i’m gonna admit right now that this blog entry is as much for me as it is for you. those who know me well know how much i love “decorating” my calendar and making lists. it gives me ridiculous pleasure to map out my near future…especially during my favorite season, which is spring!
i’ve had it up to here with this crappy weather. i am ready for warmth and sun rays and margaritas and floral dresses and music festivals and the smell of a crawfish boil for crying out loud! i know you’re with me on this, so feel free to take a few minutes to whip out your calendar and daydream about the warmer days ahead.

i feel like there are a lot of calendar of events out there, but most of them are specific to a certain genre or business. i usually have to piece them all together, which is what i’ve done here. if you like the same things as me (music, food, fun, costumes, drinking, dancing and medium to mild debauchery) then i think you’ll appreesh this calendar.

i’m not claiming that i will participate in every single one of these events, nor am i claiming this is what every local’s calendar will look like…but it’s what i plan on doing (or wish i was doing), and i happen to be a new orleans local. also, just as the majority of this calendar was created from convos with friends, i am wide open to suggestions and “must-do’s,” so please, by all means, share with me what your plans are too!

one last thing to note is that i am taking you through mardi gras and into the spring months. the party just can’t seem to stop once it gets goin’ here. i think there’s a phrase to capture that–laissez les bon temps roulez! and keep a lookout for (*) which denotes a not-to-be-missed event.

 

sat, feb 15th
*krewe du vieux parade: french quarter at 6:30pm…let the parades begin!

fri, feb 21st
oshun parade: uptown at 6:00pm
cleopatra parade: uptown at 6:30pm

sat, feb 22nd
pontchartrain parade: uptown at 1:00pm
choctaw parade: uptown at 2:00pm
*freret parade: uptown at 2:30pm
sparta parade: uptown at 6:00pm
pygmalion parade: uptown at 6:45pm

sun, feb 23rd
carrollton parade: uptown at 12:00pm
king arthur parade: uptown at 1:00pm
alla parade: uptown at 1:00pm
*barkus parade – french quarter at 2:00pm

wed, feb 26th
druids parade: uptown at 6:30pm
nyx parade: uptown at 7:00pm

thurs, feb 27th
babylon parade: uptown at 5:30pm
chaos parade: uptown at 6:30pm
muses parade: uptown at 6:30pm

fri, feb 28th
hermes parade: uptown at 6:00pm
d’etat parade: uptown at 6:30pm
morpheus parade: uptown at 7:00pm

sat, march 1st
iris parade: uptown at 11:00am
tucks parade: uptown at 12:00pm
*endymion parade: mid-city at 4:15pm
endymion ball

sun, march 2nd
okeanos parade: uptown at 11:00am
mid-city parade: uptown at 11:45am
thoth parade: uptown at 12:00pm
*bacchus parade: uptown at 5:15pm
bacchus ball (hugh laurie is king this year!)
*MOMs ball: i’ve heard a few versions as to what MOMs ball is, but this is my conclusion: MOMs (krewe of mystic orphans & misfits) ball was created as a ball that anyone could attend to counter the world of exclusive balls in new orleans in the 70s. ironically, as its popularity grew, so did its exclusiveness. now it’s prob the hardest ball to get tickets to, and costumes have to be amazing or you’ll be kicked out. like they literally have costume police. the first rule about MOMs ball is that we don’t talk about MOMs ball. whoopsie daisys. (btw…you know it’s undercover when a wikipedia page doesn’t even present itself.)
i will find a way in.

mon, march 3rd – LUNDI GRAS
proteus parade: uptown at 5:15pm
orpheus parade: uptown at 6:00pm
zeus parade: metairie at 7:00pm
*quintron & miss pussycat: one eyed jacks at 9pm ($12 in advance/$15 at door) buy tickets here. they only play a limited number of times each year, and it’s usually on the fun holidays. from what i hear, they’re funky, creepy and so new orleans. i missed the halloween performance, so i ‘m not missing lundi gras. already got my tickets…they will sell out.

tues, march 4th – MARDI GRAS
*zulu parade: uptown at 8:00am
rex parade: uptown at 10:00am
*krewe of julu walking parade at 12:00pm: led by a brass band, costumed hooligans walk from bridge lounge (edge of uptown) through  the french quarter (stopping at one eyed jacks) and sometimes through treme. then it works its way to the marigny triangle where the parade reaches its culimination. basically it’s an organized outrageous second line. count me in.

wed, march 5th-thurs, march 6th
sleep

fri, march 7thhansen’s sno bliz opens and with it begins the 2014 sno-ball season!

sun, march 9th
daylight savings – spring forward…my fav holiday! hip hip hooray for more sun 🙂

sat, march 15th
st. joseph’s parade: french quarter at 6:00pm

sun, march 16th
st. patrick’s day parade: metairie road at 12:00pm. st. paddy’s day is a big deal here. make plans to participate in the celebration.

mon, march 17th
st. paddy’s day! head to finn mccool’s (mid-city) or tracey’s (uptown) and grab a a guinness or a green beer.

wed, march 19thwednesday at the square is a free, 12-week concert series with food & drink for sale to benefit the young leadership council. local artisans also sell their work in the artist village. it’s located at lafayette square on st. charles avenue in the CBD.
karl denson’s tiny universe with moon hooch are the bands playing the first week.

fri, march 21st-22ndbuku fest: i thought this was an electronic/dj/house/dubstep-only kind of music fest, but the lineup this year is more diverse covering hip-hop and pop stars too. i’d really like to see sleigh bells & ellie goulding. i’ve heard that in years past (i think its just a couple years old) that the crowd is very young. like high school young. but this is the first year they’re adding an age limit (18+), so i hope that it helps. the last thing i want is to feel like a grandma when i’m jammin’ to ma bone thugs & harmony bustin’ rhymes. oh wait……

wed, march 26th
wednesday at the square: dirty dozen brass band with louisiana spice

fri, march 28th-sat, march 29thhogs for the cause (2 day event in city park):  pork + music + beer = hogs for the cause. helping families with pediatric brain cancer. general admission $15; 1 day hog pass for fri $75; 1 day hog pass for sat $100. a hog pass includes open bar, private front of stage viewing area, hospitality tent, private restrooms and bleachers. i’m going for the meat.

wed, april 2nd
wednesday at the square: marcia ball with robin barnes

sat, april 5th
***save the date*** showmeyournola’s first annual pimms crawl! celebrating a traditional new orleans cocktail (also happens to be my favorite) and those who make it best. schedule TBA.

wed, april 9th
wednesday at the square: new orleans suspects with funk monkey

thurs, april 10th-13th31st annual french quarter fest – the largest free music festival in the south–french quarter festival will feature over 800 local musicians, more than 65 of new orleans’ finest restaurants & free special events. i’ve always missed this weekend in the past, but now that i live here i can’t wait to go!

fri, april 11th
kings of leon & local natives: new orleans arena ($65) buy tickets here. i’m more excited about local natives than KOL..saw local natives play at tipitinas last september, and they blew me away. i’d rather see them in baton rouge on the 12th at the varsity, but i’m dedicated to french quarter fest.

wed, april 16th
wednesday at the square: honey island swamp band with billy iuso & restless natives

sat, april 19th
*crescent city classic 10k – starting in 1979 with 902 participants, the now officially called a”allstate sugar bowl crescent city classic” has long been a new orleans tradition and leading fitness event in louisiana. described as the original “party race,” the 10k, held the saturday before easter, attracts over 20,000 runners, walkers, and partiers each year.
register here.

sun, april 20th
easter sunday: find a delicious jazz brunch.

wed, april 23rd
wednesday at the square: theresa andersson with paul sanchez & the rolling road show

fri, april 25th – sun, april 27th
*new orleans jazz & heritage festival – my top picks are: santana, the avett brothers, steve riley & the mamou playboys, honey island swamp band, robert plant & the sensational space shifters, phish, eric clapton, vampire weekend, irma thomas, rebirth brass band and royal teeth.

wed, april 30th
wednesday at the square – all star line-up: eric mcfadden, jerry joseph, norwood fisher, eric bolivar & special guests

thurs, may 1st – sun, may 4th
*jazz fest 2nd weekend – my top picks are: string cheese incident, marcia ball, new orleans suspects, chaka khan, alabama shakes, walter “wolfman” washington & the roadmasters, amanda shaw & the cute guys, the head and the heart, bruce springsteen and the e street band, foster the people, marc broussard, arcade fire, trombone shorty & orleans avenue, john fogerty and aaron neville.

mon, may 5th
cinco de mayo! superior has a huge block party every year. i love any excuse to eat mexican food and down margaritas.

***for a complete listing of parades, dowloand the wdsu parade tracker app. that’s where i got my parade info from, and it also includes routes.


Danielle Granger Nava