New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

Here are a few free, family-friendly events happening around town this weekend:

To commemorate the 9th anniversary of 9/11, the Marine Corps band will be performing in a free concert Saturday at St. Louis Cathedral.  Doors open at 5pm and the concert is scheduled to begin at 6pm.  Admission is free but there is limited seating on a first come, first served basis.

Also downtown this weekend is the New Orleans Seafood Festival at Lafayette Square.  Enjoy local seafood and music from 11am throughout the day and evening.  Admission is free but proceeds from food and drink sales will benefit the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation.

At 10am on Saturday, author Whitney Stewart will sign her children's book Marshall the Sea Dog at Maple Street Book Shop.  Children will also be treated to a demonstration of a simulated sea rescue at the event.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Saints Season Opener!

Thursday marks the first game of the 2010-11 NFL season, and the first Saints game!  The Saints and the NFL have put together a couple of events to help herald in the new season, so even if you don't have tickets to the game (like me), you can still partake in the festivities!

A huge stage has been set up downtown for the kickoff party and concerts.  If you want to try to snag passes to the free Dave Matthews and Taylor Swift concerts, head here to sign up.  I'm not sure if tickets are still available, but the sign up page is still working.  The concerts will run at the same time as the parade (which will pause in front of the stage), but you'll have to arrive much earlier to get your passes and get in place.

At 5pm, a Mardi Gras-style parade, the Krewe of NFL Kickoff, will begin at Esplanade Avenue and will run down N. Peters and end at Tchoupitoulas and Julia.  Expect to see many former NFL stars, including many former Saints players, on the floats!

Whether you are in the French Quarter in the midst of the celebration, or in the comfort of your own home, let's all cheer on the Saints and make it TWO DAT!

Happy Birthday, Aquarium!

If you're looking for a fun and family-friendly way to enjoy Labor Day, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is open and celebrating their 20th birthday!  Open from 10am to 5pm on Monday, the celebration will include face painting, live music, a scavenger hunt, and of course, birthday cake!  Admission is included if you're an Audubon Institute member.

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend - Katrina Anniversary Edition

This weekend there will be a huge focus on the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and with that, several events around town commemorating it.  Here are a few:

On Saturday from 2-8pm, the group Rebuilding Together will hold a block party at Lafayette Square to celebrate their restoration of 50 damaged homes in Gentilly.

Author Michelle O'Brien will sign her Katrina-themed children's book Twas the Night Before the Storm on Saturday from 11am to 1pm in the lobby of the Metaire Office Towers at 433 Metairie Road.

Celebrate first responders and "Share the Moon" on Saturday from 11:30am to 8:30pm in Jackson Square, and from 1-6pm at Le Petit Theatre with music (Grandpa Elliot, Full Steam Brass Band, and others), and free refreshments (including Ben & Jerry's ice cream!) at the Le Petit stage.

From noon until 3pm on Sunday, the St. Bernard Animal Shelter is hosting a free event to encourage shelter pet adoption.  This event will include face painting, snoballs, a pet photo contest, and adoption specials.

Finally, it might be cathartic for some of us to participate in a Jazz Funeral for Katrina.  On Sunday at 1pm, the Monteleone Hotel will sponsor a jazz funeral procession to Jackson Square, complete with a casket and a second-line jazz band.  Following the funeral march, there will be a memorial service at St. Louis Cathedral.

However you plan to commemorate the anniversary, please remember those who lost everything, including those who lost their lives, and those who still have not been able to come back home.

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

Like to bike? Then head up north to Abita Springs for the 10th Annual Louisiana Bicycle Festival. This loosely organized festival starts around 9am (or whenever people begin to show up) and ends about 4pm. The bicycle parade through town starts at 12:30pm for a half hour ride through Abita Springs.

If you have a little free time on your hands, your help is needed at City Park's Super Saturday Volunteer Day. Bring your sunscreen, gloves, garden tools, and bug spray, and lend a hand to help keep our City Park beautiful from 9am until noon.

Also on Saturday, head over to Fleurty Girl on Oak Street to meet children's book author Cornell Landry. He'll be at the shop from 2-4pm signing copies of his book Goodnight NOLA - one of our household favorites. Pick up a few awesome Fleurty Girl t-shirts while you're there!

Experience Lakeview at the West Harrison Avenue Block Party on Saturday from 12 noon until 6pm. There will be a spacewalk for the kids, an antique car display, and entertainment by Benny Grunch & the Bunch.

Thanks to Target, admission is free on Sunday at the Louisiana Children's Museum, and to honor dads on Father's Day, all dads get in free at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Happy father's day to all dads out there!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

If you're looking for free and frugal fun this weekend, you're likely to find it in the French Quarter! This weekend, the Quarter is host to a trifecta of free festivals: the Creole Tomato Festival, the Louisiana Seafood Festival, and the Cajun-Zydeco Music Festival. All three festivals will offer incredible food, music, and fun for the whole family. Remember to bring (and wear!) your sunscreen, and drink plenty of water - I want to to be safe while having fun this weekend!

Happening this Wednesday in New Orleans

Remember - Wednesdays are free admission for everyone to the New Orleans Museum of Art (thinks to the Helis Foundation's generosity), and hours are extended until 8pm as well. Check out the opening of the Swamp Tours: Exploring the Louisiana Contemporary Collection exhibit at 6pm. Included in the free admission is a drop-in community art-making studio for adults this Wednesday from 6-8pm. Art materials and instruction from art therapists are included!

It's also the second to last chance for you to enjoy a free concert at YLC's Wednesday at the Square. Performing this Wednesday is The Boogie Men and The N'awlins Johnnys.

Have a great Wednesday!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend and not looking to spend too much? Check out these free and frugal events happening in the New Orleans area this weekend:

If you're heading to the East, check out the Town of Pearl River Family Fest. The Fest will be held from 10am to 10pm, Saturday, and it's family-friendly, nonalcoholic, and free! Plenty of events are scheduled, including great music, a "water world" for the kids, train rides and carnival rides, and fireworks at 8:30pm.

Closer to home is ReFest - a festival on Saturday promoting the newly designated ReUse District in town. Head to ReFest to learn more about using recycled materials in your everyday life. ReFest is coinciding with the Elysian Fleas market, where you can find great local food, arts, and crafts.

From 9am to 4pm on Saturday, head over to the Symphony Book Fair to pick up some books, music, or art to benefit the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Speaking of books, as part of Children's Book Week, several children's authors will be on hand at Tale of Two Sisters Bookstore in Metairie to sign their works this weekend. On Saturday, Skipper Jenkins will be signing "Which Way is Which?" from 10am to noon; Cornell P. Landry will sign "Happy Jazz Fest" and "Goodnight NOLA" (one of our house favorites!) from 11am to 1pm. On Sunday, Pat Roig and Joanne Mehrtens will sign their works, including "Counting on the Neutral Ground" from 2-4pm.

On Sunday, once again Target is providing free admission to everyone at the Louisiana Children's Museum.

Have an incredible weekend!

What to Do on Wednesday?

You don't have to wait for the weekend to find plenty of things to do around here.

The Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus clowns will be at three of the branches of the New Orleans Public library on Wednesday to help celebrate Children's Book Week. Check here for locations and times.

From 4:30pm to 8:30pm, head over to Lakeview for the Harrison Avenue Marketplace, which offers food, drink, and plenty of kid-friendly activities.

The New Orleans Museum of Art is open late on Wednesday, and remember, admission is free to all visitors thanks to the Helis Foundation.

Looking to enjoy some great music? Head down to Lafayette Square for the latest installment of the YLC Wednesday at the Square series. The lineup this Wednesday? The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (yay!) and Happy Jack Frequency.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

It's May 5th - "Cinco de Mayo"! If you're looking for something to do tonight, here are a few ideas:

YLC Wednesday at the Square - performing tonight are Junco Partners + Billy Iuso & The Restless Natives

New Orleans Museum of Art - free admission Wednesday

Tomatillo's Cinco de Mayo Block Party - free block party from 5:30pm to 11pm with music (Rockin' Dopsie Jr., DJ G, and Hot Down South), face painting, and great Mexican food!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

If you're not heading out to Jazz Fest this weekend, here are a couple of events that will keep you busy and having fun!

First, if you're heading out west, check out the Little Red Church Food and Fun Festival at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Destrehan (THAT was a mouthful!). Admission is free. The fair runs through Sunday and will have plenty of food, rides, and great music (including one of my favorites - the Bucktown Allstars on Saturday!).

If you're heading out that way on Saturday, why not stop by the Luling Planetarium for a couple of free shows. At 10am see "Wilbear's Adventure" and at 2pm check out the Twinkle Theater.

Also this weekend is the St. Philip Neri May Fair. It runs Friday and Saturday, and again will have plenty of food, music, and fun!

Enjoy the weekend!

Wednesday's Free and Frugal Finds

Remember, every Wednesday is free admission to the New Orleans Museum of Art! Tonight, from 6-8pm you can attend a listening party for Quintron's new album. They say the party starts at the Stern Auditorium inside the museum, and that part of the party will be too loud for children. The party then moves outside to the Besthoff Sculpture Garden outside the museum at 7pm, and children are definitely welcome there.

Also tonight from 5-10pm, head over to your nearest Baskin Robbins for 31 Cent Scoop Night! Take the whole family out for an after dinner treat and not break the bank (and help the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation while you're at it)!

Have a happy Wednesday!

Great Lawn Grand Opening and Free LPO Concert

Wednesday evening at dusk (they're saying about 6pm - 6:30pm), head over to City Park's new Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn and celebrate its grand opening with a free concert by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Bring your blanket and a picnic dinner, or enjoy the concessions that will be available for sale! The LPO will also be collecting canned goods/non-perishable foods for the Second Harvest Food Bank starting at 5pm, so you can celebrate a grand opening, listen to some great music, and do a good deed for others. Enjoy!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

It looks to be another beautiful weekend in the Big Easy, and as usual, there's plenty to do to keep you busy and your pockets full!

On Saturday and Sunday, head to the westbank and celebrate at the Old Algiers River Fest. Experience the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians, be entertained by talented local musicians, and enjoy incredible food. There will also be a children's area and local arts and crafts for sale. Admission is free.

On Sunday, head over to the Louisiana Children's Museum and Target will spring for your admission! Learn about living with disabilities in the museum's Access/ABILITY exhibit, or learn about our city's architectural traditions in the New Orleans: "Proud to Call It Home" exhibit.

Looking ahead, if you and your family enjoy canoeing, the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is offering a free moonlight canoe trip on Sunday, April 25th. The trip will run from 7-9pm, and reservations are required. Call the visitors' center at 504-689-3690 x10 to book your spot. There is also a morning canoe trek scheduled for Saturday, April 18th beginning at 9:30am.

Enjoy the weekend! Make sure to check back on Monday for a tasty product review and giveaway to get your summer fun started!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

It's Easter weekend and there is plenty going on to keep you busy!

On Saturday, the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie will have a Saturday craft at 10am. This Saturday's craft is a garden painting. Stick around once you're done to celebrate National Tartan Day with bagpipe and harp performances, and Scottish dancers!

Also on Saturday over in Luling, they're having the 2nd Annual St. Charles Parish Easter Egg Hunt. Registration begins at 9:30am and the hunting starts at 10:30am. There is a suggested $2 donation per child which includes the hunt, games, and an Easter hat contest.

At 2pm on Saturday, the Alvar branch of the New Orleans Public Library will be holding yet another Easter egg hunt.

In town on Easter Sunday, you have your pick of Easter parades, some more family-friendly than others. Also on Sunday at 11am, City Park will be hosting 2 Easter egg hunts for kids: for those under 6 at Storyland, and for the older kids in the Amusement Park. For $3 admission, the kids can hunt for 9000 filled eggs!

Happy hunting and Happy Easter to all!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

It's shaping up to be another beautiful weekend in the Big Easy! This weekend will be jam-packed with parades and other fun things to do with your families.

On Saturday, head to the Irish Channel for the 63rd annual Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Club Mass and parade. The Mass begins at noon at St. Mary's Assumption church and the parade will follow after Mass.

Also Saturday from 10-11am, make a tabletop basketball game at your nearest Lowes Build and Grow Clinic.

In Metairie, head over to the Lakeside Shopping Center at 9:45am for the Easter egg hunt and check out the Education Expo afterwards for some summer camp ideas.

On Sunday at 11am, the St. Patrick's Day parade will roll down Metairie Road for your chance to catch even MORE produce (and some beads and trinkets, of course).

This is also the final weekend for the "Dreams Come True" exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Once the museum opens on Saturday morning at 10am, it will be open for 30 hours straight (until 5pm Sunday). This is the only North American presentation of this Disney artwork exhibit, so make sure to attend this weekend before its gone.

Finally on Sunday afternoon from 4-7pm, take the kids over to La Maison (508 Frenchmen) to experience a free jazz performance as part of the Nickel-A-Dance series. This Sunday, Detroit Brooks' Syncopated Percolators will perform. Children are welcome for these free performances.

There you have it - plenty of free and frugal things to do to get your family out to enjoy this beautiful weekend!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

Springtime is almost here and the fun family events are starting to pop up around town. If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out these free and frugal evens:

If you're looking for a free lunch on Friday, head down to the Pasta Party at the New Orleans Riverside Hilton hotel at noon. To celebrate their parade on Saturday night (at 6pm), the Italian-American Marching Club will be serving "The World's Largest Pasta Dish" with 500 pounds of pasta and 150 gallons of red gravy.

Speaking of parades, on Sunday at 11am head over to Arabi and Chalmette to experience the Irish-Italian-Islenos parade. The parade starts at 11am - come prepared to catch your share of the 250,000-300,000 pounds of produce that will be tossed from the floats!

Yet another parade will kick off the Terrytown Spring Festival on the westbank Saturday at 11am. The festival will feature 14 food and drink booths, live music (Amanda Shaw, the Top Cats, and Rockin Dopsie Jr.), and a kids' area.

Sunday is Algiers Friendship Day. This block party takes place at the Old Point Bar and will feature music and free green beer (while supplies last, of course!).

Also on Sunday: Hornets Day at the Audubon Zoo. The first 2000 visitors will receive a free ticket to the March 31st Hornets game. Hornets players and Honeybees will be making appearances throughout the day.

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

On Saturday, the Treme Brass Band will be at the New Orleans Jazz Historical Park from 11am until noon to participate in the kids' workshop. Have your kids bring their own instruments and play a few numbers with a real brass band!

While you're at the Jazz Historical Park, stick around for two programs to celebrate February as Black History Month. At 1pm, learn about the Underground Railroad in Louisiana. At 2pm, listen to a performance of freedom songs during the "Songs of the Underground Railroad" program.

If you (or your children) are more the handyman-type, head on over to Lowe's for their Build and Grow project. Saturday from 10 am to 11 am, make your very own "LoweBot" (car/robot). Head to their website here and register. Even my 2 year old has fun "working" with the tools!

The Krewe of Arfus celebration will be held at Zephyr Stadium on Sunday from 11am to 4pm. The parade starts at 1pm and will feature King Buud and Queen Gretchen leading the carnival-style parade. Head over and check out the information on spaying/neutering and microchipping your pet. You may even find your next best friend there! There is a registration fee for the pets in the parade, but spectators are free.

Also on Sunday will be the Arts Market of New Orleans in Palmer Park. The market runs from 10am until 4pm and will feature an African drumming performance in the kids' tent.

Let's hope for a beautiful weekend - get out and enjoy it!

Free Concert at the Cathedral

Looking for something to do Wednesday evening? Head over to St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square for a free concert by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The performance titled "Made in Louisiana" celebrates Louisiana's musical heritage and features works by Louisiana artists who influenced music worldwide, including Ernest Guiraud who just happens to be a branch on my family tree!

If you've never experienced the LPO, Wednesday night is your chance to do so for free! The concert starts at 7:30pm in the cathedral.

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

It's getting closer to Mardi Gras, and you know what that means: PARADES! Although things will get into full swing later in the week, we still have a few parades rolling Saturday and Sunday, including the family-friendly Krewe of Little Rascals parade in Metairie on Sunday at noon. Check out the full parade schedule and parade maps here.

Also this weekend, on Saturday, is another chance for your child to play his or her instrument with the Royal Player Brass Band over at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Head over there from 11 am-12 pm on Saturday with your instruments and make some music!

Still ongoing are the Vieux Carre Matinees at Le Petit Theatre: free movies on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. This Saturday's schedule includes We Live to Eat. Yep, that sounds about right!

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy it with your family!