Founded on March 17th, 2012, the New Orleans Volunteer Orchestra or N.O.V.O. has since given two…read moreperformances, both entirely free. Composed entirely of volunteers running the gamut between local high school students and seasoned professionals, and self-organized by Loyola students, this orchestra looks to introduce players and hungry-eared listeners alike to the world of symphonic music through a mix of contemporary movie soundtracks and classical favorites of old for the affordable price of FREE. I wish I could have witnessed the very first performance, but I do feel very fortunate I got to witness the second and most recent one on November 9th, with the theme of "space". Starting with a suite of Star Wars music from Episodes 1-3, they moved on to play Holst's Mars and Jupiter, as well as a piece from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Ravel. For lovers of orchestral music such as a myself, it was a real treat. Though shorter than a standard visit to a symphony, being entirely free and performed entirely by volunteers, you won't hear a single complaint from me about the duration. It also ended with a reception of complimentary food and drink where we were all even able to mingle with the orchestra members. My hats off to all those in the orchestra for adding such wonderful music to the world, purely for the joy of the symphony experience. If you ask me, New Orleans is a rare place where something like this would spontaneously appear and take root, and seems to represent another facet of what is so wondrous about this city and its immortal musicality. I highly recommend catching future performances and you can definitely do that by keeping an eye on them via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NewOrleansVolunteerOrchestra as I now do. For the love of music! (standing ovation)

How much fun was this? So. Much. Fun!…read more I got invited to "The Dark Side" performance by fellow Yelp Elite, Katie A and am so incredibly grateful for it! What a fabulous experience! I have never heard a volunteer orchestra play, so I didn't know what to expect, but the talent and passion was beyond measure. The performance started with some beautiful Beethoven, followed by a fun and exciting run through six numbers from Star Wars. We were then blessed with a killer concerto with strings and a marimba. So so SO GOOD!!! I have never seen or heard anything like it. When I thought it couldn't get any better, a young and talented cellist nearly brought me to tears as she played Hungarian Rhapsody Op. 68. This young lady, Rachael Levine, was superb. The orchestra performs at the St. Charles Ave Baptist Church, a wonderful location, although I recommend getting there early for parking. The view and sound seemed best from upstairs in the balcony seating, however it is very warm up there. Also, the stairs getting up there are not lit, so be careful! I am disappointed that this performance ended the season, I cannot wait until Spring to attend again. It's likely I'll go to all of the performances.

I attended a benefit in this space a few months ago and wow it is gorgeous. The open floor plan,…read morethe exposed rafters, the beautiful bar, the throwback corner door access. And I loved all the artwork on the walls. The space does not appear to have regular hours so viewings are by appointment only. Seriously with the revitalization of OCH/Dryades corridor, it's great to see such lovely historic buildings come back into their own.

I had the opportunity to check out this space thanks to Alvin and Re because this is where the Big…read moreClass Luau was held. I want to start by saying how excited I am for the development of the entire Oretha Castle Haley corridor. I think in a year it is going to be one of the hottest areas in the city. It took me a few minutes to actually find this place at first. My good ol' GPS just led me to the 1400 block of OCH and left me to find the actual building on my own. Just a note: it's on a corner and I took a picture of the door, so that you can be on the lookout. The venue itself is lovely. It's a wide open space with a nice bar and plenty of seating. There is gorgeous art on the wall and I like that there is a lot of space to move around. Big selling point: the air conditioning here works like a champ. A lot of times you get into these old buildings, and the ac can't keep up with the space, but that was not the case here. Plenty of windows let in the light during the day, which I am always a fan of; I hate going to dark event spaces during the day and feeling like I'm in a dungeon. There is a stage area where students for Big Class read poems. I presume that other performances take place on the stage as well. There are even some sofas for comfy seating as you enjoy whatever is happening on stage or just mingling with friends. I didn't get to explore it, but there's an upstairs area as well. It should be noted that the building is located on an extremely well lit block, so if you attend an event here at night you should feel pretty safe. I look forward to attending more events here and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more fundraisers that may be held here.

This was like a miniature French Quarter Festival…read more Last time the Super Bowl was in town I had to work ridiculous hours. This time I lucked out and was free to check out the sights and attractions. Verizon Super Bowl Boulevard was not around the last time we had a game. I am guessing Quint Davis convinced the NFL that this was a good idea, and he was right. There were several stages with high quality local acts and local food vendors selling everything from hot dogs to gumbo. The crowd was overwhelmingly local considering all the black and gold I saw. The crowds were very well behaved and the festival had almost a surreal feel to it. It was as if the whole city came together to represent New Orleans. Maybe I am a bit nutty, but that's how it felt. I kind of wish Woldenberg park could host festivals like this every weekend.

if you came to town for the Super Bowl and didn't have the absolute time of your life, its yo own…read moredamn fault!! I don't know if there could be a better destination for "America's [Big] Game". SB Boulevard was laid out well with plenty of food and vendors with spectacular lineups. To make sure The Boulevard was the best it could possibly be, the powers that be tasked Jazz Fest architect, Quint Davis, to put it all together and you couldn't ask for better weather or music, a perfect sampling of what New Orleans is about.....and it was all FREE! Hells yeah Overheard one out-of-towner say, "How can we ever go back [home]!" Exactly!

Truly a lovely little museum. Honestly, the only thing that keeps it from being five stars is that…read moreit is a little museum, very little. Instead of having any sort of permanent display, there is a rotating exhibit that changes semi-regularly. The current one, on abolition and black identity, is extremely powerful and well worth seeing. That admission is free certainly doesn't hurt, and you can take a peek at the student sculpture garden on your way there. Anyone that goes hoping for exhibits on Newcomb pottery or other crafts may be rather disappointed however. The entrance hall does have a small ceramic exhibit and some beautiful stained glass windows, but in order to see anything else or learn much more about the program, you'll need to go across to the student commons and find the display cases on the third floor.

Love this art museum on Tulane University's undergraduate campus. Nestled Under the Oaks, it is a…read morehidden treasure. Fun to pop in a see what exhibits are on display. Favorites over years have included a collection of Josephine Louise Newcomb's books, Newcomb Pottery, Flint is Family, KAWS and Shakespeare's First Folios. Newcomb Art Museum was the only site in Louisiana to exhibit the traveling Shakespeare display. H. Sophie Newcomb College was established in 1886 as the first coordinate college for women in the US. It educated young women in the sciences, physical education and the arts. Newcomb Pottery was created at Newcomb College and gained worldwide fame from 1895 to the 1940s. You can find Newcomb Pottery in museums across the US. Love the Tiffany stained glass windows and the displays of Newcomb Pottery in the lobby leading to the museum. Newcomb is still an amazing place for art students to learn skills like Pottery and glass blowing. Current exhibits include To Survive on This Shore which explores issues of gender, sexuality and community and Metamorphosis which has highlights from the permanent collection. Check out the online images or visit the museum. The museum is free to visit. Parking is available in the garage off Willow Street near Yulman Stadium. Check hours online. The museum is closed on Sundays.

Not sure how to rate the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum. I've never heard of it before a recent…read morevisit to New Orleans. I actually learned about it while visiting the Presbytere. I've been to many amazing Civil Rights Museums. Most have made me cry. Made me think. How people choose to interact or not interact. Why they make certain choices. What influences their biases and prejudices. I'm not sure if it is the location, but this museum was underwhelming. It has a good foundation, but it seems like an afterthought to the convention center. Or maybe it should be free to all. My favorite part was the Right to Education. I can't even imagine being a little girl trying to just learn to read as schools were starting to be desegregated. The New Orleans Four. Escorted to school everyday for their safety by U.S. Federal Marshals. Ruby Bridges. Walked into an almost empty classroom alone due to fear, preconceived bias and prejudices. Today, the Ruby Bridges Foundation promotes tolerance, respect and education to create more inclusive communities. Leona Tate. Tessie Prevost. Gaile Etienne. The other three six year olds of the New Orleans Four. They first attended McDonogh 19 Elementary School on November 14, 1960 as white families pulled their children from the school and taunted the girls with cruel racial slurs and even death threats. Unbelievable. Even today, the educational disparities continue. Schools in New Orleans continue to be underfunded with many affluent and middle class families sending their children to private school in disproportionate numbers as compared to Louisiana and the rest of the US. It makes you think. The museum itself is $7. I used my museum pass for reciprocal entry. I was there for less than an hour.

This museum is located in the convention center. It is great for the fast visit. The space is very…read moresmall. The display is kind of limited. Majority of the display is the 4 black children in the school and protect by marshal. Visit only required 30 minutes. I would said this is a small museum. Clerk is friendly. Entrance requires a small fees.

Mardi Gras New Orleans Louisiana! To me it's the ultimate…read morecelebration of food, music and a festive parade! It's like Macy's parade X Rated. Or at least that's how I remember it. I still get excited every year. For now I just get out my copy of the movie Easy Rider and feel the excitement and trip out watching the movie! If you can get there plan your trip way in advance. This isn't the 60's anymore! I'm recommending! Plus not only is tomorrow 02/13/2024 Mardi Gras, tomorrow is also Fat Tuesday!

Wheeeeww! It's a party, it's a party, it's a par-taaaay!!! My first time ever in NOLA and it so…read morehappened to be during Lundi Gras and Fat Tuesday. When I tell you that it was LIT, bay-beh! I mean... Geezus. What. An. Experience. I've gotta be honest though, I'm not much of a partier at ALL these days. I was barely makin' it through, but I did it y'all. Stayed out late to catch the bright and beautiful parades and festivals. Boogied down to the live music on Royal Street. And yes, I even made an appearance on the ever so cray cray Bourbon street too. Hey; you only live once, folks! I came, I saw, I conquered. Mardi Gras is a great excuse to experience the lively festivals and traditions of NOLA. There are so many fun parades that go on during Mardi Gras season. I was able to catch 3 different parades and all were fun. The people here are so incredibly kind that it kind of made me feel uncomfortable at first. I didn't know how to take the compliments and well wishes from strangers because in my hood, we don't really talk to strangers. But after a day of nearly being greeted by everyone who came into my path, it became pleasant. The southern hospitality is real and I loved it dearly. The costumes are AMAZING!!! I felt super underdressed. Both men and ladies dress up for the occasion during Mardi Gras. You'll find street performers everywhere, but many of them are on Bourbon and Royal street. There are beads everywhere. Literally everywhere! On the streets, on furniture, on you, and on me. People are so happy and excited to celebrate. The smiles are contagious and so is the energy. But whew, if you are not a people person, it can be A LOT. Tons and TONS of people. Lots of drunkards and half naked peeps running around too. So, I feel like I experienced the extremity of it because I was there on Fat Tuesday which of course is the largest celebration. I probably wouldn't come back during Fat Tuesday again because it was too wild for lil' ol' me, but I'd definitely come back during the earlier season to catch more of the parades. Still a fun experience and now I know the true magic of Mardi Gras in NOLA.

King Arthur is a solid parade with a much older ridership it seemed. So don't expect too many folks…read moreto be able to throw to the back. The floats were fun (but are rented so you'll see them several more times) and the riders were enthusiastic. The bands were trying on this rainy rainy day. Minus points for their preponderance of blue beads bleeding blue all over my hands, my clothes, my house. I know the theme was King Arthur has the Blues, but did you have to give it to the rest of us? And Danon, KA was never a Metairie parade...it used to be on the Westbank.

The Krewe is base on King Arthur and Merlin the magician. This is a Sunday family parade that is…read morefriendly to all ages. This year theme is "King Arthur has A Blue" and the throwing flying discs, spears and ball with blue theme. This is about Camelot with the king and magician parade. It starts with the float with King Arthur pulling the Excalibur from the stone, then the Magician Merlin show the magic power in the floats. This is fun float. The Florida Everglades is represented in the floats. The parade is fun and the beads are once again shower to the public. There are several group of the city is represented. The Rhythm's Dance Co, Nyxettex, Deja Vu Dance Team, and Nola Cherry Bomb. There are plenty of beads flying around. There are kid enjoy the moment they were throwing with the stuff toy. The best way to attract more beads or stuff toy is to carry a card board sign like I am from New York, support NYPD, NYFD or NOFD. This is the organization that attract the beads thrower fly the beads in your direction.

Thanks so much to Morgan and Yelp for the opportunity to attend this event that was for such a good…read morecause! Southport Hall did a great job hosting this event- the open bar was tops, there was a lot of space so that we could enjoy the band, the auction items were organized nicely and there were plenty of seafood options for a Friday during Lent. I was really impressed by the band The Flashback Chameleons and they kept the party going. I also liked that you could check the progress of the silent auction on your phone, so that you could choose which items to bid on. Even though we didn't win any of the auctions, I was impressed by all of the donated items. This is one of the better charity events I've attended and I would love to attend it again.