Hello!
We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer, perhaps taken some trips and hopefully made some amazing memories! If you came through New Orleans and stayed at one of our wonderful bed and breakfast inns, we’re always so happy to see and host you, and if not - well, there are plenty of reasons to start looking for your next NOLA adventure! The city’s collective excitement grows with the beginning of the football season, of course, and you’re always welcome in the Superdome to cheer on our Saints - all of our properties are within easy reach of the stadium and they’re a perfect base for exploring before or after the game. We’ll also soon be into October, and you know what that means…the Po-Boy Festival. Oh, and the small matter of Halloween! New Orleans has a reputation for being one of the spookiest cities in America, so there’s no better place to celebrate. Best of all, the Halloween celebrations last all month long, so there’s no bad time to be here! As always, here are a few events coming up that we think are worth a trip - go to the website www.bbnola.com to book your rooms now, and be sure to treat yourself by visiting very soon! SEPTEMBER 8th Football season returns Head to the Superdome to watch The Saints as they take on the Carolina Panthers. 27th NOLA Coffee Festival A two-day trade show and consumer festival dedicated to all things coffee! 28th The International Arts Festival A spotlight on incredible New Orleans musicians among a carefully curated list of global stars. OCTOBER 5th-6th National Fried Chicken Fest A two-day, outdoor festival with thousands of people who share a love of great music, culture, and of course, fried chicken. 11th-13th Gentilly Fest This free family festival features live music on three stages, showcasing the amazing talent of our local musicians. 11th-13th Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival Yet another free family festival that‘s a grand celebration of music and art, with a huge serving of the city’s best barbecue. 19th Krewe of BOO! Parade Krewe of BOO! became the official Halloween Parade in New Orleans in 2007, and it’s grown every year since. The incredible floats frighten and excite, with paper mâché and fiberglass figures evoking all of Halloween’s spooky stars, and the krewe handing out collectible throws to onlookers. 27th Oak Street Po-Boy Festival Each year, Oak Street transforms into a po-boy paradise with upwards of 35 vendors participating to take their shot at being crowned the best po-boy in the city! Enjoy live music and delicious sandwiches!
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We hope you’re having a wonderful summer so far! New Orleans slows down a little this time of year, but there are still some wonderful events going on.
If you’re a foodie, then you know that New Orleans is one of the greatest food towns in the United States. We used to be known as a city with 500 restaurants and one menu, but that’s far from the case now. Come and see the range of cuisines available - we have high end and award-winning Senegalese food, Haitian dishes and the Jamaican Jerk House is enjoying great publicity right now. As summer is relatively slow, it’s actually a great time to come and sample some menus. All of August, and some of September, sees the COOLinary promotion. A huge list of restaurants across the city offer hugely discounted fixed price lunches and dinners, a perfect way to try places that might otherwise be just out of your budget, or just enjoy a new experience without much risk. Broaden your gastronomic horizons with a spontaneous trip! As always, here are a few events coming up that we think are worth a trip. AUGUST COOLinary Enjoy over a month of deals at participating restaurants and feast your way through New Orleans. Specially priced three-course lunches, dinners, and brunches can be found all throughout the city. Through Sept 15. More info SEPTEMBER 8th Football season returns Head to the Superdome to watch The Saints as they take on the Carolina Panthers. 27th NOLA Coffee Festival A two-day trade show and consumer festival dedicated to all things coffee! 28th The International Arts Festival A spotlight on incredible New Orleans musicians among a carefully curated list of global stars. Hello!
With increasing numbers of horror stories showing up on social media about Air BnB, we just wanted to remind you that our city’s lovely, legal and licensed bed and breakfast inns are ALWAYS a better choice. We’ve seen crazy stories about folk being locked out in the middle of the night by absent owners, mystery amounts of money being charged for various vague “services” and of course, the classic, long lists of chores that Air BnB guests are supposed to carry out! Every guest is charged a cleaning fee AND THEN they’re expected to clean the places themselves! We think that’s outrageous! Thankfully, the city is now taking action to close down illegal short term rentals in New Orleans, and so there’s never been a better time to look at the beautiful options on our website, bbnola.com. You can rest assured that you’ll only pay the agreed price, that your owners will be on hand to deal with any issues immediately AND we’ll take care of all the chores, so that you can just relax and enjoy your time in our wonderful city. Speaking of our city, here are a few events coming up that we think are worth a trip - go to the website to book your rooms now, and come and see us very soon! 11th Anything Goes Part of the Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre 2024 season. Embark on a journey filled with music, dance, and romance in the toe-tapping extravaganza. This 2022 Revision of the classic tale brings an abundance of dance music and timeless hits including "I Get a Kick Out of You," "You're the Top," and "Let's Misbehave". More info 12th Running of the Bulls The city’s own version of Spain’s Encierro de Pamplona. Runners gather in the traditional colors of Spain’s bull run and run from the Big Easy Roller Derby, who chase runners with plastic bats on their roller skates. More info Bastille Day Fête The annual festival celebrating the French national holiday, Bastille Day Fête is back at the Alliance Française. There will be live music, a silent disco, French food & drinks, games, and more! More info 18th A Streetcar Named Desire The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans returns to the Marigny Opera House with A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Williams’ Iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning drama that follows Blanche’s odyssey from the columns of her ancestral Mississippi Delta mansion into the depths of the French Quarter is fraught with steamy sensuality. More info 21st Tales of the Cocktail A week-long celebration of cocktails and mixology, with seminars, demonstrations, tasting sessions, parties and much more. Through July 26th. More info AUGUST 1st Museum Month An annual collaboration between museums of all sizes across the greater New Orleans area during the month of August. Through August 31st. More info COOLinary Enjoy over a month of deals at participating restaurants and feast your way through New Orleans. Specially priced three-course lunches, dinners, and brunches can be found all throughout the city. More info 3rd White Linen Night Guests don their finest white linen attire and take to the streets to explore the city’s art scene. Julia Street transforms, hosting a multitude of galleries, live music, food and drink, and art installations. More info Satchmo Summer Fest An annual summer music festival that honors the music and legacy of one of the city’s favorite sons, Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong. Stages are set up around the U.S. Mint in the French Quarter. Through August 4th. More info 10th Red Dress Run A charity run, hosted by the New Orleans Hash House Harriers. All participants wear red attire - specifically, dresses. The event involves a two-mile run, beginning at Crescent Park in the Bywater. More info Dirty Linen Night A response to White Linen Night, this time it’s the galleries of the French Quarter who open their doors with music, drinks and special exhibitions. More info We hope to see you soon! Have a safe and fun summer. It’s time to show some love to New Orleans. After a windy visitor named Ida, the doors are open. We want you back. As the weather cools down, it’s the perfect time to check out the fall offerings of this great city.
New Orleans and COVID According to nola.gov, “The City of New Orleans continues to meet all public health milestones and has fully vaccinated over 74% of all adults with the COVID-19 vaccine. However, only slightly more than 52% of all New Orleanians have been fully vaccinated.” A mask mandate continues for all indoor public spaces, including restaurants, bar and clubs. These establishments also require guests to provide proof of at least one vaccination or a negative PCR test taken within the last 72 hours. For ongoing COVID updates from the City of New Orleans, text COVIDNOLA to 77295. What’s the weather like? Here is the weather ahead. Oct: 81 deg. – 62 deg., with 5 days of rain Nov: 72 deg. – 53 deg., with 5 days of rain Dec: 65 deg. – 46 deg., with 6 days of rain Jan: 64 deg. – 45 deg., with 7 days of rain What’s going on? Listen up! There’s more places to catch live music. Chickie Wah Wah and The Palm Court are opening their doors again this month. The Frenchmen Street clubs removed their hurricane shutters and plugged in their microphones again. Take a walk and find the abundant porch concerts happening in the neighborhoods. Wishing you were at JazzFest? Until it returns next spring, enjoy Festing in Place with our beloved WWOZ. Check out WWOZ.org to see the line-up of prior Festival live performances during the weekends of October 7-10 and October 14-17. Not forgetting Halloween, the Krewe of Boo Parade will be rolling through Marigny and French Quarter on October 23rd. The first parade since Covid bans. Throw me something, Mister! The Big Easy is BACK! So where are you? It’s time to celebrate. Now that you’re vaccinated, take off your mask and let’s see that smile!
New Orleans and COVID “The City of New Orleans continues to meet all public health milestones and has fully vaccinated over 58% of all adults..” according to nola.gov. That progress has led the city to relax its restrictions, easing the way for businesses, residents and visitors: There are no time restrictions for alcohol sales, masks are no longer mandated (except in government, hospital, school and federal public transportation settings.) Bars and restaurants are no longer required to follow a six-foot spacing rule. What’s the weather like? It’s summer, baby! … NOLA-style. Don’t fight the humidity—embrace it! Time for sandals, shorts, swimsuits, sno-balls. Here are the average temps and rainfalls for the coming months. June: 90 deg. – 74 deg., with 10 days of rain July: 92 deg. – 76 deg., with 11 days of rain August: 92 deg. – 76 deg., with 12 days of rain Sept: 88 deg. – 72 deg., with 8 days of rain What’s happening? With restrictions eased, live music and entertainment is more plentiful. Walk outside your neighborhood inn and listen up for a passing Second Line parade. Join in! Go to your favorite music club. Dance in the street! Make a date to catch our first major festival since the pandemic: Satchmo Summerfest is happening July 31-August 1 at the Jazz Museum. Don’t forget to tip the musicians! What to eat NOW Sno-balls. So many varieties, and so many places to try around the city. We love them all. From the venerated uptown shacks Plum Street Sno-balls and Hansen’s Sno-Bliz (whose motto “air-condition your tummy” is pretty great advice for any visitor!) to the popular porch operation of Chance In Hell SnoBalls in the Bywater, you will be dazzled by flavors and combinations. Why not make a sno-ball crawl part of your next visit? Spotlight on Lakeview When the heat is on, it’s always refreshing to be near the water. Take a ride on up to Lakeview. Enjoy some seafood and a crisp cold beer at many of the restaurants like Blue Crab, Felix’s, and Landry’s overlooking the marinas of Lake Pontchartrain. Stop by Lakefront Airport and admire its Art Deco history. Get some culture and tranquility at City Park’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Spring is at full tilt here in New Orleans. The city is bursting with color and the scent of jasmine is in the air. Time to treat yourself to an escape from your home office and your pajamas.
New Orleans and COVID The city has relaxed its restrictions to Modified Stage Three. Bars, restaurants, breweries and stores may operate at 100% capacity, while maintaining social distancing and mask requirements. Bars may open from 6 am to 1 am. The COVID threat level is yellow: “COVID in Orleans Parish is spreading in a slow and controlled fashion.” In addition, 43% of the city’s population has already been vaccinated and the vaccine is available to all individuals 16 and older. Let’s all keep each other safe! What’s the weather like? Getting steamy! Enjoy a stroll by the river, then duck into a café or bar to cool off. Here are the monthly average high and low temperatures. May: 85 deg. – 68 deg., with 4 days of rain June: 90 deg. – 74 deg., with 10 days of rain July: 92 deg. – 76 deg., with 11 days of rain What’s happening? Day by day, the city is blossoming back to life. You’ll hear the familiar sounds of jazz bands on Royal Street and the clip-clop of the mule carriages making their lazy way through the French Quarter. Folks are gathered on Frenchmen Street to catch their favorite bands, and Magazine Street is buzzing with shoppers and restaurant lovers. Art galleries are welcoming guests and walking tours are alternately entertaining, educating, or frightening visitors again, depending on the stories they’d like to hear. What to eat NOW It’s peak crawfish season! If you already love them, get down here. If you haven’t tried them, get down here. Many restaurants offer a tasty, spicy crawfish boil. We could give you instructions on how to eat them, but your server will be happy to demonstrate. Pro tip: don’t wear a white shirt. |
I'm Betsy*the Innkeeper. Here are some observations of life in my New Orleans B&B, mostly factual. Archives
September 2024
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