My first king cake of the year

In the event that you prefer to wait for your first slice, don’t miss the King Cake Kick off party on Sunday, January 29th from 12:00-4:00p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Algiers Point.

There will be hot dogs & chili, baked beans, king cake (of course!), soft drinks, local beers and live music from Benny Grunch and Da Bunch.  Open to the public, it’s a family friendly event perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Trinity Lutheran is located at the corner of Eliza & Olivier Streets

Bids will be taken shortly for the planned extension of the bike and walking path in Algiers.  With construction expected to begin this spring and be completed before the end of 2012, the path that currently runs from the Gretna ferry landing to the Algiers ferry landing will be extended all the way to the Chalmette ferry landing on the West Bank.

Plans include benches, water fountains, places for people to clean up after their pets and historic markers that share some of the history of Algiers.  There is already a shell path on the top of the levee, but the addition of a 10 foot path and several access ramps along the route will make your walk, run or ride even more enjoyable.  Additionally, the section of the levee that was closed to restrict access to the Naval Base is now open and will be included in the path construction.  Just that one change makes the entire path more appealing since it no longer dead ends into a restricted area, which forced people off of the levee and around the base.

I can’t wait to see the new improvements as they are completed!

Recent article about the bike path at nola.com

This weekend is the annual Orange Festival in Plaquemines Parish and I’m looking forward to getting out to Fort Jackson in Buras LA to explore, eat, listen to live music and just enjoy the sights and sounds of another local tradition.

The carnival starts on Friday with pay-one-price armbands available.  The full festival opens on Saturday, with the raising of the colors at 10am.  Get there early for the  Ride and Bike Rodeo Saturday morning with registration starting at 7:30 am or the 5k Run, also on Saturday morning, starting at 9 am and a full slate of live musical entertainment the whole weekend.

Hope we see you there!

Orange Festival website

From the Hubbel Library:

The Hubbell Library’s annual Christmas Tree and Holiday Gift sale will take place Saturday, November 26^th from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, November 27th, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  This event is a major fundraiser for the historic Algiers Point library, and it features absolutely beautiful trees and wreaths fresh from North Carolina.  The trees are great value, and 100 percent of profits support the library.

Algiers Point’s beautiful Cita Dennis Hubbell Branch is the oldest library in the city, a New Orleans treasure.  It’s 104 years old, and part of the Carnegie legacy.  Due to termite damage and lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina, the library has been closed for years.  Friends of the Hubbell Library have been working hard to make it possible for this very special branch to be restored and reopened, and the tree and gift sale is a big part of that effort.

Because the library is closed, this year’s sale will take place three blocks away, at Gulf Pizza, the old Gulf Service Station at 446 Pelican Avenue in Algiers Point.  The Gulf station, at the corner of Pelican Avenue and Verret Street, was the site of the first tree sale held to benefit the library, over thirty years ago.

In addition to gorgeous Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands, the sale will feature a terrific selection of holiday gifts – cookbooks and other great local-interest books from Pelican Publishing, jewelry from local artists, plus other local arts and crafts.

Special events include:

• Photos with Santa
• An Arts Market
• Trees, wreaths and garland available while they last, 9am to 9pm Saturday and 9 to 7 Sunday

This is a great opportunity to support our neighborhood library – help us ensure that it will be repaired and reopened – while getting the most beautiful Christmas trees and great holiday gifts from local artists and businesses.  Plus, it’s a fun event right in the middle of Algiers Point, where you can also sample our great restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as Rosetree Glass – another source of great Christmas gifts.

 

For more information, please contact Amy Hubbell at 504-322-7479 or amyhubbell@aol.com.

The Sunshine Club has been helping the needy since the early 1930′s and they continue that tradition today, providing baskets of food during the holidays.

Their annual fundraiser is a Turkey Bingo.  If you haven’t seen folks playing bingo in an attempt to win a turkey, you haven’t seen a really fun bingo game yet.  A family friendly event, this year the bingo will be Tuesday, November 22nd at the KC Hall in Gretna (475 Franklin Avenue) starting at 7:30 pm.  Food, drinks and sweets will all be available for purchase during the event.  Feeling extra generous?  Bring a sweet to donate to the table!

In addition to the bingo games, the club is raffling off a 19″ flat screen TV and a turkey fryer.  Raffle tickets are just $1 each or 7 for $5 – what an inexpensive way to not only take a chance on what would be a great Christmas gift for someone on your list, but also to help a neighbor that might otherwise go hungry.

As we all prepare to sit down to a table full of food this week, don’t forget that part of being a member of a community is reaching out a hand to those who need one.  The Sunshine Club excels at this and I hope that they are able to help more people than ever this year.

For raffle tickets, please contact Rody Landry at 504-368-9440.

Can’t see the video? Click here 

Halloween Safety Tips for Parents and Kids

Pumpkin Patch

St. Mark’s Church in Harvey (3245 Manhattan Blvd) is holding a pumpkin patch every day through Halloween.  The patch is open weekdays and Saturday from 9 am to dusk and Sunday from noon to dusk.  Admission is free and there are homemade treats for sale.  For more information, call the church at 504-366-0123.

Confetti Kids

Confetti Kids, in Algiers Point, will be holding a Spooktacular Halloween Party on Sunday, 10/30/11, from 4-6 pm.  There will be games, fun and a costume contest for all ages.  Free admission.

Gretna Goblin Night

A safe, family friendly way to trick or treat for the 10 and under set.  Located under the Gretna Market at Huey P. Long and 4th Street, there will be games, candy and trick or treating fun from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.  Children and adults are encouraged to costume!

Christ the King Parish Festival

Not just a Halloween event, the festival lasts all weekend, with live music, food, rides and games.  Located at 2106 Deerfield in Terrytown, the festival is open Friday from 6-10pm, Saturday from noon-10pm and Sunday from noon-8pm.  Live entertainment will be as follows:

• Friday: Topcats
• Saturday: Contraflow
• Sunday: Bucktown Allstars

Hope you enjoy the recap!

We’ll be out there all weekend, soaking up the sights, the sounds, the aroma of delicious local dishes and dishing up some fantastic shrimp po-boys and crawfish pies at the Krewe of Choctaw food booth.  And don’t worry about missing the Tigers or the Saints – both games will be shown on the big screens on the festival grounds.

Here’s a taste of past festivals, just to get you in the mood….

This will be a whirlwind weekend and I hope to see you there!

Music Schedule

Map, Directions and Parking Info

Here’s the 2011 schedule of shows:

Friday July 15 – 7pm – 10pm: Brad Sapia & Creole Soul
Friday, July 22 – 7pm -10pm: Soul Express (Motown)
Friday, July 29 – 7pm -10pm: Brandon Foret
Friday, Aug 5 – 7pm -10pm: Red River Band
Friday, Aug 19 – 7pm -10pm: Don Rich
Friday, Aug 26 – 7pm -10pm: Aaron Foret
Friday, Sept 9 Salute to 1st Responders/9-11 Tribute – 7pm -10pm

Don’t forget that on Saturday, September 17th the Shrimp & Cajun Festival will be from 11am -6pm with entertainment by Brandon Foret, Red River Band and Foret Tradition.

The market is located at 428 Sala Avenue on the corner of Fourth Street.  See you there!