Activities include the following: Hobby horses, farm-animal masks, creative vegetables, farm books, sunflowers, Make Your Own Ring Toss, and more!

Food and drink will be available for sale, including goodies from Taceaux Loceaux and Ur Way Yogurt & Coffee Bar.

There will also be entertainment by the Preservation Hall Junior Brass Band, Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra, New Orleans Dance Collective, and Calliope Puppets.

For more information about Family Fair contact Ellen Balkin at 504.539.9608 ebalkin@ogdenmuseum.org.

Want to know about more family fun in the Big Easy? Check out 411 NOLA’s guide for families visiting the Crescent City.

The Art Walk is an opportunity to engage with the rich history and culture of Old Algiers, and will feature the work of local artists Ralph Bush, Vince Craige, Micah Learned, Joe Parker, MBol, Jafar M. Pierre, NuAwlons Nate Scott, Mohawk Hunters Tribal Chief Vertis Vincent, and others, as well as highlighting Algiers historian Cathy Smith, of Village Ovah da Rivah fame, and the Community Print Shop. The younger generation of Algerines will also be represented, as the youth participants in CGHC’s Youth Art Workshops and The Young Hunters Mardi Gras Indians Beading Class display their work.

The Garden Tea Party will include a selection of locally sourced, healthy treats, including iced herbal teas brewed by the CGHC herbalist team (ginger-mint, hibiscus-rose, and rosemary). We will be serving delicious appetizers from several area restaurants, including The Olive Branch Café,  Nolavore, Dumaine Street Farm, Mondo, The Green Goddess, Whole Foods, Sahara Café, Meltdown Pops, Liberty’s Kitchen, St. James Cheese Company, Satsuma Café, Taste of the Caribbean, Gattusso’s, and Superfood Bar.

Admission to the Garden Tea Party is $10 and includes all food and beverage items; tickets will be available at the garden gate. There is no charge to come out and enjoy the Art Walk.

The New Orleans film society is one of the best film societies in this writer’s humble opinion.  The organization doesn’t just throw one big gala a year; it feeds the cinematic soul all year long with unique showings, free films (both art house and mainstream flicks), and a ton of mini film fests, two of which are happening in this month.

The first one is the New Orleans French Film Festival.  It takes places this Friday, August 10 to Thursday, August 16 at the legendary Prytania Theatre Uptown.  (The Prytania, as it is commonly called, is the only one-screen movie house in the state of Louisiana.)  According to the fest’s organizers “Our line-up includes seven new films representing the best in contemporary French cinema.  Among other things, you can watch a once-happy marriage go up in flames in Philippe Garrel’s A Burning Hot Summer, or see Juliette Binoche as a journalist grappling with her own privilege as she pursues a story about student prostitution in Malgorzata Szumowska’s Elles, or get an intimate take on the life of Marie Antionette, played by Diane Kruger, in Benoit Jacquot’s Farewell, My Queen. We also have a special screening of a restored version of the classic film The Children of Paradise (Les enfants du paradis).”  Clearly there will be something for everyone.  Tickets for individual film screenings are $10 for NOFS members and $11 general admission.  Tickets are available now at the Prytania Theatre box office and online at the Prytania’s website.

This Saturday and Sunday, the NOFS’s Children’s Film Festival comes back for its fifth year.  This FREE festival (there is no charge for any of the showings) will screen more than 50 youth-appropriate films.  The films are a diverse bunch and include animation, documentaries, and live action.  The fun begins at 10:30 a. m. each morning and goes until the late afternoon.  All films will be shown at the Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp Street).

Abigail Reikow

Two poets tied for third place in 411 NOLA’s Poetic Soul Poetry Contest.  wade’s “heavy toward the sky” was one.  Abigail Reikow’s “How to Fall out of Love” is the other.

Reikow attended a creative arts high school in Philadelphia (same school that folks like Boyz to Men, the Roots, and Jazmine Sullivan attended).  She then earned a bachelors to teach high school English but somehow ended up back in school to earn a masters in Social Work.  Currently she works for the Orleans Public Defender’s Office as the staff Social Worker.

How To Fall Out of Love

clean out the closet

let the dust fall with all you’ve been packing, hiding

in the midst of deciding what to throw away

let your shit stay

make room

toss the familiar even if it aches

shake out the sheets

let the breeze blow out the scent

of what it all meant

grow

change

rearrange

listen

care

be aware

love yourself

even if you’re not quite ready

with your unsteady steps

kick regret to the door

don’t take its shit no more

move

it might sound like nothing

but there’s something in the way

your feet start carrying you

pulling dead weight

whatever’s still alive

survive

heavy toward the sky

i’ve got scars on my skin from where the razor’s been

and scars on my heart from being ripped apart

scratches on my eyes from broken promises and lies

bleeding to death but can’t survive

i can’t make myself feel better

for a reason not to die

my heart is just so heavy

so heavy toward the sky

all the colors faded into one pale shade of grey

the unloving of myself, the end I cannot help

all my life is crashing around me day by day

piece by piece I’m broken and wasted away

i can’t make myself feel better

no matter how I try

oh God my heart’s so heavy

so heavy toward the sky

and man of sorrows, acquainted with grief

where is love? where is peace?

hear me now before I close my eyes

and surrender…heavy toward the sky

Copyright 2011 w7a7r7 music

Margaritas on the Mississippi on the Steamboat NATCHEZ

Back by popular demand, the Steamboat NATCHEZ will host Margaritas on the Mississippi, a festive cruise exclusively for women, on Thursday, August 30 at 7:00 p. m.  To make this year’s event even more exciting, the Steamboat will host a special Diva of Dixieland social media contest on its Facebook page leading up to the event.

Margaritas on the Mississippi will feature live entertainment by Banu Gibson and her band, specialty margaritas available for $2, enticing food stations, a scenic cruise down the Mississippi River and the crowning of the Diva of Dixieland. Boarding for Margaritas on the Mississippi will begin at 6:30 p. m. with the cruise sailing from 7:oo p. m. to 9:00 p. m.  The first 100 women to register for the cruise will receive a souvenir margarita glass.

“The Steamboat NATCHEZ is busy year-round with families, couples enjoying a romantic night out, and visitors from around the world.  We wanted to create an event that makes it easy and fun for local women to take a cruise and enjoy a relaxing night with their friends,” said Adrienne Thomas, marketing director for the Steamboat NATCHEZ.  “Margaritas on the Mississippi is the perfect night out for women to unwind with a few specialty margaritas, enjoy great music and have some fun on one of our city’s most iconic attractions.”

The Diva of Dixieland contest will award winners in two rounds – five category winners will be honored as Duchesses of Dixieland during initial voting, then one of the five Duchesses will be crowned Diva of Dixieland the night of the cruise.  Today through Sunday, August 12, women can nominate their best girlfriend on the Steamboat NATCHEZ Facebook page for the following five Duchess of Dixieland categories:  Best Girl to Grab a Margarita with; Wing-Woman; Sister from Another Mister; Fashionista Friend; and Gossip Girl.  It will then be up to Facebook fans to vote for their favorite woman in each category by clicking the “Like” button under her picture.  The women with the most votes in each category at 9:oo a .m. (CDT) on Monday, August 27, will win two tickets to Margaritas on the Mississippi, where they will vie for the favor of their peers and most votes to win Diva of Dixieland.

The second round of voting for Diva of Dixieland will take place online from 9:00 a. m. Tuesday, August 28 until 4:00 p. m. on Thursday, August 30.  The Steamboat NATCHEZ  invites friends and fans to join in the lavish presentation of the five Duchesses at 6:15 p. m. and cast an in-person bonus vote for the Diva of DixieLand on the Steamboat dock (the River and Toulouse Street) before Margaritas on the Mississippi departs at 7:00 p. m.  During the Margaritas on the Mississippi cruise, the votes will be tallied and the Diva of Dixieland will be crowned.

To nominate someone for Duchess of Dixieland, women have to become a fan on the Steamboat NATCHEZ Facebook page (facebook.com/steamboatnatchez) and post the following on Sweepstakes tab:  what category they would like to nominate their friend for, a picture of their friend, and why they feel their friend should win the title.  Women can make one nomination per email address.  Since Facebook is an open forum, the New Orleans Steamboat Company asks that women respect their friend’s privacy by asking permission before posting a nomination.  The Steamboat Company cannot beheld liable for user-generated posts.  The Steamboat Company reserves the right to remove any lewd or inappropriate content.

Contest Timeline

Today:  Nominations Open for Duchess of Dixieland on the Steamboat NATCHEZ’s Facebook page.

August 12 Midnight:  Nominations close.

August 13, 9:00 a. m.:  Voting opens for Duchess of Dixieland.

August 27, 9:00 a. m.:  Voting closes for Duchess of Dixieland.

August 28, 9:00 a. m.:  Winners announced, and online voting opens for Diva of Dixieland.

August 30, 4:00 p. m.:  Online voting closes.

August 30, 6:00 p. m. to 7:00 p. m.:  Bonus in-person voting for Diva of Dixie Land from the Steamboat dock.

August 30, 4:00 p. m.:  Online voting closes.

August 30, 6:15 p. m.:  Presentation of the Duchesses of Dixieland on the Steamboat dock, free and open to the public

August 30, 7:00 p. m.:  In-person voting closes, and Margaritas On the Mississippi Departs.

August 30, 7:30 p. m.:  Diva of Dixieland crowned on the Steamboat NATCHEZ

Please note that if the Steamboat NATCHEZ is unable to contact the winners of the Duchess of Dixieland initial voting period within 12 hours after voting closes, or if the winners are unable to attend Margaritas on the Mississippi, a runner-up will be selected.  In the case of a tie, a winner will be randomly selected.  All winners may be scheduled for media appearances the week of the event.

For the complete list of sweepstakes guidelines and to enter the sweepstakes, visit www.facebook.com/steamboatnatchez.  For more information about the Steamboat NATCHEZ and to make reservations, call (504) 569-1401 or visit http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/reservations.  Follow the Steamboat NATCHEZ on Twitter @steamernatchez.

The New Orleans Steamboat Company was founded by Wilbur and Bill Dow after their building of the Toulouse Street Wharf in the French Quarter in 1974. Less than one year later, the 1600 passenger Steamboat NATCHEZ was christened.  New Orleans Steamboat Company is well recognized and regarded for its contribution to the New Orleans cultural landscape and tourism industry.  Since 1975, the Steamboat NATCHEZ has sailed daily offering Mississippi River cruises featuring live jazz, wonderful New Orleans cuisine and the best view in town!  Take a cruise and experience part of our American Heritage.  The New Orleans Steamboat Company also owns Gray Line Tours.  For more information, please call504-586-8777 or visit www.neworleanssteamboatcompany.com.

featuring

The Treme Brass Band

and

St. Augustine Soulful Voices Choir
Carol Leblanc, Choir Director

Sunday, August 5, 2012 10:00 a.m.
1210 Gov. Nicholls Street
(504) 525-5934 rectory

Second Line Parade to the “Satchmo Summerfest” at the Old U.S. Mint at Esplanade & the river to follow.

Hope

Ithemba visited me today
For the first time
I had never met her before
But just as I stepped out of the shower
And wiped away the steam
There she was!

I could still see the discolored keloid around her neck-
It gave me pause.
She stood proud, but silent.

My eyes followed the curvature of her spine.
Between the shoulders down to the small of her back.
I touched the path that had been marked into flesh

Her round breasts rose defiantly against the scars.

Thank You, I whispered.

She answered with a single tear. Then she smiled.

And disappeared.