Darlings,
I hope you all had a safe and lovely 4th of July weekend.
The 4th of July celebration has always been one of my favorites since, as a naturalized citizen, I am very grateful to the opportunity that my beloved adopted country has given me to grow, prosper and have freedom. A Toast you AMERICA on your 240th birthday!
I started my celebrations on Sunday, July 3, when I attended the lovely 3rd of July Celebration at City Park. I enjoyed so much the patriotic music from The Marine Corps Band on the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn at City Park and of course the lovely fireworks. Duchess Chiquita, Walther Vera and Iwent to film a segment for the upcoming Bilingual Cox TV program "El Mirador" that will air this Tuesday at 7:30 and on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. I loved seeing so many of my friends. It was a very patriotic treat!
On the 4th I was invited, as in the past, to attend a lovely 4th of July Soiree at Brian Sands’ house. As always, it was so much fun and I enjoyed seeing so many of my old-time friends and meeting new ones. 
After the party I went to see the fireworks from the Crescent Park by my house. They were lovely and I loved the music that went with it.
I was delighted to learn that 2016 ESSENCE Festival presented by Coca-Cola attracted more than 450,000 attendees to New Orleans this Fourth of July weekend for its annual cultural celebration featuring more than 100 performing artists and over 100 speakers---which included first-time appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Tyra Banks, Misty Copeland and many more. A toast to that!
On a sad note, I wanted to share the news of the death of Kevin Kelly's mother Alice on June 17. Many of us met his mother at his annual St. Patrick's Day parties at Houmas House Plantation and his five annual Carnival parties, including Mardi Gras Day. May her Soul RIP!http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Alice-Kelly&lc=7204&pid=180376891&mid=6975903#.V3Q8sxeUUpZ.facebook
On a happy note: FestiGals announced that the legendary Angela Hill, TV and radio broadcaster, will serve as the 2016 Grand Diva for the New Orleans festival that celebrates, empowers and connects women. In her role as FestiGals Grand Diva, Angela Hill will be crowned on Thursday, July 28, and she will lead the parade of partygoers on Saturday, July 30, during the sixth annual Stiletto Stroll through the streets of the Warehouse District.
FestiGals, which is slated for July 28-30 at the JW Marriot, also includes the "Queen of Creole Cuisine," Leah Chase. The recent James Beard award winner will host a private dinner at Dooky Chase Restaurant on Thursday, July 28 for FestiGals Diva Package holders. The 93-year-old culinary connoisseur will also be featured in a session titled "Outside the Kitchen" discussing her plethora of life experiences beyond the Dooky Chase kitchen
Darling this upcoming week is going to be so much fun:
I am going to start my social week by attending a soiree a the Mexican Consulate in honor of the new appointed Consul General, Mr. Carlos Ponce i and the next day his first art exhibition Thursday, July 7th at 6:00 pm. - photographic art exhibit at the Mexican Consulate: “Los Demonios de mi Tierra by Mauricio Silerio (see invitation below).
We are having all the festivities associated with the Running of the Bulls as well as the beginning of the Bastille Day Celebrations.
San Fermin en Nueva Orleans (Running of the Bulls) from July 8-10, is set to coincide every year with the world-famous Encierro (Running of the Bulls) at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain, the New Orleans version of the event is uniquely its own.
This 10th Annual Running of the Bulls in Nueva Orleans is the city's most incredible summer spectacle! Join thousands of runners as they roam the streets of New Orleans and party with hundreds of New Orleans Roller Bulls (roller derby skaters with horns on their helmets and plastic bats in their hands) from around the globe during the Encierro. Visit http://nolabulls.com/. The festivities will actually start on Thursday when there is a wonderful St. Fermin Spanish Wine Dinner at the Bourbon Orleans (See brochure below).
While our Independence day weekend picnics and festivities came to a close last night, our friends across the Atlantic are just getting started with Bastille Day! France celebrates the end of the reign of the old French monarchy and the beginning of the modern republic on July 14, 1789, commemorating the day its ordinary citizens rose up and stormed the Bastille, a symbol of aristocratic hypocrisy and corruption.
Our French heritage here in New Orleans gives us another reason to celebrate in the month of July and at Swirl they are taking full advantage of the holiday by holding a week's worth of events focused around French wine and culture.
They have a full schedule, but among them is one of particular interest: Saturday, July 9-10 is the Annual Bastille Day Fete. Join them for their annual street party where they close down Ponce de Leon Street in the Faubourg St. John and throw a big celebration in one of the most historic neighborhoods of New Orleans! Live music, a costume contest for best Napoleon or Marie Antoinette, kids’ activities, local art vendors, plus food and drink from all of your neighborhood bars and restaurants! Meet, eat, drink and dance in the street from 5-9 p.m.
Many of the Bastille Day events will also be held at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Thursday and Friday, July 14-15. I just learned that, among other entertainment scheduled at NOMA for Friday the 15th, my darling friend and talented pianist/vocalist, Giselle Bonfaire, will be performing songs in French and English that afternoon. Including some of the all-time classics of the great Edith Piaf. Also performing that day will be the Lost Bayou Ramblers. For more details go tohttp://bastilledaynola.com/bastilledaynola/2016_bastille_day_fete/.
Before getting into the details of my next Round Table Luncheon, I want to pay tribute to a lovely, talented, charming and – above all – dedicated arts activist who passed away in Chicago earlier this week. Sharon Litwin was a former producer for PBS TV stationWYES, former writer for the States-Item and Times-Picayune, former assistant director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, former executive director of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, co-founder of the Crescent City Farmers Market and, most recently, a co-founder and arts columnist for NOLA Vie newsletter. In everything she did – with a winning smile and a cheerful disposition – she had a tremendous impact on the New Orleans arts community and the thousands of people who knew and worked with her. Her contributions will long outlive her and we were very blessed to have this wonderful, U.K.-born jewel living and working among us for 50 years to help make New Orleans the arts mecca that it is.
For more a more detailed report, read John Pope’s obituary tribute on nola.com athttp://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2016/06/sharon_litwin_obituary.html.
Darlings, I am still working in all the details for my annual Round Table Salute to The Tales of the Cocktail. It will be on Wednesday, July 20, at noon at a new venue for this one: Hotel Mazarin on Bienville Street since both Bourbon House and The Bourbon Orleans Hotel were not available. As in the past, it will be co-hosted by “Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail” the one and only Ann Tuennerman, founder of Tales of the Cocktail and her husband Paul G. Tuennerman. I have prepared a program that will include a Rum Tasting by Alexandre Gabriel, producer of fine spirits and owner of Maison Ferrand which is a highly regarded company that distributes its fine spirits in more than 40 countries and some of the world’s most prestigious outlets.
We also will have a tasting of gin by the creator of Dorothy Parker Gin, Allen Katz of New York Distilling Company- The entertainment will go along with the theme and will be by talented Claudia Baumgarten who will talk about Dorothy Parker and her life during Prohibition. She will entertain us with songs from her new set of SONGS of FOOD & LOVE and be accompanied on the piano by Jim Walpole.
As in the past , Champagne and wines will be flowing for the delicious three course luncheon prepared by Chef Agnes Bellet at La Louisiane. The price has been set at $55 all-inclusive. Reservations are needed by July 15 and are being handled by Event Brite. Please email Margaritabergen@hotmail.com for furtherinformation (still working on parking arrangements).parking
Enjoy week - it is yours to be !
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Algiers Ferry Landing | 5:30-8:30 pm | FREE
Wednesday on the Point is a free, 6-week concert series with food and drink for sale put on by the Algiers Economice Development Foundation
July 6 - Motel Radio + Amanda Shaw
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Patchwork Players Present Rumpelstiltskin
Created by Buzz Podewell of Tulane University in New Orleans, this troupe of zany actors have been acting silly for so long that grandmothers are beginning to remember coming to the shows as kids.With a repertoire of six productions, they dance, sing, tell jokes and interact with audience members, engaging several tots in the cast at each performance.
Performances: July 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10
Tickets: $8.50 General Admission
Invitation from the Consulate Of Mexico
Le Petite Theatre de Vieux Carre presents
The High Priestess of Dark Alley.
The High Priestess of Dark Alley is a uniquely New Orleans story, and I am thrilled to have it brought to life in front of a hometown audience. While the story is universal, I believe Le Petit's audience will connect with these characters on a level not possible in any other city, which is incredibly exciting for me as a writer. I hope you can join us for this homecoming; it promises to be an evening of music, laughter, tears, and reflection. But most of all it will be a celebration of life in New Orleans!
For tickets, please call Le Petit's box office (522.2081 x1), or purchase online by clicking here.
The High Priestess of Dark Alley is a uniquely New Orleans story, and I am thrilled to have it brought to life in front of a hometown audience. While the story is universal, I believe Le Petit's audience will connect with these characters on a level not possible in any other city, which is incredibly exciting for me as a writer. I hope you can join us for this homecoming; it promises to be an evening of music, laughter, tears, and reflection. But most of all it will be a celebration of life in New Orleans!
For tickets, please call Le Petit's box office (522.2081 x1), or purchase online by clicking here.
July 8-10
San Fermin in Nueva Orleans
The 10th annual four-day festival features an Encierro or Bull Run through downtown New Orleans, which replicates and pays homage to Spain's world famous "The Running of the Bulls" only these bulls are members of the Big Easy Rollergirls. The event also includes a Spanish wine dinner at Bourbon Orleans, El Txupinazo, a lively Spanish food, wine and music fiesta, and El Pobre de Mi (Poor Me) - a day of recovery featuring an Ernest Hemingway celebration and talent contest. More infoJazz, Blues, and Gospel. For more information about the band, visit markabrooks.net
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July 8-10
San Fermin in Nueva Orleans
- Friday: El Txupinazo
- Friday, July 8El TxupinazoEl Txupinazo, pronounced choo-pin-AHT-so, is the official kickoff party for San Fermin in Nueva Orleans. Revelers gather the night before the encierro to enjoy food, libations, and music. Further details are below.Event Details
- WHAT: El Txupinazo - SFNO Pre-party
- WHEN: Friday, July 8th, from 5 - 9 PM
This year's event will be hosted at Little Gem Saloon (445 S. Rampart Street) from 5-9PM. For one ticket price, you will enjoy open bar, live music from Los Po-boy-citos, food from Commander's Palace, SoBou, Little Gem, Apolline, and Bayona. Plus, you have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction benefitting Beth's Friends Forever.TICKETSThis event is ticketed and limited to 150 attendees. The ticket price includes food, beverages, tax and tip per attendee. More detailed information is available on the ticketing page.GET TICKETS
- Saturday: El Encierro: The Running of the Bulls
- Saturday, July 9El Encierro: The Running of the BullsSan Fermin in Nueva Orleans (#SFNO2016) is our homage to the world famous Encierro of Pamplona, Spain, a.k.a. The Running of the Bulls. Instead of bovines, our bulls are actually RollerBulls played by skaters selected from roller derby leagues around the world including New Orleans' all-female flat-track derby team the Big Easy Rollergirls! Join us, more than 18,000 runners and over 400 RollerBulls as we bring our version of Pamplona's Fiesta to New Orleans!Event Details
- WHAT: 10th Annual Running of the Bulls in New Orleans
- WHEN: Saturday, July 9th
7:15 AM Procession of San Fermin
8:00 AM SHARP El Encierro (bull run) begins
8:15 AM (not so sharp) Post Encierro party featuring live entertainment, spectacles, foods, drinks, and RollerBulls
- WHY: ¿Por qué no?
RUNNERS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR (ANY KIND OF) WHITE SHIRT, WHITE PANTS OR SHORTS, AND A PIECE OF RED CLOTH ABOUT THE WAIST AND NECK
- Saturday: La Fiesta de Pantalones
- Saturday, July 9thLa Fiesta de PantalonesFirst a brief quote from the American cinema classic Anchorman:
- Brick Tamland: Excuse me, Veronica?
- Veronica Corningstone: Yes? What is it, Brick?
- Brick Tamland: I would like to extend to you an invitation to the pants party."
Despite what the title may imply, there is no dress code regarding pants. But, we do encourage you to attend Pamplonese style: white shirt, white pants/shorts/skirt/dress, with red about the neck and waist. Consider that a starting point and get creative with your gear.
- Sunday: El Pobré de Mi (Poor Me)
- Sunday, July 10El Pobré de Mi (Poor Me)As the final event of San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, the annual Pobre de Mi is a chance to relax in the shade, to nurse a beautiful hangover (not to mention a beautifully-bruised backside), and to let the excitement come to you for a change. Enjoy a savory tapas brunch and specialty drinks on the Sunday following the run. Then, without having to leave your table, let us bring the 6th Annual Ernest Hemingway Celebration & Talent Contest to you. Our Hemingway Celebration features skit contests, dramatic readings and a Hemingway look-alike contest in collaboration with the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival.
July 12
14th annual Les Comédiens Français Lecture
@The Historic New Orleans Collection
Join THNOC for an evening's celebration of Séjour's literary endeavors, highlighted with readings in English of a selection of his works.The depth of THNOC's holdings related to Séjour allows new insight into his contributions to Louisiana and French cultural history. More info
Bastille Day Fête in New Orleans
July 14-15, 2016
| Photos by Frank Stansbury |
Named the third best Bastille Day celebration in the world by Reuters.com, Bastille Day Fête is excited to announce its new home at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Now in its fifth year, the celebration will be bringing even more of its French flair to the people of New Orleans. On July 15, from 4 p.m.-10 p.m., you can immerse yourself in the French culture of New Orleans with the following activities. Admission is FREE and open to the public for outdoor activities and $5 for activities inside NOMA. Admission is free for all NOMA members.
The Festival
2016 festival highlights will include:
- An exciting line-up of local musicians including The Lost Bayou Ramblers and a live accordion player
- French and English tours of the museum
- French cooking demonstration in Café NOMA
- French inspired kids’ activities in partnership with the brand-new bookstore, The French Library
- Mini French language lessons by Alliance Française teachers
- A spectacular light show finale on NOMA’s building
In addition, Bastille Day Fête is taking the celebrations onto the grounds of City Park with activities including pétanque demonstrations and contests, a mime, a balloon artist, a dance floor, and French-inspired food trucks! The area will be transformed into a French village in traditional fireman’s ball theme.
Don’t forget to check out Bastille Day’s website to see a full list of festivities in New Orleans from partners across the Crescent City.
Don’t forget to check out Bastille Day’s website to see a full list of festivities in New Orleans from partners across the Crescent City.
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