Gretna Amphitheater Officially Opens for the Back to the River Concert Series

You know that fall is near when the buzz on the West Bank is all about the Gretna Heritage Festival and you block out your Friday nights for the Back to the River concerts.  In years past, the levee was covered in blankets for the free concerts, but this year the City of Gretna has stepped it up more than just a notch with the official opening of the amphitheater on the river batture next to the ferry landing at Huey P. Long and the Mississippi River.

We got there early on Friday night, before the stands filled up and all of the good spots were taken.  The seating is so impressive and can seat hundreds without the need for them to drag their folding chairs down to the site (as a matter of fact, chairs are not even allowed in the seating area).  Then there is the grassy area for additional seating and a sandy section in front of the stage…plenty of room for everyone who wants to enjoy a Friday night by the river with the breeze blowing.

No sooner were our chairs set up, the fire boat began cruising up and down the river behind the stage, spraying huge plumes of water up towards the sky against the backdrop of the city of New Orleans skyline and the Crescent City Connection bridge.  What a spectacular view!

Before the Bucktown Allstars took the stage all of the Gretna officials were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony.  Mayor Ronnie Harris gave a wonderful speech, welcoming everyone to the concert series and encouraging people to support Gretna businesses.  It was also announced that the change in route for the Gretna Ferry has been approved (thanks to much work from city council member Belinda Constant) and the ferry will begin traveling between Gretna and Canal Street permanently.

After the ceremonies, the Bucktown Allstars performed to a packed house.  Even an hour into the show, people were still streaming into the amphitheater. 

There were a few clouds, but no rain and what better sign of things to come than the rainbow that made a guest appearance before the sun went down.

The concerts started early this year (they don’t usually begin until after Gretna Fest), so we have a couple of extra weeks to enjoy music, food, drinks and friends – all right here on the West Bank.  Here’s the schedule of performers for the rest of the series.  They didn’t forget about the first Friday in October…that’s the kick off day of the Heritage Festival and we’ll be out there for the entire weekend!

I have to say how impressed I am with the quality of events and entertainment put on by the City of Gretna.  My hat is off to them for putting the residents tax dollars to work in such a positive way and making it a great place to live and play.  See you next week at the river!

City of Gretna
Gretna Heritage Festival
Find Gretna LA homes for sale

Wednesdays on the Point – FREE summer concerts in Algiers Point starting soon!

Now that Wednesdays in the Square is complete, it’s time for the party to move on over to the West Bank.

Starting on June 24, 2009, the free summer concerts return to Algiers Point each Wednesday evening until August 12th.

I love Wednesdays on the Point, since it means that we have something fun to do early in the evening before the mosquitoes start biting and we are guaranteed to run into several old friends along the way. 

Kicking things off for week 1 (6:00 pm in the Holy Name of Mary Church yard) are Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience. Click here for a complete list of scheduled performers.

Moving to a different location each week in the historic district, there will be music, wine and fun all over the Point through the summer.  Beat the heat and come on out to pass a good time!

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Do you want to be a part of the Algiers Point community?  The West Bank Living Team provides local, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers on the West Bank of New Orleans and military personnel relocating to and from NAS JRB New Orleans. It would be our pleasure to assist you with all of your real estate needs.

   

Lagniappe at the Market – Free Summer Concert Series in Westwego LA

I love going to the local farmer’s markets on the weekend and checking out the great stuff that you can find there – everything from fresh produce to local art.  So I don’t know how I managed to miss the news about Lagniappe at the Market, a free concert series that started a couple of weeks ago. Since we love live music, the West Bank Living Team packed up kids and lawn chairs and headed out to Westwego to listen to Waylon Thibodeaux play at the Farmer’s Market on Sala Avenue last night.

The weather was unbelievably fabulous…a cool breeze was blowing across everyone who had their chairs set up for the night, waiting for the music to start while enjoying a huge selection of food (I highly recommend the pulled pork sandwiches and the funnel cakes), soft drinks and ice cold beer.

Waylon Thibodeaux is one of my favorite local musicians…he and the band are so entertaining and are keeping alive the tradition of Cajun music in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.  Usually they perform at the Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street (one of the few clubs with really local music instead of cover bands), but a fire at the club has sidelined that for now and it was wonderful to see them playing on the West Bank again.  I shot video of a couple of songs and thought I would share them with you:

If you don’t see the video, click here.

If you don’t see the video, click here.

The concert series ends on Friday, May 29th, with 5 Finger Discount playing from 6-9 pm, so don’t miss out on the final performance.  Believe me, it’s a great way to spend a Friday evening on the West Bank!

Ready to move to Westwego?  Check out these sites:

• City of Westwego website
• Westwego homes for sale
• West Bank Homes for Sale

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The West Bank Living Team provides local, professional real estate services to West Bank home buyers, sellers and military relocations to and from NAS JRB New Orleans…all while having fun! It would be our pleasure to assist you with any of your real estate needs.

 

St. Patrick’s Celebration in Gretna LA

After a cloudy and wet weekend, it will be nice to see the sun and mild temperatures return on Tuesday…just in time for the wearing of the green on St. Patrick’s Day.

This year, we are not headed across the river to wade into the massive crowds at Parasol’s. 

Instead, we decided to stay a little closer to home and spend it right here on the West Bank.  And why not?  There’s a block party happening right outside of Bourre’s Fine Food and Spirits on the corner of 3rd and Lafayette Streets in the heart of the city of Gretna.

Starting at noon on Tuesday, there will be a crawfish boil plus other food, prizes, giveaways and live music.  Wear your green and dance in the streets to the sounds of L’il Red  at noon, followed by Freddie Omar, Chicken on the Bone (2:30 pm) and Rockin’ Dopsie as he closes out the party.

I’m excited to see an honest-to-goodness St. Patrick’s celebration on the West Bank…hope I see you there!

New Orleans Opera Returns to the Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts

New Orleans has always been known for the non-stop party atmosphere of the French Quarter, the glorious cuisine that makes every other city pale in comparison and the annual celebration of Mardi Gras.  But there is so much more to the city than a 24 hour party and last night we able to soak in some culture of another type.

Since Hurricane Katrina, the Mahalia Jackson Theatre has been shuttered due to storm damage.  Flooding and wind damage left the electrical and mechanical system in ruins and mold began its march up the aisles, and across the seats, curtains and walls.  The New Orleans Opera Association was forced to move production to the much smaller McAllister Auditorium on Tulane’s campus…until this past week.

The theatre reopened with a free concert on January 8th, performances by Itzhak Perlman and the San Francisco Ballet on January 10th and ended it’s inaugural week by welcoming Placido Domingo to perform at the dedication of the “Placido Domingo” stage last night.

I’ll be the first to admit that when hubby said he bought season tickets to the opera, I wasn’t exactly thrilled.  As a musician, he has an appreciation for so many types of music that I don’t typically listen to.

But, the first two performances that we attended at McAllister were so enjoyable that I found myself really looking forward to seeing Placido Domingo perform.  In addition to the opportunity to hear a world renowned tenor performer, what can beat a night out as grown-ups with the chance to dress up thrown in as well?

Before we even got off of the interstate, we could see the spotlights flashing through the air, beckoning everyone to the theatre.  Security was plentiful, parking was easy and as we walked up to the theatre entrance, I was extremely impressed with the renovation of both the building and the grounds.

Pools of water with bridges over them, lines of fountains, paper lanterns that looked like they were floating on air…it actually didn’t even feel like we were in New Orleans!

Entering the theatre, we were immediately surrounded by all of the other attendees, dressed to the nines and sipping wine before taking their seats.  I was reminded of how small town New Orleans really is as we ran into friends along the way, some who don’t even live here anymore but returned for the concert (now that’s a dedicated opera fan!).

The evenings master of ceremonies was Academy Award nominated actress Patricia Clarkson, daughter of New Orleans City Council President Jackie Clarkson and a native of not just New Orleans, but right here on the West Bank, having grown up in Algiers.  She kept the show rolling, from the opening number by the New Orleans Opera Chorus (with around 100 members) to the presentation of proclamations to Mr. Domingo during the stage naming ceremony (who knew you could get a key to the entire state?) to the closing toast by the performers that included a little ditty poking fun at FEMA.

As the night ended, we made the quick ride back to the West Bank, arias still ringing in our ears and thrilled that we were able to personally witness the return of opera in New Orleans to it’s rightful home.

Relocating to New Orleans?  You might also enjoy reading:

A history of the New Orleans Opera

You Want Culture?  New Orleans Has Got It!

New Orleans – More Than Just a Party Town

All content copyright 2009.  Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.