411 NOLA will be reinvented in the upcoming couple of months.  You many not see many posts, but just hang tight.  411 NOLA as you know and love it will be back.  In the meantime, explore our many pages full of useful info.  There’s always more to know about NOLA!

411 NOLA Publisher NYE 2010

You  may have noticed that things got a little slow for 411 NOLA at the end of 2011. Well…good things are still happening this year.  In fact, two of our contests end today, December 31, 2011.  Don’t miss you chance to win tour tickets, cash, and more.  (See below for more info.)

2012 is almost here, and 411 NOLA will reach its 2nd birthday in April.  It’s hard to believe, but it is true.  We hope to grow, to improve upon what we are already doing, and to create more ways to generate revenue so that we can continue to get better.  Christmas and Chanukah may be over, but there is still time to give 411 NOLA a gift.  Email us at info@411nola.com to find out how.

Thanks for your patronage in 2011.  Stick with us in 2012.  The best is yet to come (like Saints in the Super Bowl).  Who Dat!

These Contests End Today

1. To honor the publication of the 2nd edition of poet Asia Rainey’s book Soul Chant and to celebrate the upcoming WRITE, NOLA! POETRY FESTIVAL, a two-day festival aimed at revitalizing the local poetry scene, 411 NOLA is sponsoring a contest for poets and spoken word artists.  We are calling it the “Poetic Soul Contest”.   Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:55 p. m. CST.  For full details and for info on how to enter, click here.
2. Win a pair of tickets for a walking tour courtesy of Strange True Tours of New Orleans.  This R-rated  tour tells the true tales of thieves, prostitutes, murders, and malcontents.  You’ve never been on a tour like this and you’ll never forget it once you do.  To enter to win this prize, email your name, your phone number, and your mailing address to contests@411nola.com.  You must put “Strange Tours” in the subject line of your email.  You must also name on thing about New Orleans that you think is strange.  Your answer may appear on our website.  Your name will not published.  A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org.  411 NOLA will not keep your info on file after the contest is over.  We respect your privacy.  Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:59 p. m. CST.

As the first full-length feature ever converted into IMAX® 3D, the film opened in 2004 to great critical acclaim and has grossed more than $60 million in IMAX box office since that time, cementing its place as the highest-grossing IMAX DMR® (digitally re-mastered) film to date.  In recognition of its enduring popularity, Entergy IMAX® Theatre welcomes The Polar Express for an exclusive IMAX-only engagement.

Audiences will become totally immersed in the IMAX 3D presentation, digitally re-mastered using proprietary IMAX 3D DMR™ technology, grasping at falling snowflakes, ducking as the train screeches into their lap and feeling the howl of the steam whistle via state-of-the-art digital surround sound.

“When I saw the tests for The Polar Express in IMAX 3D, I was excited that audiences would be able to experience the movie this way,” said director Robert Zemeckis.  “The 3D adds incredible depth and allows the viewers to experience the visual splendor and amazing adventure of this classic story in a way which should create a really memorable experience, not only this holiday season but for years to come.”

The Academy Award-winning team of Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) reunited for this inspiring holiday adventure based on the classic Caldecott Medal-winning children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Entergy IMAX® Theatre prices are $9.95 for adults, $8.95 for seniors and $6.95 for children and $5.00 for Audubon Nature Institute members.  Entergy IMAX® Theatre is located at 1 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130.

What is Fringe?  Wild, weird, fresh original theater of all types:  A big-top goes berserk, a bona fide wedding bares as well as binds, e.e. cummings and Jackson Pollock get operatic, hip-hop happens, some serious schooling on the subjects of sharks and the system, three aerialists take the trapeze to bed-bath-and-beyond, beautiful bodies put the “belly” in “button”, shadow puppets shiver to the dark words of Poe, and you’ll get to find out whether you really could’ve danced all night…That is just the beginning. Visit www.nofringe.org for the entire lineup and schedule.

Tickets are available at Mardi Gras Zone and at www.nofringe.org before the festival.  During the Festival, buy tickets at Mardi Gras Zone, at venues, or at the Free-For-All Tent on the corner of Press and Dauphine in the Marigny.  Tickets are $8 with the one-time purchase of a festival button ($3), a 5-show pass is $30, and an all-access pass is $100.

The Festival features 24 shows that were identified through a unique peer review process as high-quality, original, fringe-y theater.  These “Fringe-Managed Venue” shows are presented in six performance venues at offbeat theaters and unusual spaces:  Shadowbox Theatre, Mardi Gras Zone Warehouse, Den of Muses, Marigny Opera House, Café Istanbul in the New Orleans Healing Center, and Luthjen’s Dance Hall.

The Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV) option greatly expands the scope and flavor of the festival by encouraging artists to organize their own spaces throughout the city. These venues include Zeitgeist, NOCCA, Michalopoulos Studio, Mudlark Public Theatre, Southern Rep, Big Top, Byrdie’s, John Paul’s and more. This year, BYOVs have exploded in size and energy with 35 BYOV groups featured.

The wildly successful free spoken word feature event returns this year in “Writing the Edge” with New Orleans’ hardest hitting poets, November 19 at 7:00 p. m. and 9:00 p m, at The Maison, 508 Frenchman.

Visit the Free-For-All Tent at the corner of Press and Dauphine in the Marigny for Peep Show Previews with free Nola Brew, the Friday Night Tent Party with “Bodhi3” and “The Wasted Lives”, Busker’s Happy Hour, and the Fringe Trunk Show and Art Market.

Got kids?  In addition to the kid-friendly shows at venues, Family Fringe will feature a range of free kids arts activities, performances, workshops, open-mic, Nola Rising Paint Party, puppet shows, drum circle, double-dutching, and more.

The eccentric GoodChildren Fringe Parade will be rolling down St. Claude from Poland Avenue at 2:00 p. m. on Saturday, November 19 to the rhythms of the GoodChildren Marching Band and to the steps of performers and neighborhood types alike.

New this year is the Yard Art Tour (YAT-1), a self-guided walking/driving public art tour organized by the Fringe. Before and after shows, audience can drift around the neighborhood looking at a bit of fun, wacky, poignant, pointed yard art.

Fringe may be changing, but it is still funky.  Don’t miss it ths year.

JAMES KNUDSEN EDITOR’S PRIZE FOR FICTION

The winner will receive $500, publication and a year subscription.

Finalists will be named on our website.

The 2011 judge is Joseph Boyden.

-   Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words.

-   Reading fee:  $15, includes a one-year subscription to Bayou

-   You may enter more than one story, but each submission must arrive in a separate envelope with its own cover sheet and entry fee.

-   We accept novel excerpts if the submission stands alone as a complete short story.

KAY MURPHY PRIZE FOR POETRY

The winner will receive $500, publication and a year subscription.

Finalists will be named on our website.

The inaugural judge is Kay Murphy.

-   Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry.

-   Reading fee:  $10, includes a one-year subscription to Bayou.

-   You may enter up to three poems per entry.

ALL ENTRIES

-   Please include a cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title of your submission. Do not include your name on the pages of the story. Any story with identifying material will be disqualified.

-   We accept simultaneous submissions, but please indicate this on your cover sheet. You must notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.

-   All manuscripts should be in 12pt Times New Roman and double spaced with standard 1” margins.

Send your submission, cover sheet and check made payable to UNO FOUNDATION to Bayou Magazine, Department of English, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148

For more information about Bayou: http://cola.uno.edu/bayou/

]]> http://www.411nola.com/2011/11/16/writing-contests/feed/ 0 http://www.411nola.com/2011/11/08/foodies-discuss-sustainability/ http://www.411nola.com/2011/11/08/foodies-discuss-sustainability/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:55:17 +0000 mwall01 http://www.411nola.com/?p=5420 In New Orleans, we  favor real flavor.  Our best cooks and chefs use  fresh produce, meats, and dairy products in their dishes.  That being so, it was natural for the Chef’s Collaborative National Summit on sustainable food lifestyles to be held here in the Big Eaty (pun intended).

Linda Michurski, who is affiliated with Hollygrove Market and Farm,  represented 411 NOLA at the Chef’s Collaborative National Summit.  411 NOLA thanks Michurski for her work.  What follows is her report from the summit.  Enjoy!
The Chef’s Collaborative conference on sustainable foods gathered chefs, farmers, local food distributors and activists to discuss issues and concerns regarding the current food system.  There were demonstrations by local chefs and mixologists, panel discussions about food safety, and about fair wages for farmworkers along with meals created by New Orleans’ chefs using local ingredients.  The main goal of the conference was to encourage chefs and other food professionals to support local farmers by purchasing locally grown foods in order to strengthen and maintain a sustainable food system.

My first day of the conference began with a farm to glass cocktail lab led by local mixologist Sharon Floyd of Iris Restarant and by local bar owner and mixologist Neal Bodenheimer of Cure, a unique cocktail bar located in the heart of the city.  Neal created a classic Negroni with a unique twist while discussing the importance of ice and of using the right proportions.  He proclaims that, “Drinks have to be grounded.”  In his expert opinion, if you use the right kind of ice and stir it correctly, “the last taste is going to be as good as the first.”  Sharon concocted a tequila masterpiece using seasonal botanicals such as oregano and Thai basil along with local honey topped with coconut carrot foam.  Inspired by flavors and tastes from around the globe, she approaches her drinks from a culinary perspective  “It’s a challenge to keep it all balanced…but it’s fun when it works!”  A yoga instructor, currently studying Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine, she often integrates botanicals with medicinal properties into her drinks.  Winner of a Tales of the Cocktail contest, she was awarded a grant to create a website about the healing properties of herbs often used in drinks.

Lunch was supplied by Cochon Butcher and was followed by a unique interview by Joel Salatin, farmer and author of Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal:  War Stories From The Local Food Front.  Joel is a sustainable farmer and local food activist whose farming practices are a model to many.  Joel raises and sells meat and eggs to restaurants and advocates the practice of educating chefs about buying seasonally.

After lunch, I meandered over to Emeril’s Delmonico for a charcuterie lesson by Chef Spencer Minch.  He demonstrated how to “fold and push” as he added dried fruits, herbs, spices and nuts into the bowl mixing them with the sausage.  He mentions that the restaurant often buys heritage breed pigs, and it recommends to always use farm fresh eggs in the kitchen.  One of the sous chefs put the finished product into the sausage press, and out came the links ready to be smoked.  Our charcuterie lesson ended with a tasting along with wine and cheese samples in the restaurant bar.

Our evening ended with the Sustainability Awards dinner orchestrated by Chef Adolfo Garcia, prepared by chefs leading us on a cultural tour of Louisiana, and emceed by Poppy Tooker, local foodie and radio host of “Louisiana Eats“.  Three awards were given—one to a chef, one to a visionary, and one to a local food producer whose practices exemplify sustainability in his or her area of expertise.

The conference concluded Tuesday morning in the true New Orleans fashion; a cocktail party in the New Orleans Botanical Garden followed by a brunch, with too many courses to count, and ending with not one, but three dessert courses.  The meal was planned by Chef Susan Spicer of Bayona and Mondo and executed by well-known chefs from all over the city.  Brunch included local drinks, meat, rice and produce, and we were entertained by one of our favorite local bands, The Creole String Beans.

The afternoon’s events will begin at 1:00 p.m. outside the Mint with a performance by the Tremé Brass Band.  The band will then lead the procession inside to the new state-of-the-art performance venue for more music.  At 3:00 p. m., an all-star cast of musicians including Wendell Brunious and Wendell Eugene will perform with participants from the parks’ Music for All Ages program.

Trombonist Wendell Eugene’s first gig was with Avery “Kid” Howard in 1938.  He has also performed with Oscar “Papa” Celestin, George Lewis, and the Onward Brass Band.  Trumpeter Wendell Brunious was born into a New Orleans musical family.  Wendell’s father, John Brunious, played trumpet and piano, and arranged for Billy Eckstein and Cab Calloway.  Wendell´s uncle, Willie Santiago, was one of the first guitar players recorded, and at one time worked with the legendary Buddy Bolden. Other surprise guest artists may show up to commemorate the milestone event in
the fabulous new performance space.

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is managed by the National Park Service and tells the story of the people and places that helped shape the birth and development of jazz in New Orleans.  The park also features a visitor center located at 916 North Peters Street in the French Market, open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m., as well as a visitor contact station on the first floor of the Old U.S. Mint.

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park recently opened Historic Perseverance Hall No. 4 in Louis Armstrong Park for its Saturday “Music For All Ages” brass band program 11:00 a.m. to Noon.  It is open to the public to sit in and play or just and listen.  Perseverance Hall No. 4 is open Saturday 9:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. and offers an exhibit on the history and origins of jazz and is located in the heart of Historic Tremé.   Call 504-589-4841 or visit www.nps.gov/jazz for more information.  To see a list of all upcoming (free) performances taking place at the Jazz National Historic Park, click here.

1. To honor the publication of the 2nd edition of poet Asia Rainey’s book Soul Chant and to celebrate the upcoming WRITE, NOLA! POETRY FESTIVAL, a two-day festival aimed at revitalizing the local poetry scene, 411 NOLA is sponsoring a contest for poets and spoken word artists.  We are calling it the “Poetic Soul Contest”.   Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:55 p. m. CST.  For full details and for info on how to enter, click here.

Contests Sponsored by Others

1. Incorporate healthy Louisiana seafood into your diet to win prizes!  Two challenge winners, one male and one female, will be chosen by a distinguished panel of judges to become the spokesperson of Louisiana seafood.  Each winner will receive a prize package worth over $3,000, including a trip for two to Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, New Orleans’ Hornets basketball tickets, Holly Clegg’s Trim & TERRIFIC cookbook, and a year subscription to Louisiana Cookin’ magazine and more! For details and rules and regulations go to http://www.louisianaseafoodcelebration.com/challenge/.  Deadline to enter is November 27, 2011.
2. In conjunction with the exhibition The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood, The Historic New Orleans Collection invites 7th and 8th grade students in Orleans Parish to participate in a story contest to commemorate the state’s bicentennial.  Three winners will be chosen.  Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2011. Guidelines and entry forms (including detailed prize info) may be downloaded from this page.  If you have any questions, please email THNOCstorycontest@gmail.com.

Ongoing Contests

1. Every Saturday (rain or shine) from 10:00 a. m. to 2:00 p. m., you can register to win a box of fresh produce at the Sankofa Market (corner of St. Claude and Caffin in the Lower 9th Ward).  There is no fee to register.  Call 504-875-4268 for more info.
2. NOLA.com has several contests going on all of the time.  Check them out!
3. Each Friday afternoon, the Contemporary Arts Center gives away prizes on its Facebook page.  The promo is called Free Facbeook Friday!
4. “Like” the Magazine St. Facebook page and you can enter to win weekly prizes!
5. Gambit Weekly gives away prizes every week.  See what you can win today.
6. The New Orleans Saints football team has its own contests page.  Visit it for chances to win tickets and other great prizes.
7. Each month, NOLA.com has a different photo contest.  If you are a shutterbug, then be sure to check each one out!
8. Each week, the Dog Levee Dish, a website dubbed “The Canine’s Guide to the Crescent City” sponsors a “Pet of the Week” contest.  Local or not, your furry companion can be the star of New Orleans.  Click here to see previous winning entries.
9. Are you a competitive eater?  Click here to find any NOLA-based or -related eating contests going on now.

www.mysticvoodoo.com

Don’t be scared!  There is still time to enter the The Big Easy Experience Contest, a prize package worth over $900 that brings the best of the Big Easy to you.  Deadline to enter is tonight at 11:59 p. m.  This awesome prize package includes

a 2-night stay for two people at the Marigny Manor House Bed and Breakfast; 2 cocktail Jazz history tours (drinks included) from Southern Hospitality Tours LLC; a Photo Safari for two courtesy of See It My Way Photo; a one-hour gondola ride for two courtesy of NOLAGondola.com; dinner for 2 to a local restaurant; a custom-made itinerary from 411 NOLA; a set of 10 New Orleans-themed photo note cards; a Voodoo Doll from the film Desiree; a copy of The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans by David Lummis; a copy of the CD Disco Zydeco by the Bonhoffs; 2 411 NOLA-branded T-shirts of your choice

To enter to win this awesome prize package send your name, your mailing address, and your phone number to contests@411nola.com.  You must put “The Big Easy Experience” in the subject line of your email.  Limit one entry per household.  Deadline to enter is Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 11:59 p. m.

Please note that the gift certificate for two for 2-nights at the Marigny Manor House Bed and Breakfast is not good during special event dates and that the gift certificate is valid through August 2012.

The winner will be chosen at random using Random.org.  411 NOLA will not keep your personal info on file after the end of the contest.  We respect your privacy.