New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

Ok, so they didn't win Thursday night, but that's no reason not to head out and cheer on the Saints this weekend as they continue training camp.  The Saints will have open practices at their facility on Airline Drive Saturday through Thursday, including two practices against the Houston Texans Wednesday and Thursday.  Check here for the complete schedule.

On Saturday, gather up your children and their musical instruments and head to the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.  From 11am to noon, kids can bring their instruments and play music with a real live jazz band - this week it's the Storyville Stompers Brass Band!

While you're over that way, head over to the Old U.S. Mint (400 Esplanade Avenue) for a school supply giveaway sponsored by the Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund.  From noon to 4pm, enjoy live music, food, health screenings, a performance by Mardi Gras Indians, and appearances by Dora and Elmo!  If you plan to attend, please bring a donation of canned goods for Second Harvest Food Bank.

And don't forget, Sunday is Target Free Sunday at the Louisiana Children's Museum. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

More Events this Weekend!

If you've got a little gas in the car, take the family west on I-10 to Baton Rouge to enjoy the Pennington Balloon Championship!  Check out the balloons, and head over to the Children's Village to enjoy music, face painting, pony rides, and more! The festival runs Friday through Sunday, with most events on Saturday.

Also in Baton Rouge this weekend is LSU Fan Day!  On Sunday, LSU fans can head to the Maravich Assembly Center and the Carl Maddox Field House to meet and greet LSU soccer, cheerleading, and football teams.  The kids' area will open at 1pm in Lot L (next to the Field House) and gates to the facilities will be open from 3pm until 5:30pm.

Finally, from 9am until noon on Saturday, take the kids to your nearest Home Depot store for the latest Kids' Workshop.  This weekend, make a school bus pencil holder!

Enjoy your weekend!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

We're heading into a pretty exciting weekend in the Crescent City.  Two big free events are happening in the area:  Saints Training Camp(!!!!) and the 3rd Annual New Orleans International Children's Film Festival.

The New Orleans Saints will have open practice at their Metairie facility every day from Friday through next week, culminating with the Black & Gold Scrimmage on Saturday 8/7:

Friday 7/30: 8:50-11 am; and 4:20-5:45 pm

Saturday 7/31: 8:50-11 am; and 4:20-5:45 pm
Sunday 8/1: 3:20-5:45 pm

Monday 8/2: 8:50-11 am

Tuesday 8/3: 3:20-5:45 pm

Wednesday 8/4: 8:50-11 am

Thursday 8/5: 3:20-5:45 pm
Friday 8/6: 8:50-11 am
Saturday 8/7: 2:50-4:20 pm Black & Gold Scrimmage

So, if you're ready for some football (I know I am!), then head out to the Saints' outdoor practice field and cheer on the World Champion New Orleans Saints!

Once you've had your fill of football, take your little ones to the Contemporary Arts Center to experience the 3rd Annual New Orleans International Children's Film Festival.  This free festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am until 5:30pm, with animation workshops held each day from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.

Saturday evening, take your picnic basket and blanket (or purchase food and drink at the park) and head over to St. Patrick's Park for a free showing of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  The movie will begin 30 minutes after sunset.
Have a wonderful weekend!

New Orleans Free and Frugal Events This Weekend

Here are a few events to kick-start your weekend without breaking the bank:

Up for a run on Saturday morning?  Head to the Quarter to celebrate San Fermin in Nueva Orleans 2010!  The running of the bulls in New Orleans is a little different than the one in Spain - here, the Big Easy Rollergirls are ready to "gore" the runners with plastic baseball bats!  The event is free, and starts at 8am at Conti and Bourbon Street (runners begin to assemble at 7am).  If you plan to run, wear white with a red cloth on your waist and neck.  Kids are welcome, but are asked to stay on the sidewalk.  If you're in the street, you're fair game for a knock down by one (or more) of the toughest women in New Orleans!

The boats are back at City Park's Big Lake, and to celebrate, they've scheduled a blessing of the fleet (now including bikes and a gondola!) for Saturday at 11am, and free boat and bike rides from 11am until noon. 

Are your children fans of the PBS show Super Why?  I know my boys are.  Super Why will be visiting the Esplanade Mall in Kenner on Saturday from 1-3pm to promote reading around the world in conjunction with WYES and the Simon Malls' Kidgits program.  If you have never heard of Kidgits, it's a kid's club that costs $5/year, and includes a t-shirt, birthday gift, and monthly events at your nearest Simon mall.

Teach your kids about the dangers of drugs at the Louisiana State Museum's exhibition "Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause".  The exhibition will be on display (with free admission) through November 24th, but on Saturday from 1-3pm, children will have the opportunity to become Junior DEA agents by completing 3 tasks in the exhibit.

Have a wonderful 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!

"Milk the Moment" at the French Quarter Festival!

If you read my post yesterday, you may remember I mentioned there will be a number of activities for kids at this weekend's French Quarter Festival. From 11am to 5pm each day (Friday through Sunday), the Milk Mustache Mobile Tour will be set up on the riverfront plaza at the Audubon Aquarium. Bring the kids and enjoy milk samples, a football toss, and make your own milk mustache souvenir photo!

My family really enjoys drinking milk. In fact, at times I've contemplated having our own dairy cow (though I don't think a cow would be quite welcome in the neighborhood - or by my husband, for that matter!). While looking through the got milk? website, I found a great timeline tool to help you understand how much milk you should drink and what benefits you earn from drinking milk at each stage of your life. In addition to all the great information contained on the website, there will be a registered dietitian on hand at the tour this weekend to help you plan healthy family meals.

Also, if you visit the Milk Mustache Tour at the French Quarter Festival, make sure you enter the "Milk the Moment" contest for your chance to win a trip for 4 to San Francisco to have dinner with Tyler Florence (one of my favorites!). And if you win and need someone to go with you, you know how to get a hold of me!

New Orleans Festivals this Weekend

This weekend, from Friday through Sunday, celebrate Spring in the French Quarter with the French Quarter Festival! Billed as the largest free music festival in the south, the French Quarter Festival is a "don't-miss" event this weekend. There will be incredible food and music to enjoy, and hopefully some beautiful Spring weather to go with it! Head to the website here for a list of acts and to create your own French Quarter Festival printable itinerary! In addition to the food and music, there will be plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy. Check back tomorrow for information on one of the kids' events that will be taking place.

Also this weekend is the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival (my mouth is watering just thinking about it!). Head up I-55 to Ponchatoula - the "Strawberry Capital of the World" - and enjoy just about any dish you can think of created with fresh, delicious, Louisiana strawberries. There will be a parade, music, games, and rides for the kids.

North or south of the lake, there is plenty to do this weekend!

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!

A few free area events this weekend

In addition to the free admission to the Louisiana Children's Museum on Sunday, there are a few more events happening to keep your kids busy for cheap!



On Saturday, take your music-loving kids to the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park (on N. Peters in the French Quarter) and let them play with the Royal Players Brass Band. Have them bring their own instruments and take part in the park's free "Music for All Ages" program.



If you happen to be out near Luling on Saturday morning, take your kids to the Planetarium for their children's matinee series to see "Planets of the Solar System" at 10am. Or wait until 2pm for their "Twinkle Theater" program. Both programs are free and open to the public.



Of course wherever you go this weekend, remember to cheer on our beloved New Orleans Saints!

Family Friendly New Year's Eve Events in New Orleans

New Orleans has been voted one of the top New Years Eve celebration destinations, but if any of you have been in the thick of it downtown, you know how family UN-friendly it can get! Luckily there are a few family-centric New Year's Eve events to take part in.

On both Wednesday and Thursday from noon until 8pm, head down to the Jax Brewery parking lot to participate in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Fan Fest. Try your football-throwing skills, enjoy food from the Hard Rock Cafe, take a picture with the Sugar Bowl trophy, and dance to the Gin Blossoms (Wednesday) and Lady Antebellum (Thursday). Admission is free, and there will be pep rallies for both Sugar Bowl teams (Cincy and Florida this year, in case you didn't know!).

On Thursday from 10:30am until 12:30pm, join Radio Disney at the Audubon Zoo to celebrate "Noon Year's Eve". Hugo the Hornets mascot will be there with the Honeybees and Junior Stingers, and the kids can create some arts and crafts and have their faces painted. Ring in noon with your kids with a Pepsi-sponsored non-alcoholic toast!

On the other side of town from 9:30am to 2:30pm, you can celebrate another countdown to noon at the Louisiana Children's Museum. This celebration is $10 general admission or $2 for members and includes music by Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots, and a balloon drop at noon.

Regardless of how you celebrate the new year, be safe and have fun!

New Orleans Area Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

On Saturday, officially kick off the holiday season (as if the displays of Christmas decorations that have been up in stores since the beginning of October hadn't already clued you in) by welcoming Santa as he arrives at Lakeside Mall. Santa is scheduled to arrive at 9:30am, and where else but in southern Louisiana would you greet him and Mrs. Claus with a second line parade?

Also on Saturday, celebrate Fiesta Latina at Zephyr Stadium from 10:30am until 9:30pm. Festival admission is free and parking is $5 per vehicle. Enjoy food, music, dancing, and art that celebrates different Latin cultures!

Want to be a part of a community art project? Head over to the Green Room at The Green Project in Faubourg Marigny to participate in the 4th annual Draw-A-Thon. The Draw-A-Thon begins at 6:30am Saturday and runs 24 hours ending with a pancake breakfast Sunday at 6:30am. Different workshops featuring various techniques will be held throughout the 24 hour event, including drawing with a sewing machine and drawing on film. Adults and kids are encouraged to visit this paper-covered room and channel their artistic sides!

On Sunday, head on over to Oak Street and stuff yourself silly with a huge array of the area's best po-boys at the 2009 New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival. Enjoy great local tunes while munching on delicious po-boys. Just reading the list of vendors and their wares has my mouth watering - I just have to try Emeril's bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato shrimp remoulade po-boy (would that be a "BLFGTSR"?).

Enjoy the weekend!

New Orleans Area Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

Another weekend full of free and frugal things to do in the New Orleans area. If your social calendar is open this weekend, check out a few of these events to keep you busy:

• The weather should be great for the Gator Luau at Holy Name of Jesus school in New Orleans. It runs Friday through Sunday and includes food, drink, rides, music, and both the LSU and Saints games will be shown so you won't have to miss a play!
• If you're in the mood to shop for Christmas presents, check out the St. Edward the Confessor Craft Fair on Saturday from 9am to 5pm at 4921 W. Metairie Avenue. With more than 100 exhibitors, you should be able to find something for everyone on your list!
• Also on Saturday will be the next installment of the Kids Culinary Camp for second through fourth graders at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, sponsored by the Junior League of New Orleans.
• If you're the handy type, head over to Lowe's for their Build and Grow clinic on Saturday from 10-11am. The kids will get to create a "garage" for the Lowe's NASCAR vehicle.
• On Sunday, head over to the Louisiana Children's Museum for free admission courtesy of Target.
• If music is your thing, check out the craft and food vendors and enjoy the music at the free third annual Congo Square Rhythms Festival on Sunday from 11am until 6:30pm.
• Also on Sunday is the grand opening of the "Dreams Come True" Disney art exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art. This exhibit will be on display until March 14, 2010, so if you can't make it out this weekend, you'll have plenty of time to do so.

Have a wonderful weekend and get out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

New Orleans Area Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

Looks like it will be another busy and beautiful weekend here in the New Orleans area. If you're looking for something to do, check out these events:

Tonight, head to City Park for "Ghosts in the Oaks". Its not free, but the price of admission ($15) includes all rides, treats, crafts, face painting, and hayrides.

Also tonight, and continuing through Sunday, head over to Lafreniere Park in Metairie for their "Park-A-Boo" Halloween celebration. Adult admission is $7, children 3-12 are $5, and children under age 3 are free. Kids will be able to trick-or-treat, enter a costume contest, enjoy face painting, and navigate a slightly-scary maze as part of the Park-A-Boo celebration!

On Saturday, your chef-in-training can head over to another installment of the free Kids' Culinary Camp at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

If you're in the mood for some seafood (and who isn't?) check out the Bucktown Seafood Festival this weekend. Great food, games, and bands, including one of our favorites, the Bucktown Allstars (of course!) on Sunday afternoon.

And it wouldn't be New Orleans if we didn't have a parade for Halloween! On Saturday night, throw on your costume and head down to the Krewe of Boo parade and catch some beads! Mr. Mardi Gras Blaine Kern says this will be a family-friendly parade, but use your own judgement with your children, as it is an evening parade in New Orleans...

Have a great weekend, and get out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Wordless Wednesday: Wow Wow Wubbzy birthday cake

Free New Orleans Events this Weekend

Here are a few fun and free events happening in the area this weekend:

St. Matthew the Apostle in Harahan is holding their fall fair this weekend, with great local food and music, and rides for the kids.

If you are looking to take a short road trip, head down to Houma and check out the Voice of the Wetlands festival. Festival admission is free, and the proceeds from food and beverage sales go to help save our Louisiana wetlands. Sundays lineup reads like a "Who's Who" of local music: Dr. John, Tab Benoit, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Anders Osborne, Monk Boudreaux, Cyril Neville, Stanton Moore, and Waylon Thibodeaux - and they're just the ones playing together as the Voice of the Wetlands Allstars! Where else but in Louisiana can you get such a treat for free?

Finally, Lowe's is again having their Build and Grow clinic for kids. Tomorrow's project is a ball toss - just in time for tailgating!

Have a great weekend and enjoy it with your family!

New Orleans Area Free and Frugal Events this Weekend

Hopefully this weekend won't be a complete washout, but this weather is not what I'd ask for on the weekend! If you want to venture out despite the weather, here are a few free and family-friendly events happening in the area:

Take Time for Lunch on Saturday 9/12, 11am to 1pm at the Edible Schoolyard at Samuel J. Green Charter School (2319 Valence, New Orleans). Visit informational booths, tour the edible schoolyard garden, and the kids can participate in activities just for them.

Along similar lines, the Young Leadership Council is holding a Community Revitalization Day on Saturday from 9am to 12 noon at their headquarters (1840 Euterpe Street, New Orleans). If you're looking for service hours (or rather if your children need them!), come help plant a community garden and paint the YLC meeting room's walls.

Also on Saturday, you can visit the Sankofa Marketplace in the lower 9th ward from 1pm - 4pm. Kids visiting the marketplace can receive a free book courtesy of the New Orleans Public Library Martin Luther King branch bookmobile. Stop by this or any of the other area farmers markets and support our local farmers and fishermen.

On Sunday at 1pm you can celebrate author Roald Dahl's birthday at Octavia Books. Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of my older son's FAVORITE stories, so maybe I'll surprise him with a trip Uptown!

Enjoy your weekend and remember, GEAUX SAINTS GEAUX!!!!!