bowl parade will line up on Elysian Fields in the Marigny, parade up Decatur Street along the French Quarter, then take Tchoupitoulas St. to Poydras, turn up to St. Charles Ave., then proceed along St. Charles to St. Joseph St. just before reaching Harmony Circle.

Super Bowl LIX pre-game show features all New Orleans and Louisiana musicians

• BY KEITH SPERA |

The NFL announced on Thanksgiving that the Super Bowl LIX pre-game telecast will spotlight singers and musicians from New Orleans and Louisiana. 

Jon Batiste, who grew up in Kenner and attended St. Augustine High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, will sing the national anthem in the Caesars Superdome ahead of kickoff on Feb. 9.

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, who grew up in Treme, will team up with contemporary Christian singer and Lafayette native Lauren Daigle to perform "America the Beautiful." They have previously made guest appearances with one another onstage and on recordings.

And contemporary R&B singer Ledisi, who was born and raised in New Orleans before moving to California, will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

“We’re honored to work with this year’s pregame lineup to celebrate the rich musical legacy of New Orleans and the entire state,” said Seth Dudowsky, head of music at the NFL, in a news release. "The Super Bowl is a rare moment to unite fans around the world, and this year’s performers will bring the energy, soul and vibrant sounds of the region to a global stage, as we kickoff Super Bowl LIX with a celebration to remember.”