Though the temps may be cold, activity in the Crescent City is heating up as January rumbles toward an early Carnival and loads of fun.
'Marie Jeanne Lamartiniere' by Patricia Brintle.
A flurry of activities will surround the opening of?HAITI LOUISIANA,?an exhibit of contemporary Haitian art at the Historic BK House and Gardens with the Nous Foundation. The exhibit, which runs through March 17, includes the Jacques Bartoli Collection and original works by Haitian and Louisiana artists on such themes as shared legacies, religion and cultural practices. The exhibit is at 1113 Chartres St., New Orleans, with events at Whitney Plantation, Destrehan Plantation, the New Orleans Jazz Museum and more. By admission, through March 17. Check out more about the exhibit here.
Wanda Rouzan performs at Jazz Fest in May 2019. She will be one of the headline acts for the Heavenly Host of Stars Gala Sunday to benefit the Sisters of the Holy Family.
It's a melange of history and happenings that only take place in New Orleans when OperaCréole hosts "CHEVALIER AND CHARLOTTE": A MASKED BALL Friday at 7 p.m. featuring Wanda Rouzan as Queen Charlotte from the "Bridgerton" series and violinist Brandon Harris as Le Chevalier de St. Georges. The Merry Antoinettes will be there, as well as food, fun and a chance to help the opera's mission and performance in Paris. The fun happens at Marigny Opera House, 725 St. Ferdinand St. Tickets start at $75. Kick off the fun here.
The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane will present one public performance of Shakespeare's classic 'Romeo and Juliet' with Alexandria Miles and Edward Montoya.
There's only one chance to see the return of?"ROMEO AND JULIET"?from the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tulane's Dixon Hall on the Uptown campus. Tickets are $25. Get in on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers here.
Looking for something smashing to wear for Carnival? Need a Mardi Gras masquerade? Take heart: there are a couple of options this weekend alone. The second?BAYOU GARDENS CARNIVAL COSTUME AND ART MARKET is Saturday at noon at 315 N. Rendon St., New Orleans. A host of vendors selling everything from apparel to hair accoutrements, embroidery to paper goods will be on hand with loads of items and ideas for donning that festive look for the coming parade and party season.?Check out more about the market here.?Then, on Sunday at 3 p.m., Big Couch, 1045 Desire St., New Orleans, will be the spot for a?CARNIVAL MARKET COSTUME AND CRAFT POP-UP.??Vintage retailers and accessory makers will be on hand for this indoor market. Get comfy on the couch with a costume here.
Rex floats inside the krewe's den in New Orleans on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Painters and sculptors with Royal Artists are busy at work, putting finishing touches on the floats for the early Mardi Gras this year. Tours of the den are Saturday for the Friends of the Cabildo.
Ever wanted to see the Boeuf Gras up close? Take a gander at the King of Carnival's throne? Make plans to journey behind the scenes of the Rex parade in a special tour that benefits the Friends of the Cabildo. REX DEN SHOWING OPENING HOUSE AND FLOAT VIEWING?will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the 2531 S. Claiborne Ave. location that houses the majestic floats rolling Feb. 13. From the iconic floats of the parade like the Butterfly King to His Majesty's Bandwagon, the signature aspects of the procession will be there along with floats that will provide a glimpse into the 2024 theme. The den also is home to a museum of the Rex Organization and Rex Mart. Tickets start at $40. Get in on the sneak peek here.
Honoring New Orleans' iconic potholes, the Krewe of Conus plans to march in the new Krewe of Mosaique parade in 2024
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The inaugural procession of the?KREWE MOSA?QUE?rolls through the French Quarter Saturday at 6 p.m. The gathering of several marching clubs includes Mondo Kayo, Kreweleidoscope, Conus, Darth AF and more. The walking menagerie starts at St. Ann and N. Rampart streets, heads down St. Ann and turns left onto Bourbon Street, right on St. Philip Street, right on Royal Street, left on St. Ann and left again onto Chartres Street, ending at Ursulines Street. Scope out the new krewe here.
A few handles from the home-made line up at an earlier Winterfest.
Prost! Head over to Deutsches Haus Saturday at 6 p.m. and raise a stein (or two) and celebrate?WINTERFEST 2024 with the Crescent City Homebrewers at 1700 Moss St. on the banks of Bayou St. John. The annual brew-bash celebrates the small-crafted libations with music, German food and more than 40 different beverages. The all-you-can-sample event is $40. Get ready to raise a glass here.
Marcus Roberts Trio
Chase Kamata
The impact of Leah and Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr. is honored by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Saturday in a concert bannered with?"RHAPSODY IN BLUE"?at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans. Joining the orchestra will be the Marcus Roberts Trio with Roberts, Jason Marsalis and Roland Guerin, plus vocals by Chase Kamata, their granddaughter. The music, played by the Dooky Chase Orchestra in the 1940s, includes additional works by Gershwin ("Fascinating Rhythm," "Embraceable You") plus Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll", Irving Berlin's "Always" and Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow." Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert start at $10. Lend an ear to the concert here.
The 610 Stompers perform at Sweet 610 Stomper Debutante Ball.
This bunch is a group of debutantes extraordinaire and they will be showing off their new moves Saturday at 8 p.m. at the?610 STOMPERS DEBUTANTE BALL?— POP STARS: THE ERRORS TOUR.?This fantastic fun frolic has the infamous marching group strutting their new moves for the coming Carnival season at the Fillmore New Orleans in Harrah's Casino at the foot of Canal Street. Costumes for the fun are encouraged and expect to enjoy late-night pizza, beverages and Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. Tickets start at $75. Party like a pop star here.
Ifaseyi Bamgbala, a Yoruba priest, dances with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band lead by creative director Ben Jaffe, tuba left, in the Krewe du Kanaval, named for the Haitian word for 'carnival' and to celebrate Haitian culture, around the French Quarter and Congo Square in the Treme Neighborhood in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. The event is a collaboration with Arcade Fire's Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, whose parents are Haitian, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band lead by creative director Ben Jaffe. New Orleans has lot of Haitian influence including Haitian Creole French that influenced the Louisiana Creole and the Haitian Vodou religion.
The inaugural NATIONAL VODOU DAY?events start at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Moon Walk on the Mississippi River at Jackson Square and include a ceremonial procession past several significant sites related to the transatlantic slave trade, ending with a vodou ceremony at Congo Square at noon. Participants are encouraged to wear white. Find out more about this first-ever observance here.