events

Police break up St. Patrick’s Day party on Magazine to reduce risk of coronavirus

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By Sharon Lurye, Uptown Messenger

Police cars arrived at Tracey’s Bar on Magazine Street on Saturday to break up a crowd of more than 250 people participating in a St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl, in violation of a ban on large crowds that Gov. John Bel Edwards announced through an executive order on Friday. The size of the crowd spurred some public shaming from Mayor LaToya Cantrell on social media. “The crowd exceeded 250 people and spilled into the streets. They were dispersed without incident,” said an New Orleans Police Department spokesperson.

church

Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club celebrates faith and friendship at Mass

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Members of the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club gathered Saturday (March 14) for their annual Mass at St. Mary’s Assumption Church that traditionally precedes their Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade. This year, the parade hosted by the group founded in 1947 was canceled by the city due to the spread of the coronavirus.

events

Irish Channel Parade turns into a pub crawl, before police break it up

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Groups of green-garbed revelers strolled the streets of the Irish Channel Saturday (March 14) with the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. Men were dressed in their tuxedos and kilts while the women were draped in green and glitter. The crowd kept growing, however, and the New Orleans Police Department had to step in and break it up later in the evening, saying the event violated the ban on gatherings of more than 250 people. “This is irresponsible, potentially endangering the entire community,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said on Twitter.

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 The schools information below is outdated.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.

city government

City cancels Irish Channel Parade, Super Sunday to prevent coronavirus spread

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A variety of groups were ready to bring an explosion of activity to Uptown streets this weekend. The Irish Channel Parade, a centerpiece of local St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, was planned for Saturday. And the following day, Mardi Gras Indian tribes and second-line groups were to bring their artistry to the streets of Central City for the annual Uptown Super Sunday. Now Irish Channel paraders need to store their throws and Indians need to put away this year’s suits.

events

Mississippi Primary Watch Party

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Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, and Washington State will all cast their presidential primary votes tonight (March 10). The NOLA Messenger crew is inviting our readers, neighbors, and any political thinkers to join us again to watch the campaign unfold. Our next Democratic Primary Watch Party is from 6:30 to 9 p.m. tonight at Twelve Mile Limit, 500 S. Telemachus St. Political junkies of any affiliation are welcome, and the venue is for ages 21 and up. Messenger merchandise will be available, and drink sales will help support our own coverage of local elections in 2020.

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.

arts, books and music

Octavia Books hosts Dillard University recipe book signing

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Food historian, educator, and author Zella Palmer will present her recently published “Recipes and Remembrances of Fair Dillard, 1869-2019” this Sunday, March 8. Using recipes and research, Palmer’s book documents the African American culinary history of New Orleans through the lens of Dillard University. She will be signing copies of her work for 2 p.m. at Octavia Books, 513 Octavia St. The event page describes the collection as follows:
This cookbook shares over eighty years of international and indigenous New Orleans Creole recipes collected from the community, friends of the university, campus faculty, staff, and students, providing readers with a glimpse into the rich food culture of African-Americans in New Orleans. Recipes and Remembrances of Fair Dillard is dedicated to Dillard University alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and family who enjoyed past campus festivals, dinners, picnics, Monday red beans and rice with fried chicken, and Friday fish frys in Kearny Dining.