Hopefully everyone will be out haunting their neighborhoods Saturday night and hauling home lots of candy. We received a reminder today from school that we should be vigilant and check the sex offender registry before trick-or-treating with the kids. It is good practice to be aware of your surroundings always, so do yourself a favor and arm yourself (and your children) with some knowledge by checking out these websites:
Halloween Safety Tips
Louisiana State Police sex offender registry
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
You can also check out this previous post for a link to an article that shares some staggering statistics.
And while we're on the subject of safety, when you turn your clocks back Saturday night, be sure to change the batteries in your smoke detectors!
Have a happy and safe Halloween!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Top 10 Tuesday: Things to do in the New Orleans area on Make a Difference Day
"Make a Difference Day" is this Saturday, October 24th. Here is a list of 10 organizations that have volunteer opportunities so you can "Make a Difference":
1. This Saturday and every Saturday morning, the City Park Mow-Rons meet in front of the New Orleans Museum of Art to clean up City Park. After Katrina, City Park did not have the funds to pay full-time gardeners and landscape workers, so the Mow-Rons came to the rescue.
2. Do you or a loved one enjoy playing on community playgrounds? If so, KaBOOM! Build Days will be occurring throughout the next several months and are still looking for volunteers and donations.
3. The United Saints 1st Street Recovery Project helps clean up the community and rebuild homes for disadvantaged residents of Central City.
4. If gardening is your thing, One Book, One New Orleans will be creating a community garden in St. Bernard parish.
5. Or head to the lower 9th ward to help start a community garden by building fences and creating raised planting beds with Americorps volunteers.
6. Are you a carpenter (or do you play one on tv)? If so, maybe you can put your skills to good use by helping to build wheelchair ramps for some local residents on Saturday with Trinity Christian Community and Phoenix New Orleans.
7. Habitat for Humanity has 46 homes in progress in the greater New Orleans area right now - maybe you can put your skills to work to help put someone in their own home?
8. Check out the HandsOn New Orleans website for opportunities to volunteer at the New Orleans Mission and with other organizations.
9. Pet lovers can donate their time and resources to the LASPCA or Animal Rescue New Orleans.
10. Finally, remember that not everyone is blessed with an abundance of food, especially in these economic times. Consider volunteering with the Second Harvest Food Bank network - you never know when you may be in need as well.
If you won't be in the New Orleans area on Make a Difference Day, go here to check out projects in your area!
And while you're at it, head over to OhAmanda for more Top 10 Tuesday!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
More New Orleans-area events for this weekend!
If you didn't already have enough entertainment choices for this weekend, here are a few others you may want to check out:
If you're in the mood for a short trip north, head to Lacombe for the Wild Things! Wildlife Refuges festival. Its free and features boat tours, hayrides, live music, and exibitions by conservationists.
Whole Foods Market in Metairie will be teaching those interested in creating holiday crafts from recyclables today from 10-2. Head uptown to their Magazine Street location to learn about green decorating, and how to make Halloween costumes and treats today from 1-3pm.
In addition to the Cochon de Lait at St. Edwards, the following schools/parishes are also holding fall fairs:
With all these choices there is no excuse to sit around this weekend - get out and have fun!
If you're in the mood for a short trip north, head to Lacombe for the Wild Things! Wildlife Refuges festival. Its free and features boat tours, hayrides, live music, and exibitions by conservationists.
Whole Foods Market in Metairie will be teaching those interested in creating holiday crafts from recyclables today from 10-2. Head uptown to their Magazine Street location to learn about green decorating, and how to make Halloween costumes and treats today from 1-3pm.
In addition to the Cochon de Lait at St. Edwards, the following schools/parishes are also holding fall fairs:
St. Philip Neri Oktoberfest in MetairieRockin' Cajun Festival at St. Bonaventure in AvondaleSt. Cletus Oyster Festival in Gretna
With all these choices there is no excuse to sit around this weekend - get out and have fun!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
New Orleans Area Free and Frugal Events this Weekend
Our first real taste of fall weather will make it a great time to get outside and enjoy the area this weekend - and it looks to be a busy one!
Head out to Lafayette Square this evening from 5pm to 7pm to catch the Rebirth Brass Band at the Harvest the Music fall concert series. Admission is free, and all proceeds from the food and drink ticket sales go to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Friday through Sunday, head to Metairie to enjoy the St. Edward the Confessor Cochon de Lait. The theme this year is "Pigs Ahoy!" There will be rides, food (including the locally-famous cochon on Sunday), and musical entertainment all weekend long.
The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is being held all day Saturday and Sunday at Lafayette Square Park. This free festival boasts an incredible lineup of jazz musicians, and arts and crafts vendor area, and of course some kickin' barbeque to enjoy!
If you're near the LaPlace area this weekend, stop by the Andouille Festival. Adult admission is $3 and children 12 and under are $1. Kids can enjoy free face painting, pony rides, a petting zoo, and demonstrations by the LaPlace fire department. A gumbo cook-off, apron contest, and andouille toss are also scheduled.
For the train enthusiasts out there, the 4th annual Louisiana Steam Train Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday behind the zoo at Audubon Park. Admission is $10 per person, or buy a family membership for $35 that will grant you admission to all of LASTA's events for a year. The kids can take a rubber-tired train ride, check out the model train display, bounce on inflatables, and play conductor in a real caboose! Listen to some great bluegrass music while learning about the history of the steam locomotive.
There's something for everyone this weekend - get out and enjoy it!
Head out to Lafayette Square this evening from 5pm to 7pm to catch the Rebirth Brass Band at the Harvest the Music fall concert series. Admission is free, and all proceeds from the food and drink ticket sales go to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Friday through Sunday, head to Metairie to enjoy the St. Edward the Confessor Cochon de Lait. The theme this year is "Pigs Ahoy!" There will be rides, food (including the locally-famous cochon on Sunday), and musical entertainment all weekend long.
The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is being held all day Saturday and Sunday at Lafayette Square Park. This free festival boasts an incredible lineup of jazz musicians, and arts and crafts vendor area, and of course some kickin' barbeque to enjoy!
If you're near the LaPlace area this weekend, stop by the Andouille Festival. Adult admission is $3 and children 12 and under are $1. Kids can enjoy free face painting, pony rides, a petting zoo, and demonstrations by the LaPlace fire department. A gumbo cook-off, apron contest, and andouille toss are also scheduled.
For the train enthusiasts out there, the 4th annual Louisiana Steam Train Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday behind the zoo at Audubon Park. Admission is $10 per person, or buy a family membership for $35 that will grant you admission to all of LASTA's events for a year. The kids can take a rubber-tired train ride, check out the model train display, bounce on inflatables, and play conductor in a real caboose! Listen to some great bluegrass music while learning about the history of the steam locomotive.
There's something for everyone this weekend - get out and enjoy it!
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