Easter 2021

Though New Orleans is busier than it’s been in a year, Easter had to go without our fabulous day of parades once again. Like with Yardi Gras’ house floats, some homes and businesses turned their places into festively decorated floats. Restaurants and churches were open for masked and distanced indoor seating. Our plans revolved around me wearing my fabulous new hat. A week or so ago, a package arrived with an Easter-bonnet-worthy hat in the hot pink and vibrant orange colors of my parade dance krewe, the Pussyfooters (about 100 women over-30 who dance in Mardi Gras and other parades and serve in non-profit events year round).

House Floats Wrap-Up

This year’s Carnival season was much quieter this year. No parades with their marching bands and screaming crowds. No music venues packed with dancing patrons. Bourbon Street was closed. In fact, the French Quarter shut down liquor sales in the French Quarter for the final weekend of Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday. But New Orleans managed to make the best of a bad situation and came up with some fairly marvelous distractions. City Park created a drive-thru parade – Floats in the Oaks – as a safe way to see the floats, maybe catch a dance krewe, and relive some memories. I got to dance twice with my fellow Pussyfooters and it was pretty great being able to make people smile as they drove by.

But is was “Yardi Gras” that really gave the city something to smile about. Another socially distanced version of Mardi Gras, Yardi Gras turned thousands of houses and businesses throughout New Orleans (and as far away as Australia and Abu Dhabi) into parade floats.

New Orleans and Corona Virus

I miss New Orleans. I walk St. Charles and miss parades. The St. Patrick’s parade was cancelled well before the stay-at-home came. Then my favorite day of the year was cancelled, Super Sunday when the Mardi Gras Indians parade Central City in elaborately beaded and feathered suits they spent a year (and thousands) sewing. As the virus spread across the country and ravaged our state, in the city we retreated to our homes and looked for tips on finding toilet paper.

Easter Parades 2018

We missed the early parade to have the all-you-can-eat Easter brunch at Red Fish Grill. Ike the Peep, a bad-ass version of Sammy Davis, Jr. in a bright yellow chick outfit, was there again to brighten everyone’s day from behind Joe-Cool sunglasses.

The weather was outstanding for the Chris Owens Parade – sunny and upper 70’s with a gentle breeze coming off the river. The burlesque queen’s parade features retired dancers, friends and sponsors throwing beads, toys and candy while wearing festive Easter bonnets. Not to be outdone, the Gay Easter Parade takes bonnets to a whole new level.

Easter Parades 2016

Rain threatened the parades all day but the  33rd annual Chris Owens French Quarter Easter Parade and the Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food for Friends rolled as scheduled. Renowned burlesque dancer and club owner Chris Owens still performs nightly (despite rumors of her being in her 80’s) and hosts a fun, fabulous parade. Both parades offer bands, colorful floats, beads, stuffed animals, candy, seersucker suits, floral dresses and elaborately decorated Easter hats. The Gay Easter Parade has also raised nearly a quarter million  for charity over the past 14 years.

Tales of the Cocktail – My 500th Post

I’ve been wondering for awhile now what my 500th post would end up being about. Turns out it’s an event I’ve never attended before – Tales of the Cocktail. What began as a cozy group of cocktail lovers in 2002 has ballooned into the spirit industry’s standard providing 5 days of over 200 events including tastings, networking events, parties,  seminars and my event – a parade! I was already overheating just putting on my wig, corset and boots when my fellow Pussyfooter, Christine Miller, called to see if I’d caught the bus that just pulled away from a block down the road from me. I started running when she said she’d try to stop the bus at the next stop. She ran to catch it from 1/2 block away and I did my best with my 2 block sprint – in head-to-toe pink burlesque uniform.

Easter Parades and Hats!

Easter in New Orleans means many things to many people. It’s just as “normal” to see seersucker suits and Sunday-best as to see egg-colored wigs and hats piled high with decorations. But Easter in NOLA definitely means parades. Though I missed the earlier Historic French Quarter Easter Parade, we caught the 32nd annual Chris Owens French Quarter Easter Parade and the Gay Easter Parade benefitting the NO/AIDS Task Force’s Food for Friends program. A renowned burlesque dancer and club owner since the early 1960′s, Chris Owens still performs nightly (despite rumors of her being in her early 80’s) and she throws a heck of a parade. 

Easter Parades, Crawfish and Family

Easter weekend brought beautiful weather, Easter parades and crawfish boils. We went to our first family boil Friday night then followed it with another boil Saturday for a family reunion in Baton Rouge. I love being close to family and getting to know people who remember me as a child. After so many years of feeling untethered in L.A., I like seeing my nose on someone else’s face or hearing someone talk about when my parents were kids. Then it was back to New Orleans. Easter Sunday is a big day for parades in the French Quarter and we made it to 2 of the 3 offered.

French Quarter Fest Friday

For 30 years, the French Quarter Fest has been bringing together the best of New Orleans music and food. The festival continues to grow in size and scope, this year adding a film festival and an additional stage on Decatur St. bringing the total to 21. With 800 local musicians to see for free and over 65  local restaurants offering local cuisine, the festival is my favorite every year.

Easter in NOLA

Easter in New Orleans means many things and, as usual, we had to miss events like the 100th running of the Louisiana Derby and the Historic French Quarter Parade, in order to make our events starting with brunch at the Red Fish Grill. On our way down Bourbon Street, we passed the line for the first seating at Galatoire’s. I love all the men in their seersucker suits and straw hats and the women in floral dresses with fancy Easter bonnets – just like when my mom was a girl. At the front of the line were two folding chairs holding tattered men who’d clearly been paid to hold a place in line – a tradition nearly as long as the line.