Flowers and greenery bring the city out of its post-Carnival doldrums into a bright Technicolor spring. Here are some places to see the show.
The arrival of the Louisiana irises and spring wildflowers is a tradition at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve’s Barataria Preserve (6588 Barataria Blvd., Marrero). Patience is a virtue, as weather can sometimes cause a delay, so check in to see when the irises are in bloom. Among the many other flowers you can see are violets, water-hyacinths and Persian clover. nps.gov/jela/planyourvisit/barataria-preserve, @jeanlafittenps
New Orleans City Park is well-known for its spring floral cornucopia. If you are lucky, tulips — 15,000 bulbs were planted back in January by the Big Lake — are still in bloom. But if not, no worries, the park’s Botanical Garden showcases a variety of florals and greenery. Also in the park are the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and New Orleans Museum of Art. The sculpture garden features azaleas, irises, agapanthus, Mock Bishops Weed (a host plant for Eastern Black Swallowtail) and lorapetulum, while the museum’s artwork gets a floral boost at the annual “Art in Bloom” benefit, March 13-17. neworleanscitypark.org, @neworleanscitypark; noma.org, noma.org/besthoff-sculpture-garden, @neworleansmuseumofart
Longue Vue House and Gardens always has something going on in its gardens year-round, but it is in March that visitors can arguably see it at its most glorious. Designed by noted landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman, the garden is divided into separate spaces to give visitors a different experience. longuevue.com, @longuevuehg
Los Isleños Fiesta
St. Bernard Parish has strong Spanish roots and in particular with Los Isleños, descendants of emigrants from the Canary Islands who arrived in Louisiana between 1778 and 1783. On March 2 and 3, the annual Los Isleños Fiesta will celebrate with performances, demonstrations, genealogy and heritage information, as well as Houma Native American and Filipino cultural programs, to represent the parish’s diverse heritage. There will be food, drink and more! The event is hosted by the Los Isleños Heritage & Cultural Society at the Los Isleños Museum Complex (1357 Bayou Rd., St. Bernard). losislenos.org; @weareislenos
The World Is Your Oyster
Oysters are a culinary staple in South Louisiana, but they have another function for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana: its Oyster Shell Recycling Program collects shells from area restaurants to build oyster reefs and shoreline habitat in coastal Louisiana. Since the program’s inception in 2014, it has returned 13 million shells to the water. To celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary, the coalition is hosting Shell-A-Bration on March 22 at the Cajun Ballroom in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit at the Audubon Zoo (6500 Magazine St.) There are a multitude of oyster dishes on the menu, a silent auction, door prizes, and music from the Louis Michot Band. The party is all-ages and tickets are available online. crcl.org/program/shell-a-bration; @crcl1988
Food Fight!
What festival has 35 restaurants, 24 spirit purveyors and 48 celebrity judges? Food Fight New Orleans, which combines New Orleanians love of eating and cocktails with a contest. Held March 14 at the Shrine on Airline (6000 Airline Dr., Metairie), the festival allows attendees to sample dishes and cocktails while judges deliberate the honors for Top Traditional Dish, Top Creative Dish, Top Vegetarian Dish, Top Classic Cocktail and Top Creative Cocktail. Food Fight is in its third year and benefits the Please Foundation, a Louisiana nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in New Orleans through education. Tickets include food and drink; are limited and need to be bought before the event. yeahyourrightevents.ticketspice.com/food-fight-nola, @foodfightnola
Entrepreneurs Activate
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is back, taking place March 11-16 at venues throughout New Orleans, including Gallier Hall. Panels, speakers and discussions will spark creativity, and the Idea Village will once again have its IDEApitch competition, a popular event that showcases growth-stage companies competing for an investment prize. NOEW has also paired up with the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane, March 14-16, with March 14 as “crossover day,” with featured programming at both events. noew.org, @hellonoew
