There is limited street parking near and around City Park. Please be aware of any signs restricting parking. Overnight parking, walking, sleeping, camping by individuals or groups is prohibited within the confines of City Park. Also, parking on the Bayou or the Neutral Ground (median) is illegal and you will be towed.
Contributions go toward Steve Gleason’s participation in advanced and experimental technology, equipment and treatments.
The purpose of the What you Give will Grow event is to raise awareness for ALS and to support the Gleason Family Trust. The Gleason Family Trust is set up to help offset the incremental costs of living with ALS.
Team Gleason is an organization driven to generate public awareness for Amyothrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), raise funding to empower those with ALS to live a rewarding life, and ultimately find a cure for ALS.
The Gleason Initiative Foundation – a 501c3 working to help others with ALS.
Gleason Family Trust – for those wanting to directly support Steve and his family
www.TeamGleason.org
Race – 9:30 am
5K Run (3.7 miles)
Entry Fees:
$37 – First 737 Race Registrants
$45 – 738+ Race Registrants through September 23rd
Registration is available at packet pick up locations for $45
$55 – Race Day Registration – September 24th – 7:30am – 9:00am (limited)
$20 – youth (15 & under)
Race entry includes limited edition Team Gleason T-shirt, one general admission ticket to Gleason Gras with post run refreshments.
FESTIVAL – Until 8 pm
General Admission Tickets:
$5 – in advance; $10 – at the gate
VIP Tickets: (Limited Tickets)
$250 – purchased by September 23rd; $300 – at the gate
$50 – Youth (15 & under)
Enjoy VIP at Gleason Gras – Open Premium Bar, Live and Silent Auction, Door Prize – Autographed Steve Gleason and Thomas Morstead Jerseys, Private Restrooms, VIP Gourmet Food by New Orleans’ Finest Restaurants and Much More! VIP ticket includes race registration.
Saturday, September 24th
You too can Boogaloo as a volunteer
Bayou Boogaloo Volunteers! – http://www.thebayouboogaloo.com/info-directions/volunteer/
Are you interested in volunteering with The Bayou Boogaloo on the banks of beautiful Bayou St. John on May 20, 21, and 22?
You can visit the sign up page by visiting https://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/987188364026
If you are unable to volunteer this year but would like to join The Bayou Boogaloo’s
volunteer mailing list for future events, please, sign up on The Bayou Boogaloo’s website.
For any questions or concerns, please email
[email protected]
Interested in Volunteering with The Bayou Boogaloo?
See all of the 2016 volunteer opportunities and sign up for a spot here.
On top of becoming part of the Boogaloo Family and being one of the key players that help keep the festival free, Volunteers also receive a free t-shirt that is not available for sale to the public.
***
Bodacious Boogaloo
by Charlie London
Since the beginning, the Bayou Boogaloo, held on the banks of Bayou St. John in New Orleans during May, has had a mission to give back to the community. The first Bayou Boogaloo in 2006 was a healing effort for the community. Many folks were still rebuilding their lives and their houses after “the storm”. The Bayou Boogaloo was a welcome respite from the daily grind. It provided much needed fun for both adults and children.
One of the often forgotten aspects of the Bayou Boogaloo is its emphasis on zero impact on the environment. I’ve personally witnessed the meticulous cleanup after the event. One would never know the music festival ever took place because the area is left as clean or cleaner than it was before the event.
The Bayou Boogaloo has promoted solar energy, recycling and encouraged folks to consider the environment. The Bayou Boogaloo has led by example. Several huge oak trees have been planted along the banks of Bayou St. John leaving a lasting positive impact on the environment and the community.
The Bayou Boogaloo gives back in other ways too! The event helps neighborhood organizations raise funds for their operations, has helped build playgrounds, has supported community sports initiatives, helped plant native habitat-building and erosion-preventing marsh grasses, and replaced trees lost during hurricanes.
The City even recognized the Bayou Boogaloo’s founder, Jared Zeller, with a proclamation for promoting an economically and environmentally sustainable event.
Join the Bayou Boogaloo this Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 20, 21, and 22. The Bayou Boogaloo is more than just a music festival, it’s a community building coalition!
More info at: http://thebayouboogaloo.com/
***
THE BEAT GOES ON AT THE BAYOU BOOGALOO
By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer
It’s been less than three weeks since the last notes rang out at the Fair Grounds to close the 2016 edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Not far away, bands will strike up again at the 11th Annual Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo. The free event is presented from Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22, 2016 along the banks of Bayou St. John between Dumaine Street and N. Jefferson Davis Parkway. It features three main music stages at Dumaine Street, Orleans Avenue and Lafitte Street plus a Kids Stage that has both music and other activities to please the youngsters.
There are some excellent local and national headliners at the festival that didn’t perform at this year’s Jazz Fest including Nolatet (Sunday, 6 p.m.), The Lowrider Band (Saturday, 7:45 p.m.) and the Wailers (Friday, 7:45 p.m.).
Let’s start with Nolatet, a band of all-star jazz masters – drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, vibraphonist/percussionist Mike Dillon and pianist Brian Haas. This performance marks the first time many local people will have the opportunity to experience this group as they’ve only performed in New Orleans several times. Formed spontaneously in 2014 and quickly releasing its exciting debut album, Dogs (The Royal Potato Family) just this year, Nolatet has been out on tour promoting the CD and, according to Vidacovich, has been very well-received. “They liked it a lot – a lot more than I imagined,” he is quoted in OffBeat magazine. “I thought the music would be a little too orchestral. There’s a lot of things that we’re doing that are just out of the norm.”
“I can tell you what it sounds like to me sometimes when I’m involved with the music and my head is spinning,” he continued. “It reminds me of a circus and a Christmas tree with a lot of lights.”
Because pianist Haas, unlike the other members, doesn’t live in New Orleans, Nolatet is a get-it-while-you can band though all concerned express their hope and intent to do much more in the future.
Just an aside – it’s great to have Dillon, who absolutely floored the crowd at last year’s performance of his New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium – back at Bayou Boogaloo. Hopefully, the Consortium, an amazing collection of rhythm masters will return next year or be booked somewhere else soon.
The Lowrider Band, which partly due to the presence of one-time Crescent City resident, drummer Harold Brown, feels almost like its from New Orleans. It’s also got that funk and street band attitude that music lovers here can really relate to. The last time the Lowriders performed in New Orleans was in 2009 at a benefit for the Save Charity Hospital organization. Now that’s awhile ago…
The band is, of course, made up of original members of the group War, including Brown, the great harmonica player Lee Oskar, guitarist Howard Scott and bassist B.B. Dickerson, who, because of health issues will be unable to perform with his fellow Lowriders. Due to a court order, nobody in the group is allowed to mention their participation in War in any promotional material or advertisements. Fortunately, these talents have been able to retain their rights to their compositions and receive royalties.
“Here’s how we say it,” Brown explained. “We are the original composers of and performers on ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?,’ ‘The Cisco Kid,’ ‘The World is a Ghetto,’ and ‘All Day Music.’ All our friends know the Lowriders. Everybody knows exactly who we are.”
“When we come to play in New Orleans it’s like playing at home in our living room,” Brown once proclaimed. “You can drop all of your big shot attitudes. In New Orleans they want to know about your soul – your spirit. I tell people when they come into the city, to turn off the radio and roll down the windows.”
The socially conscious messages of tunes like Bob Marley’s “One Love” are much needed in today’s world. The Wailers keep that warmth, the much-loved classic songs and laid-back reggae riddims alive. Bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett is the only member of the touring band that performed and recorded with the group that backed the late, legendary Bob Marley who influenced the world with the magic of his music and his pen. Barrett was the heartbeat of the rock steady beat, the sound that could be felt to one’s core. Reggae by the Bayou seems so right.
Our local stars like bassist George Porter & the Runnin’ Pardners (Sunday, 4 p.m.), the Queen of New Orleans Soul, Irma Thomas (Saturday, 5 p.m.) and zydeco go-getter, accordionist/vocalist Dwayne Dopsie (Friday, 6:15 p.m.) also bolster the impressive schedule.
Parents might want to bring their children to the Kids Stage on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. where Daria Dzurik, the leader/steel pan player/vocalist of Daria & The Hip Drops fame will hold a percussion workshop. With her talent, lively personality and big smile, Dzurik has the qualities to educate and entertain the whole family. She and the Hip Drops certainly caught the crowd at this year’s French Quarter Festival.
On Friday, the music schedule is abbreviated and begins in the evening on two stages starting at 5 p.m. The Wailers, which hit the stage at 7:45 p.m. close it down. On Saturday and Sunday the music gets going at 11 a.m. Naturally there are food and beverage vendors aplenty and arts and crafts booths from one end of the fest to the other.
One of the beauties of the festival remains its wonderful setting and just being able to sit along Bayou St. John and relax.
This article originally published in the May 16, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
by Charlie London
Since the beginning, the Bayou Boogaloo, held on the banks of Bayou St. John in New Orleans during May, has had a mission to give back to the community. The first Bayou Boogaloo in 2006 was a healing effort for the community. Many folks were still rebuilding their lives and their houses after “the storm”. The Bayou Boogaloo was a welcome respite from the daily grind. It provided much needed fun for both adults and children.
One of the often forgotten aspects of the Bayou Boogaloo is its emphasis on zero impact on the environment. I’ve personally witnessed the meticulous cleanup after the event. One would never know the music festival ever took place because the area is left as clean or cleaner than it was before the event.
The Bayou Boogaloo has promoted solar energy, recycling and encouraged folks to consider the environment. The Bayou Boogaloo has led by example. Several huge oak trees have been planted along the banks of Bayou St. John leaving a lasting positive impact on the environment and the community.
The Bayou Boogaloo gives back in other ways too! The event helps neighborhood organizations raise funds for their operations, has helped build playgrounds, has supported community sports initiatives, helped plant native habitat-building and erosion-preventing marsh grasses, and replaced trees lost during hurricanes.
The City even recognized the Bayou Boogaloo’s founder, Jared Zeller, with a proclamation for promoting an economically and environmentally sustainable event.
Join the Bayou Boogaloo this Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 20, 21, and 22. The Bayou Boogaloo is more than just a music festival, it’s a community building coalition!
More info at: http://thebayouboogaloo.com/
***
THE BEAT GOES ON AT THE BAYOU BOOGALOO
By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer
It’s been less than three weeks since the last notes rang out at the Fair Grounds to close the 2016 edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Not far away, bands will strike up again at the 11th Annual Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo. The free event is presented from Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22, 2016 along the banks of Bayou St. John between Dumaine Street and N. Jefferson Davis Parkway. It features three main music stages at Dumaine Street, Orleans Avenue and Lafitte Street plus a Kids Stage that has both music and other activities to please the youngsters.
There are some excellent local and national headliners at the festival that didn’t perform at this year’s Jazz Fest including Nolatet (Sunday, 6 p.m.), The Lowrider Band (Saturday, 7:45 p.m.) and the Wailers (Friday, 7:45 p.m.).
Let’s start with Nolatet, a band of all-star jazz masters – drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, vibraphonist/percussionist Mike Dillon and pianist Brian Haas. This performance marks the first time many local people will have the opportunity to experience this group as they’ve only performed in New Orleans several times. Formed spontaneously in 2014 and quickly releasing its exciting debut album, Dogs (The Royal Potato Family) just this year, Nolatet has been out on tour promoting the CD and, according to Vidacovich, has been very well-received. “They liked it a lot – a lot more than I imagined,” he is quoted in OffBeat magazine. “I thought the music would be a little too orchestral. There’s a lot of things that we’re doing that are just out of the norm.”
“I can tell you what it sounds like to me sometimes when I’m involved with the music and my head is spinning,” he continued. “It reminds me of a circus and a Christmas tree with a lot of lights.”
Because pianist Haas, unlike the other members, doesn’t live in New Orleans, Nolatet is a get-it-while-you can band though all concerned express their hope and intent to do much more in the future.
Just an aside – it’s great to have Dillon, who absolutely floored the crowd at last year’s performance of his New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium – back at Bayou Boogaloo. Hopefully, the Consortium, an amazing collection of rhythm masters will return next year or be booked somewhere else soon.
The Lowrider Band, which partly due to the presence of one-time Crescent City resident, drummer Harold Brown, feels almost like its from New Orleans. It’s also got that funk and street band attitude that music lovers here can really relate to. The last time the Lowriders performed in New Orleans was in 2009 at a benefit for the Save Charity Hospital organization. Now that’s awhile ago…
The band is, of course, made up of original members of the group War, including Brown, the great harmonica player Lee Oskar, guitarist Howard Scott and bassist B.B. Dickerson, who, because of health issues will be unable to perform with his fellow Lowriders. Due to a court order, nobody in the group is allowed to mention their participation in War in any promotional material or advertisements. Fortunately, these talents have been able to retain their rights to their compositions and receive royalties.
“Here’s how we say it,” Brown explained. “We are the original composers of and performers on ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?,’ ‘The Cisco Kid,’ ‘The World is a Ghetto,’ and ‘All Day Music.’ All our friends know the Lowriders. Everybody knows exactly who we are.”
“When we come to play in New Orleans it’s like playing at home in our living room,” Brown once proclaimed. “You can drop all of your big shot attitudes. In New Orleans they want to know about your soul – your spirit. I tell people when they come into the city, to turn off the radio and roll down the windows.”
The socially conscious messages of tunes like Bob Marley’s “One Love” are much needed in today’s world. The Wailers keep that warmth, the much-loved classic songs and laid-back reggae riddims alive. Bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett is the only member of the touring band that performed and recorded with the group that backed the late, legendary Bob Marley who influenced the world with the magic of his music and his pen. Barrett was the heartbeat of the rock steady beat, the sound that could be felt to one’s core. Reggae by the Bayou seems so right.
Our local stars like bassist George Porter & the Runnin’ Pardners (Sunday, 4 p.m.), the Queen of New Orleans Soul, Irma Thomas (Saturday, 5 p.m.) and zydeco go-getter, accordionist/vocalist Dwayne Dopsie (Friday, 6:15 p.m.) also bolster the impressive schedule.
Parents might want to bring their children to the Kids Stage on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. where Daria Dzurik, the leader/steel pan player/vocalist of Daria & The Hip Drops fame will hold a percussion workshop. With her talent, lively personality and big smile, Dzurik has the qualities to educate and entertain the whole family. She and the Hip Drops certainly caught the crowd at this year’s French Quarter Festival.
On Friday, the music schedule is abbreviated and begins in the evening on two stages starting at 5 p.m. The Wailers, which hit the stage at 7:45 p.m. close it down. On Saturday and Sunday the music gets going at 11 a.m. Naturally there are food and beverage vendors aplenty and arts and crafts booths from one end of the fest to the other.
One of the beauties of the festival remains its wonderful setting and just being able to sit along Bayou St. John and relax.
This article originally published in the May 16, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
The Bayou Boogaloo will take place on the banks of Bayou St. John May 15, 16 and 17, 2015.
Music, art, food and lots of fun.
It’s a bodacious party you don’t want to miss.
Get a daiquiri at the Bayou Daiquiris booth manned by your Faubourg St. John neighbors!
The Bayou Boogaloo connects neighbors, neighborhoods, and businesses while celebrating the heritage, culture, and diversity of New Orleans.
From NOLA.com:
Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo 2015
Admission: Free
Music: The 2015 Bayou Boogaloo will feature Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Express, hip-hop producer Mannie Fresh, the New Orleans Suspects, modern rock band Rotary Downs and scores of well-regarded New Orleans bands. For a complete, stage-by-stage schedule, see below.
Food: The 2015 festival hosts 26 food vendors, ranging from such noted restaurants as Boucherie, Praline Connection and Ralph’s on The Park to a contingent of well-known food truck purveyors: Crepes a la Carte and Woody’s Fish Tacos, among others.
Arts Market: The 2015 festival will showcase 64 area artists and craft workers in tented booths. Look for jewelry, hats, handmade soap, glass objects and much more.
Parking: Bayou Boogaloo is working with Deutsches Haus, 1700 Moss St., which is selling off site parking to festival visitors. A three-day parking pass is $25; daily parking is $10. Reservations are recommended and must be made online through the event website. Payment is through Eventbrite: Fees apply. One can also pay for parking at the gate on a first-come, first-served basis. Bayou Boogaloo will provide a free shuttle between the Deutsches Haus parking area and the festival grounds. Bayou Boogaloo is still seeking to confirm additional off-street parking at The Cannery, 3803 Toulouse St. Watch the festival website for details about hours, prices and purchase options.
2015 Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo Music Schedule:
FRIDAY, MAY 15
Positive Vibrations Stage (Orleans Avenue)
Dave Jordan & Neighborhood Improvement Association, 5 p.m.-6:10 p.m.
Mannie Fresh, 6:30 p.m.-7:20 p.m.
MotherShip Foundation Stage (Dumaine Street)
Pontchartrain Wrecks, 5 p.m.-6:15 p.m.
Alexandra Scott & Her Magical Band, 6:45 p.m.-8:15 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 16
Positive Vibrations Stage (Orleans Avenue)
Soul Creole, 12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Wild Magnolias, 2:45 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Tony Hall & Friends, 5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
New Orleans Suspects, 7:45 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.
MotherShip Foundation Stage (Dumaine Street)
Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie, 11 a.m – 12:05 p.m.
Davis Rogan, 12:35 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Pirates Choice, 2:15 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.
Funky Dawgz Brass Band, 3:55 p.m. – 5:05 p.m.
Yojimbo, 5:35 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Kristin Diable, 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Abita Stage (Lafitte Street)
Bantam Foxes, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Kevin Stylez, 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Erica Falls, 4 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Woodenhead, 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
SUNDAY, MAY 17
Positive Vibrations Stage (Orleans Street)
Papa Mali, 12 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Mike Dillon’s Punk Rock Percussion Consortium, 2:20 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
101 Runners, 4:40 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.
Ivan Neville’s Dumstaphunk, 7 p.m – 8:30 p.m.
MotherShip Foundation Stage (Dumaine Street)
Chicago Children’s Choir, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott, 12:45 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Chrisitan Serpas & Ghost Town, 2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
N’awlins Johnny’s, 4:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Rotary Downs, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Abita Stage (Lafitte Street)
Bhakti Caravan, 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Kim Carson, 1:10 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Colin Lake, 3:30 p.m. – 4:40 p.m.
To Be Continued Brass Band, 5:50 p.m. – 7 p.m.
http://www.thebayouboogaloo.com/shop
The official 2015 Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo Festival poster artist is Becky Fos. This is the official commissioned piece, now available for pre-order on www.TheBayouBoogaloo.com. Get that 10th annual poster now before they sell out!
***
Bicycle Pub Crawl May 16th
Mid-City Volleyball Group is planning another outrageous bicycle pub crawl in association with the Bayou Boogaloo. This is the seventh year of a Saturday morning pub crawl to get primed for the Bayou Boogaloo. It’s a joint fundraiser for Mid-City Volleyball Group and the MotherShip Foundation with a suggested donation of $20.00. You’ll have to buy your own drinks at most, but not all, stops, and you’ll get a little swag at one of the stops. Please sign up for this fun-filled event at their website so they can get an accurate head count: www.midcityvolleyball.org.
The Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association will once again be staffing the “Bayou Daiquiris” booth at the Bayou Boogaloo this year. Please consider volunteering for the short 3 hour shifts on Friday night May 15th, on Saturday, May 16th and on Sunday, May 17th.
All the net proceeds will go to helping to rebuild Desmare Playground.
Please lend a hand, its easy and fun. You are with at least 5 other neighbors and we have a great time.
If you are interested in volunteering, email Brenda at [email protected]
Shifts are 11-2, 2 -5:30, 5:30 to 8:30
If you are unable to volunteer, please stop by the “Bayou Daiquiris” booth at the Bayou Boogaloo, say hello and buy a daiquiri!
Want to know more about the plans for Desmare Playground?
Check it out at: https://fsjna.org/desmare-playground-project/
by Charlie London
photos by Charlie London
The 2014 Bayou Boogaloo is one of the best ever. Perfect weather and great fun… The 2014 Bayou Boogaloo is bodacious!
Since the beginning, the Bayou Boogaloo, held on the banks of Bayou St. John in New Orleans during May, has had a mission to give back to the community. The first Bayou Boogaloo in 2006 was a healing effort for the community. Many folks were still rebuilding their lives and their houses after “the storm”. The Bayou Boogaloo was a welcome respite from the daily grind. It provided much needed fun for both adults and children.
One of the often forgotten aspects of the Bayou Boogaloo is its emphasis on zero impact on the environment. I’ve personally witnessed the meticulous cleanup after the event. One would never know the music festival ever took place because the area is left as clean or cleaner than it was before the event.
The Bayou Boogaloo has promoted solar energy, recycling and encouraged folks to consider the environment. The Bayou Boogaloo has led by example. Several huge oak trees have been planted along the banks of Bayou St. John leaving a lasting positive impact on the environment and the community.
The Bayou Boogaloo gives back in other ways too! The event helps neighborhood organizations raise funds for their operations, has helped build playgrounds, has supported community sports initiatives, helped plant native habitat-building and erosion-preventing marsh grasses, and replaced trees lost during hurricanes.
The City even recognized the Bayou Boogaloo’s founder, Jared Zeller, with a proclamation for promoting an economically and environmentally sustainable event.
Join the Bayou Boogaloo this Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 16-18. The Bayou Boogaloo is more than just a music festival, it’s a community building coalition!
BAYOU BOOGALOO Art Market:
https://fsjna.org/2014/03/
BAYOU BOOGALOO Music:
https://fsjna.org/2014/03/
BAYOU BOOGALOO Poster:
https://fsjna.org/2014/05/2014-
click on the poster for a larger view
Buy the 2014 Bayou Boogaloo poster by visiting the link–> http://thebayouboogaloo.com/shop
The 2014 Bayou Boogaloo Commemorative Poster by artist Jacques Soulas is a Gouache on Paper depiction of a typical day at the Bayou Boogaloo. Seen from the perspective of bicycle riders approaching the festival, the 2014 poster celebrates the relaxed, natural and activity rich environment of Bayou St. John.
The pastoral image is faithfully reproduced as a SilkScreen Print. The poster measures 24″ x 13″ and is printed on Mohawk Superfine art paper in 6 brilliant colors surrounded by a pastel eggshell color border. The edition of 300 signed and numbered prints is sure to be a Sold Out collectible.
Soulas, a French native and Bayou St. John resident, owns Cafe Degas restaurant on Esplanade Avenue not far from the Bayou Boogaloo site. He paints mostly in oils in a style similar to contemporary realism. As a medium, Gouche is similar to watercolor but modified with chalk to add opacity and reflective qualities. The focus on cyclists for this year’s poster is in reference to the long-anticipated ground breaking of the Lafitte Corridor bike path that will connect Bayou St. John to downtown New Orleans.
***
https://fsjna.org/2014/03/bayou-boogaloo-art-market/
https://fsjna.org/2014/03/bayou-boogaloo-music-lineup-released/
Bayou Boogaloo comes once again to the banks of scenic Bayou St. John in one of the most unique neighborhoods in New Orleans. Come out to the shores of the “urban bayou” to experience New Orleans greenery and some of the best music, food and crafts the city has to offer. The festival is in it’s 9th year and takes place over the weekend of May 16 -18. Admission is FREE. More in the link: http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/festivals/musicfestivals/bayouboogaloo.html
***
Big Freedia, Eric Lindell, Rosie Ledet and The Zydeco Playboys, Sweet Crude, Vox and the Hound and about two dozen other bands have been announced for this year’s Bayou Boogaloo, the 9th annual weekend festival on the banks of Bayou St. John in Mid-City. More in the link: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2014/03/27/bayou-boogaloo-sets-2014-music-lineup
***
This annual New Orleans festival brings over 35,000 locals and visitors for live New Orleans music from three stages, sample delicious New Orleans food, and get a taste of unique local culture at the Boogaloo Art Market. The Bayou Boogaloo Festival 2014 is a family-friendly event with a kid’s stage, games and activities for children. More in the link: http://hotelmonteleone.com/events/mid-city-bayou-boogaloo-2014-friday-may-16/
***
I’m going to tell you the top five reasons to head on over to Bayou Boogaloo in Mid-City, which runs from May 16-18 and is FREE. Details in the link: http://www.gonola.com/2014/05/02/top-5-reasons-to-go-to-bayou-boogaloo-in-new-orleans.html
***
In keeping with its “zero-waste event” practice, which aims to decrease the event’s environmental impact on our community, patrons are urged to take public transportation, ride a bike or walk to the boogaloo. Learn more about the Bayou Boogaloo in the link: http://blog.nola.com/new_orleans/2014/05/bayou_boogaloo_planned_nopd_1s.html
Special events include:
Bicycle Pub Crawl, May 17, from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Bicyclists will meet between 9-9:45 a.m. at Morning Call in City Park, and then set off on an adventure that includes stops at bars, hangouts, and points of interest. This fundraiser for the Mothership Foundation and Mid-City Volleyball has a suggested $20 participation donation. Wheel Fun Bike Rentals will rent bikes to non-owners. To register, send an email to Peter Hickman at [email protected]
6th Annual Zulu/Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Run-To-Ride 5K, May 17. The race begins at OPSO headquarters, 732 N. Broad St., and ends at Zulu headquarters. To register call 504.239.1531.
Bicycle Second Line, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bike Easy sponsors this safety monitored,11-mile ride that starts and ends at Bayou St. John. It’s free for Bike Easy members or $15 for a t-shirt/entry. There are stops at Backstreet Cultural Museum and Rouses in the CBD. To register email [email protected] or call 504.861.4022.
NOPD 1st District crawfish boil
Josef Wright with the Greater Mid-City Business Association said the group is accepting monetary donations to help pay for a crawfish boil James Clesi Catering is hosting for NOPD 1st District officers and their families. While the May 18 event isn’t open to the public, Wright said it’s “a way we can show our appreciation for the officers, who don’t get enough of that. …These people risk their lives every day to protect us.” To make a donation, contact Wright at 504.339.3277.
***
In addition to the Bayou Boogaloo, the MotherShip Foundation pursues its mission through working with neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and other organizations to implement neighborhood improvement projects throughout the year. Previous projects have included building playgrounds, supporting community sports initiatives, planting native habitat-building and erosion-preventing marsh grasses, and replacing trees that are lost during hurricanes. More in the link: http://www.flavorus.com/event/Bayou-Boogaloo-Festival/239038
Description of Jazz Fest by Dan Rabin
The annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, or simply Jazz Fest, is a massive springtime music and cultural festival that takes place over two consecutive weekends in late April and early May. Many music lovers of all ilk consider it the country’s premier music festival and return year after year. Others have called it the best party in America.
The name Jazz Fest is somewhat misleading, as jazz is only one component of the festival’s musical offerings. Performers represent a wide range of genres including jazz, rock, blues, gospel, R & B, Cajun, zydeco, folk, bluegrass, African, Caribbean and Latin. Non-stop performances take place on a dozen stages scattered around the festival site. In addition to music, there’s a huge selection of regional cuisine, arts and crafts booths, second line parades and numerous other attractions.
Jazz Fest tips by Andreas Preuss | photos by Charlie London
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/23/jazzfest.traditions/
Getting there
Best to take a cab, ride a shuttle, bike or walk. Just like during Mardi Gras, streets around the New Orleans Fair Grounds will be clogged with traffic and city law enforcement. There are also some for-hire shuttle buses from downtown and French Quarter locations. The event provides free and secure bike parking, and I’ve been biking to the Fest in recent years. That way I can maximize my Fest time instead of looking for a legal parking spot. If you do travel by bike, remember to wear a helmet; New Orleans streets have lots of potholes, and drivers are not always bike-friendly.
Navigating the music
Check out the “cubes” on the Jazz Fest website. The time-slot stage boxes help you schedule your movements during the Fest, optimizing your music listening experience for each stage. I print one out, circle my must-do’s and then hit the stages.
The New Orleans Fair Grounds becomes a city, with thousands of people navigating just about every pavement, sidewalk and grassy way. Having your plan in hand is a great way to take it all in. But also be flexible and let the happenstance music take you away. A small local act can be more inspiring than a big national touring group in many ways.
For the rest of the article, please visit the link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/23/jazzfest.traditions/
TIPS BELOW FROM FAUBOURG ST. JOHN NEIGHBOR MICHAEL LUKE
http://www.wwltv.com/eye-on-festivals/Jazz-Fest-on-a-relative-budget-148905585.html
Step 1: Tickets
Volunteering at Jazz Fest is a surefire way to get in for cheap, i.e. free, though it must be done early in the year and requires working part of the day. If you do buy tickets, buying them as soon as they go on sale is essential to save the most money on tickets – or buy weekend packages. The tickets for individual days traditionally go up as the Fest gets closer. To save money, buy your tickets ahead of time at the Superdome box office. If you are taking children, remember that tickets for children age 2 to 10 are $5, but they are available only at the gate.
Step 2: Packing the Essentials
Next to a hat, comfortable shoes and sunglasses, a backpack is indispensable for a day at the Fair Grounds, and there are several things that should always be inside said backpack:
Don’t bring a chair. Controversial, but a fact. They’re laborious to carry around unless you want to camp at one stage for an entire day. (If you have trouble standing, a portable, compact stool makes life a whole lot easier, but don’t forget the seats in the tents and inside the Grandstand. Those can be an oasis for your weary legs.)
Step 3: Don’t drive there
Don’t drive there. This goes for locals and tourists alike. There is next to nowhere to park, and it costs a pretty penny if you do find a spot. If you must bring your car, park here. (Lagniappe tip for out-of-towners: Don’t pay locals to park on the street near the Fair Grounds. This common practice is illegal, a scam; it is public parking on the street. Also, don’t park illegally. You will get a ticket or get towed.) Also, forget trying to get a cab. Besides the expense, you’re competing against thousands all trying to get a cab at the same time and all trying to get to Jazz Fest.
If you can, ride a bicycle or take the bus.
Here’s the RTA info for public transportation to get to near Jazz Fest, requiring a walk for a couple of blocks:
If you ride a bike, there are racks at both entrances — Sauvage and Gentilly — but they fill up fast, and you’ll need to bring your own lock.
Step 4: Pack some food and forget drinking alcohol
This isn’t the easiest rule to abide by – a cold beer is delightful at the Fest under the Louisiana sun and as is a tall Strawberry Lemonade. The problem is either isn’t cheap, same goes for sodas, $4, and bottled water, $3.
The food at the Fest likely the hardest to skip – in fact, it’s probably impossible – which is why the suggestion is to skimp on the food, not skip. Bringing in some snacks like fruit or a granola bars helps in that department. When you do decide to grab a bite, look for the food that delivers the biggest bang for your buck, like BBQ ribs or turkey leg plate near the Jazz Tent.
When you finish with the water bottle you brought in, don’t throw it away. There are several places to get free water inside the Fair Grounds: Water fountains inside the Grandstand and three water stations, which are marked on the Jazz Fest map.
Step 5: Bring cash
Even with these tips, you’ll likely need cash. The Fest does have several ATMs, but if these aren’t your bank, you’ll be hit with the service charges, and the lines for them can get long. Would you rather see music or stand in the ATM line? (If you do need to bite the bullet and use an ATM, go early in the day when crowds are smaller and the lines are still short.)
Step 6: Have fun
http://www.wwltv.com/eye-on-festivals/Jazz-Fest-on-a-relative-budget-148905585.html
From The New Orleans Advocate, December 11, 2013
by Robert Grove
Last weekend, the historic Pitot House hosted its fourth annual holiday event along the banks of scenic Bayou St. John. Le Marché des Fêtes, or holiday market, embraced our city’s rich Creole traditions and featured more than two dozen local vendors and artisans to the delight of shoppers seeking unique gifts for family and friends. Even the weather cooperated, with patrons bundling up for a shopping day experience that had the look and feel of a 17th century Creole village.
The day offered something for all. Papa Noël dusted off his vintage costume for the affair, and he was busy attending to important duties with the little ones in attendance.
Music also filled the air with performances by the Encore Academy Choral Group, guitarist John Rankin, a trio from members of 101 Drummers and traditional dance performances by the North Shore Vintage Dancers.
Nourishment options abounded with offerings from Dat Dog, Woody’s Fish Tacos, Eva’s Pralines & Pies and Brocato’s cookies. Bayou Brew Tea and Community Coffee featured warm beverages to complement the local eateries. Perfect on the chilly day!
Inside Pitot House, shoppers discovered a mini-bookstore with a focus on local authors. It proved the perfect place to pick up some wonderful books by some of my favorite New Orleans writers while supporting the beloved Pitot House. Upstairs, guests were invited to tour the residence, which was all dressed up in traditional Creole décor, courtesy of Perfect Presentations. It’s hard to duplicate that view from above on the spacious verandas that overlook Bayou St. John and Le Marché festivities below.
The Pitot House falls under the auspices of the Louisiana Landmarks Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving history by preserving architecture.
The house and museum was once the home of New Orleans’ second mayor, James Pitot. Today the circa 1799 Creole West Indies colonial-period home serves as living window into our past.
Through regular events such as Le Marché de Fêtes, visitors can connect with the past while enjoying one of the most beautifully preserved historic properties of the area. To learn more about the Pitot House, visit www.louisianalandmarks.org.
La Vie de Ville captures city life New Orleans style every Thursday for The New Orleans Advocate’s Crescent City News section. For coverage of your community event, please email me in advance at [email protected].
