With the eye-popping revelry of Decadence two long months away, get a head start on celebrating LGBT culture with this weekend’s newly revamped NOLA Pride Festival. The fest features a Friday night gala at the W Hotel, a family picnic and softball game on Saturday, and (inevitably) a French Quarter parade on Sunday. In collaboration with the event and as a nod to National HIV Counseling and Testing Day, the NO/AIDS Task Force will host free oral HIV and syphilis screening Saturday afternoon at 507 Frenchmen. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, free.
Chic Warehouse District restaurant Bouche hosts its summer wine festival Tuesday, offering a serious selection for a serious cause (at a not-so-serious price.) Partial proceeds from the event, where up to 25 of the restaurant’s wines will be available for sampling, will be donated to oil spill family assistance projects. Selections from the restaurant’s decadent menu (we expect to be wowed by the smoked duck and shiitake spring roll with satsuma sauce) will be served, and you’ll take home a souvenir wine glass. Tuesday, 6PM to 9PM $20.
Casting call to all our thespian friends out there!Southern Rep is hosting open call auditions this Saturday atThe Shops at Canal Place. Multiple Greater New Orleans theater-casting representatives will be present. Auditionees should bring 10 copies of their headshot and resume, prepare two contrasting one-minute monologues, and if musically inclined, sing 16 bars a cappella. Located at 333 Canal Street, 4th floor. June 26 from 12:30PM to 5:30PM. Also, Stage Door Canteen is offering preliminary auditions for a headlining spot to be backed by the National WWII Museum‘s Victory Six Swing Band. Prepare a song that was written in the 40s and sheet music in the appropriate key. WWII Museum islocated at 945 Magazine Street. June 26 2PM to 4PM and June 28 5:30PM to 8PM.This could be the big break you’ve been looking for. Remember us when you’re famous!
Nothing brightens up a space like a unique piece designed by a local artist. Step up your redecorating efforts at the Palmer Park Arts Market, held the last Saturday of every month at the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne. The once-dilapidated park is experiencing a revitalization, featuring events like this one, where local vendors sell photographs and paintings well as handmade household goods. A children’s area is available to entertain your young charges while you deliberate over purchases. Bring your recyclables along for easy pickup by Deja Vu recycling. Saturday, 10AM to 4PM, with a rain date scheduled for Sunday.
LAGNIAPPE There are many ways to find healing in the wake of the oil spill. One of New Orleans’ most famous Voodoo priestesses, Sallie Ann Glassman, is holding a public prayer ceremony for the Spirit of the Sea to aid in oil spill in the Gulf. Ceremony in Apology to the Spirits of the Ocean is an opportunity to apologize to the Spirits of the Ocean and to encourage the natural healing of the waters of the Gulf. While you’re on the levee, artists will be collecting debris and organic materials to build a spirit boat to serve as the altar. All are encouraged to collect litter off the site, which will subsequently be made into a sculpture. They request guests to bring candles and flowers in offering. The candles will be placed on the spirit boat and the flowers will be floated on the Mississippi River. The ceremony will take place on theUptown Levee at Oak Street. Sunday June 27 5PM to 10PM. All are welcome; wear all white and a blue headdress.
Everyone loves peaches. Peaches make us happy and they make us think of summer. Come out to the Louisiana Peach Festival in Ruston, LA and eat some delicious peaches and hang out with good people. There’s live music downtown nightly beginning on Friday night. On Saturday it’s music throughout the day and evening on the Railroad Park stage. June 25 to 27.
Sloane Berrent is a cause-based marketing and social branding consultant, nonprofiteer and budding social entrepreneur. She uses social media, product evangelizing, fundraising and community development services to help for-profit and nonprofit companies with a focus on social action campaigns. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she has lived in Burlington VT, Boston MA, Rome Italy, and Los Angeles, CA. She spent 2009 as a digital nomad, traveling the world experiencing life and volunteering including stints in South America, New Orleans and three months in the Philippines as a Kiva Fellow.
She co-created “Cause It’s My Birthday” a campaign to raise money (over $19k to date) and awareness for malaria prevention in Ghana. Sloane moved to New Orleans as her new home at the end of 2009 and co-launched NOLAlicious, a weekly newsletter of events in New Orleans. She was recently named the citizen journalist to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland for the MySpace and The Wall Street Journal communities. Her consulting practice, Answer With Action, focuses on strategic integrated marketing consulting. She speaks frequently on building community and blogs at The Causemopolitan.
