crime

COVID-19 updates: What’s closed and what’s open as the number of cases rises

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Editor’s note: This story posted before Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a declaration closing all schools. The schools information below is outdated. During a conference call Thursday (March 12) afternoon, Mayor LaToya Cantrell gave the number of presumptive coronavirus cases in New Orleans: 11. About two hours later, the city’s webpage on the health crisis stated there were 15 in New Orleans. On Friday morning, the number increased to 23.

events

BUKU Project moves festival to Labor Day weekend

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The BUKU Art + Music Project announced today that its 2020 festival scheduled for March 20-21 will be rescheduled. This reluctant change is due to the impacts of COVID-19, the coronavirus. A notice from Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s office stated that BUKU could not take place as planned, according to an official statement from the festival team. “It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we respect their decision, and instead of crying we’ve been planning…fast,” the statement from BUKU reads. “With the help of so many people, and motivated by the vision of y’all dancing and headbanging, we are rescheduling BUKU 2020 to take place over Labor Day Weekend.”

arts, books and music

Tulane cancels Book Festival, moves all its classes online over COVID-19 concerns

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From Tulane University

The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University has canceled its inaugural event for 2020, citing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and adherence to university protocol. Tickets purchased for keynote addresses with John Grisham, Michael Lewis and Malcolm Gladwell will be fully refunded within 10 business days. The book festival had planned to run March 19-21, and festival organizers estimated around 30,000 visitors would attend the three-day event on Tulane’s uptown campus. However, the top priority for the festival organizers is that of the health and safety of the general public, authors, volunteers and Tulane’s faculty, staff and students. On Wednesday afternoon, Tulane University announced it would reduce the concentration of people on campus by conducting classes online beginning March 23 and through the end of the semester, reducing the number of gatherings and eliminating non-essential travel.

arts, books and music

French Film Festival movies look to the past to understand the present

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By Christian Willbern, Loyola Student News Service

While sitting in her hotel room complaining about the WiFi in Metz, France, Marthe Cohn scrunches her nose and sticks her tongue out at the camera, conveying how at the age of 98, the World War II spy is still a tour de force. Cohn stars in “Chichinette: The Accidental Spy,” a documentary portraying the tiny-but-mighty woman’s extraordinary battle against the Nazi regime during World War II. This was just one of several films exhibited during the New Orleans Film Society’s 23rd French Film Festival. The New Orleans French Film Festival screened 21 contemporary and classic francophone films between Feb. 27 and March 4 at the Prytania Theatre.

Festivals

Celebrate National Sandwich Day at Oak Street Po-Boy Festival on Sunday

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The 13th annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival, with more than 60 variations of New Orleans’ signature sandwich, will take over the Oak Street business corridor from Carrollton Avenue to the river on Sunday, which is National Sandwich Day. Festivities open at 10 a.m. with a second-line starting at Oak Street and Eagle and featuring the Merry Antoinettes, the Krewe of Condiments and the celebrity judges, including food writers Ian McNulty and Kim Ranjbar; local broadcast journalists Bruce Katz, Chris Franklin and Carla Pesono; football podcaster Marlin “Big Fav” Favorite; Saints superfan Leroy “Whistle Monster” Mitchell; actor Bryan Batt; and chef Bill Laderer. Live local music on four stages provides a sound track for the festival from start to finish and, on the Maple Leaf stage, beyond. Acts include Soul Project, Blind Texas Marlin, Dave Jordan and the NIA, the Lamont Landers Band, Roadside Glorious, John Mooney and Funky Monkey with Arsene DeLay. This year’s art market will feature 19 local jewelers, painters and crafts.

arts, books and music

New Orleans Film Fest: Screenings at Prytania, prominence for Louisiana films

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The New Orleans Film Society kicks off the 30th New Orleans Film Festival at tonight (Oct. 16) with the Opening Night Film Marriage Story. Uptown’s Prytania Theater will screen over a dozen films, including Motherless Brooklyn, directed by and starring Edward Norton, and The Long Shadow, by Louisiana director Daniel Lafrentz. Shorts from the state and big-budget films are some festival highlights coming to the neighborhood this year. Of the 6,500 submissions from 104 countries, 232 “visionary, thought-provoking films that represent a wealth of perspectives” made it into the festival.

Festivals

Festival to celebrate New Orleans’ connection to the Caribbean

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The NOLA Caribbean Festival at Central City BBQ is the biggest event of the biggest event of the NOLA Caribbean Experience taking place in June. The second biggest event is the Colour Me Krazy Carnival Parade, complete with Caribbean Carnival masquerade costumes, bands, dancers, Caribbean DJ trucks, and a paint VS powder experience. The parade starts on June 22 at 4 p.m. on Canal Street and ends at the festival grounds. The festival will be held Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23, at Central City BBQ, 1201 South Rampart St. It’s an evening festival, running from 5 to 10 p.m. each day.

arts, books and music

The Nevilles kick off annual concert series (Photos)

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Friday marked the beginning of Tipitina’s Free Fridays series, which runs from May 17 to August 30. The series began with one of the most storied families in New Orleans music, the Nevilles. Omari Neville and the Fuel opened the night and his father, Cyril, closed with his band Swamp Funk. This is the first of this series since members of Galactic acquired the venue. Omari Neville and the Fuel

Cyril Neville’s Swamp Funk

 

Advertiser specials

Sponsored: Audubon Gentilly’s Fais Do-Do is a cultural fair for all!

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Audubon Gentilly is hosting its first signature event
Fais Do-Do! We invite the community to join us as we celebrate the end of our first year of school with a free festival full of activities, food, music, and fun for the whole family! As we prepare to “take a nap” over the summer (better known as summer break), Audubon Gentilly will host a unique end-of-year event combining traditional festival fun with our celebration of multi-culturalism. On Saturday, May 11, Fais Do-Do will feature games and activities for the whole family as well as food, beverages, and entertainment. 

Fais Do-Do will take over the Audubon Gentilly campus (4720 Painters Street) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 11th. Open to the public with free admission, this is more than just a school fair.

events

Contestants cram crawfish during fourth annual NOLA Crawfish Festival (Photos)

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Tuesday was the second day of the three-day Crawfish Festival at Central City Barbecue on South Rampart Street. The day featured the percussion-heavy Mike Dillon Band and the funky stylings of Eric Kresno, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Ari Teitel, Jermal Watson and more. The day also featured a a crawfish-eating competition. Ten contestants had 10 minutes to consume as much crawfish as possible. The winner, Aaron Burgau, ate 5.97 pounds in 10 minutes, walking away with a $100 prize and bragging rights for a year.