Irma Thomas at the Zoo

For 32 years, Irma Thomas and The Professionals has played Mother’s Day at the Audubon Zoo. Admission is free for mothers so the park was full of smiling women and the families trying to please them. Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses were onstage when we arrived. We listened to a couple of their fun Dixieland tunes then took a stroll around the zoo.  I love the giraffes, birds, big cats and primates, but I’m fascinated by elephants so I was bummed that the elephant area is still under construction. The new water park was up and running and looked like a lot of fun for a family looking to cool off.

Miss Irma Thomas, has been performing for so long that many of the grandparents in the crowd fell in love to her songs at school dances when they were kids. It’s fun to watch the grey-haired fans turn into energized teenagers when she takes the stage. 

Irma Thomas’ Mother’s Day at the Zoo

For 31 years, Mother’s Day has meant Irma Thomas and The Professionals at Audubon Zoo. I’m not a mother so I wasn’t privy to this time-honored ritual until this year, when we accompanied 2 mother’s to Audubon Park for brunch at the Clubhouse Café followed by an afternoon at the zoo. The oak-shaded Clubhouse patio was filled with families, many with small children dressed to make their mothers proud. Indoors, there was an ample spread of all-you-can-eat breakfast delights from the design-your-own-omelet bar to bagels and lox as well as local favorites like a creamy mirliton soup and grits & grillades. The dessert table was crowded with festive cakes, mousses and pies. 

Jazz Fest from the Beer Booth

Did you know you can attend Jazz Fest for free while helping your community? Turns out there are many ways to volunteer at Jazz Fest. When I found out that Raintree Children and Family Services would be working the Fireman’s beer booth 2 days this Fest, I was in! Raintree (founded in 1926) offers services for foster care children, children with disabilities and at-risk children. They also have a home for teenaged girls who were unable to find placement in the foster care system. The booth faced the Acura Stage, the largest stage at the Fest and host to the more popular bands, so though I couldn’t hop around, I was treated to fairly non-stop wonderful music.