Category: Parades

Chris has risen (sort of)

Our block of Toulouse Street was the staging area for the (formally known as Chris Owens) Easter Parade. Just keep her name on it I say. One float had a life size cut-out of her. It creeped the fuck out of me when I first saw it. I thought they had dug her up. Be honest, you know she still probably looks the same now.

At work I spotted the last float had a sign on it that read “Happy Easter, the Cantrell Family.” I thought “Cool, some more grimacing Latoya pictures.” Nah, wrong Cantrell family. She wouldn’t allow herself to be the last float unless it was the biggest with brass marching band.

I was still in a prime location to get some pics of the set up. That means they climb up on a float and start working on a buzz. I sat up on a fire escape to take these pics. Smoking a bowl and sniping with the camera. A skill I learned playing GTA that I never thought would have real world application.

Sitting here going through the shots listening to the soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar. About the only tradition I have on this holiday. I always viewed the story through a purely political narrative. The backward corrupt time in human history when tyrants would discredit and arrest their political opponents. Thankfully we would never consider such things in our enlightened and progressive days.

New Orleans Plans Annual Lighting of Canal Street Nov. 22

Photo courtesy of CC Flickr
The Downtown Development District of New Orleans said it will hold the annual Lighting of Canal Street on Nov. 22, marking the beginning of the holiday season.

The event is scheduled to take place starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Canal Place mall, located at 333 Canal St.

Millions of will be illuminated along Canal Street from South Claiborne Avenue to the Mississippi River, according to the DDD, which also said it will coordinate with the Riverwalk Outlets mall to illuminate the 40-foot-tall tree in Spanish Plaza, located at 2 Canal St.

In addition, the DDD said it is sponsoring the Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade, which will be held on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit the Downtown Development District website.

Beauregard-Keyes House seeks tour guide volunteers

St. Patrick’s Day, Italian-American parades scheduled to roll through the French Quarter

(Photo: Infrogmation | CC Flickr)
Two upcoming parades are scheduled to roll through the French Quarter, including one celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday and the Italian-American procession on Saturday.

Parade routes are expected to impact the Marigny, French Quarter and Central Business District neighborhoods, including road closures and traffic delays.

Downtown Irish Club Parade

The Downtown Irish Club Parade is scheduled from 5 to 10:30 p.m., with formation beginning at 5 p.m. at Washington Park near the intersection of Washington and Frenchmen streets in the Marigny.

The parade will begin at 7 p.m. and will proceed down Royal to Frenchmen streets, stopping briefly at d.b.a located at 618 Frenchmen St. The parade resumes, hooking a left onto Frenchmen Street against traffic and will stop again at Club 13, located at 517 Frenchmen St.

After the second stop, the parade will resume and take a right on Decatur Street and proceed across Esplanade Avenue into the French Quarter before making three stops at Turtle Bay, 1119 Decatur St.; Molly’s at the Market, 1107 Decatur St.; and Ryan’s Irish Pub, 241 Decatur St.

The procession will resume and cross Canal Street into the Central Business District, hooking a left onto Gravier Street before stopping at Little Bar on Gravier, located at 510 Gravier St.

The parade will resume and turn right on Tchoupitoulas Street, cross Poydras Street and stop at Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant located at 701 Tchoupitoulas St.

Resuming once more, the parade rolls several more blocks down Tchoupitoulas Street before disbanding at the Ugly Dog Saloon and BBQ, located at 401 Andrew Higgins Blvd.

Italian-American Marching Club’s St. Joseph’s Day Parade

The Italian-American Marching Club’s parade runs from 5 to 9 p.m., with formation starting at 5 p.m. at Canal and Chartres streets.

After formation, the parade begins at 6 p.m. and proceeds down Chartres Street to St. Peter Street, rounding the corner near St. Louis Cathedral before proceeding down St. Peter Street.

The parade will proceed down St. Peter Street before turning left on Royal Street and proceeding to Bienville Street.

After rolling down Bienville Street, away from the river, the parade will hook a right onto Bourbon Street. The parade will proceed up Bourbon Street, then take a right onto St. Philip Street.

The parade rolls up St. Philip Street before turning right onto Decatur Street, then proceeding towards the CBD, crossing Canal Street until it reaches the Hilton Riverside Hotel at 2 Poydras St., where it will disband.

New Orleans Police will close the parade routes to vehicular traffic before their scheduled times or when crowd sizes warrant closure, according to city officials.

Parking restrictions will be enforced. Officials have advised the public to pay attention to posted signs, not block hydrants, driveways, sidewalks; and don’t ark within 20 feet of a crosswalk, intersection or stop signs. Parking enforcement is at 504-658-8100.

Delays to some RTA lines are expected. Those impacted include:

  • 5-Marigny-Bywater
  • 47-Canal Street Cemeteries Streetcar
  • 48-Canal Street City Park Streetcar
  • 55-Elysian Fields

For more information visit http://www.norta.com or call 504-248-3900.

The parades can be tracked at www.routewise.nola.gov.