NEW ORLEANS (press release) – New Orleans Botanical Garden celebrates fall with the return of its signature series, Evenings with Enrique, every Wednesday in October starting October 5. Guests may enjoy extended hours, strolling through the Garden’s 2,000 blooming flowers and plants from around the world while listening to live music and savoring food and beverages from Kitchen in the Garden Eats. Evenings, which is free for Louisiana residents courtesy of The Helis Foundation, will be held through October 26 culminating with a special Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar reveal by artist Hugo Montero.
Evenings with Enrique, a bi-annual event that launched in 2016, takes place every April and October at the Botanical Garden. The series pays homage to renowned artist Enrique Alférez who has over 20 sculptures featured onsite in The Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden, an 8,000-sq.-ft.-park featuring Alférez’s works set within sweeping footpaths surrounded by lush tropical flowers and shrubs.
Alférez was a Mexican artist who lived in New Orleans for almost 70 years and specialized in sculpting architectural reliefs and the human form. He was active during the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and his sculptures can be found throughout New Orleans, including Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition, and throughout City Park.
Evenings with Enrique
WHEN: Every Wednesday in October, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. (Live music until 7:30 p.m.)
WHERE: New Orleans Botanical Garden, 5 Victory Avenue in New Orleans City Park
LIVE MUSIC
SCHEDULE:
- October 5: Papo y Son Mandao
- October 12: Macumba
- October 19: Arpa
- October 26: Vivaz Quartet
Admirers of Alférez’s work can also purchase “Enrique Alférez: Sculptor” by Katie Bowler Young onsite at Evenings with Enrique at the Oscar J. Tolmas Center, the entrance to the Botanical Garden. Published by The Historic New Orleans Collection, the book chronicles the life of the preeminent artist and was made possible with support from The Helis Foundation and members of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s 2019 Bienville Circle and Laussat Society.
Guests may view the Día de los Muertos Altar in the Botanical Garden Conservatory from Wednesday, October 26 through Sunday, October 30. Día de los Muertos, traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, originated in Mexico to honor loved ones passed. The Helis Foundation will extend free admission to the Botanical Garden to Louisiana residents from October 26 to October 30, so visitors can experience the Día de los Muertos altar.
New Orleans Botanical Garden regular hours of operation: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. with extended hours every Wednesday in October until 8:00 p.m. through October 26.
Louisiana residents who visit New Orleans Botanical Garden during regular hours may enjoy free admission every Wednesday throughout the year, courtesy of The Helis Foundation.
