You will notice that this year’s events listings are a little bit sparser than usual. Due to the impact of the pandemic, many events have moved online and many more are postponing celebrations for a little longer in hopes that we’ll be able to gather in greater numbers. Please note that we’ve done all we can to make certain that everything here is correct as of April 15, though all details are subject to change. Additionally, should the event take place as planned, certain aspects which rely on community support (for example food, beverages, auction donations, etc.), may be altered or unavailable. Please check with the nonprofit host before making plans. If you don’t see your event listed, please reach out. We will be continuing to update this calendar as more information and events become available. It is more important than ever to support our city and the nonprofits that lift it up!
MAY
1
Touchless Touch a Truck
Benefits: Junior League of New Orleans
Event Info.: The ninth annual “Touch a Truck” will provide children and their families the chance to see big trucks and a variety of vehicles up close and give them a chance to meet the men and women who protect, serve and build southeast Louisiana.
Tickets: $10-$40/ticket
Location: Pontchartrain Center Parking Lot
Contact: JLNO.org/support/touch-a-truck
4
GiveNOLA Day
Benefits: Greater New Orleans Foundation
Event Info.: “GiveNOLA Day,” an initiative of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is a one-day online giving event. For 24 hours, everyone who loves our region can support their favorite local causes by donating to one or more of 700+ participating nonprofit organizations. Last year’s event raised over $7.1 million from over 50,000 donations across the nation and around the world. Since the first event in 2014, GiveNOLA Day has raised over $33 million for our region’s nonprofits.
Tickets: Minimum $10 donation
Location: Virtual
Contact: GiveNola.org
5-9
Art in Bloom 2021 | Home Grown presented by IBERIABANK | First Horizon
Benefits: New Orleans Museum of Art
Event Info.: The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans invite you to participate in “Art in Bloom 2021 | Home Grown presented by IBERIABANK | First Horizon.” One of the most anticipated springtime events in New Orleans, for five days at NOMA, “Art in Bloom” will showcase spectacular floral designs created by garden clubs, floral designers and creative talents from across New Orleans. With the current climate in mind, 2021’s theme, “Home Grown” will bring together exhibitors and speakers primarily from our city and region to celebrate the beauty that you can create at home. This year, “Art in Bloom” will feature both virtual and in-person experiences for patrons to enjoy while adhering to safety measures that will insure the well-being of visitors, patrons and staff.
Tickets: $100-$10,000/ticket
Location: Virtual and various locations at the New Orleans Museum of Art
Contact: NOMA.org/event/art-in-bloom-2021
7
Suits & Salads Luncheon
Benefits: Dress for Success New Orleans
Event Info.: Dress for Success New Orleans’ 11th annual “Suits & Salads Luncheon” will feature a virtual program and on-site luncheon experience including a silent auction, giveaways from Kendra Scott, a jewelry pull and an exciting raffle. Dress for Success New Orleans’ Clients of the Year testimonies will be highlights in this year’s video program. Patrons will receive an exclusive discount card for participating retailers in their swag bag. One hundred percent of proceeds from the 2021 luncheon will support Dress for Success New Orleans in meeting its goal of suiting 400+ women annually.
Tickets: $75+/ticket
Location: Dress for Success New Orleans
Contact: one.bidpal.net/suitsandsalads
8
Art Jam 2021
Benefits: KID smART
Event Info.: KID smART’s annual celebration of imagination invites families near and far to create works of art that blend drama, music, creative writing and visual art with math, science, social studies and English language arts. Normally a free, interactive, family-centered block party, this year’s ”Art Jam” takes place “at the intersection of community and imagination, which just so happens to be right outside the home of every participant!” The event kicks off with the ”Art Jam Kit Drive-Through” where families will receive their ready-to-go bag of art supplies and other goodies. The Drive-Through will be open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, May 8. Supplies are limited, so families are encouraged to pre-register at ArtJam21.eventbrite.com. Participants joining from out of town and families that have access to their own art supplies are welcome to skip the drive-through and dive straight into the activities.
Tickets: Donations encouraged
Location: Virtual and Drive-Through (2541 Bayou Road)
Contact: KidSmart.org/artjam
8
SweetArts Series Finale: Celebrating the Life Shelley Middleberg
Benefits: Contemporary Arts Center
Event Info.: The CAC is celebrating and honoring the life and contributions of Shelley Middleberg with a summer soirée “in mid-century fashion” featuring food inspired by Jazz Fest cuisine. “There will be crawfish cheesecake because that was Shelley’s favorite.”
Tickets: $350-$5,000/ticket
Location: a local Mid-Century Modern Home
Contact: CACNO.org
9-30
Old Mandeville Historic Association Virtual Home Tour
Benefits: Old Mandeville Historic Association
Event Info.: This tour of homes in Old Mandeville will be available for online viewing for three weeks. Four private homes in the historic district have welcomed a videography team for prerecorded interview tours. Each 20-30-minute tour focuses on the home through the eyes of the owner: the architecture, the renovation process, the artwork and collections, the landscape, the house’s history and more. Each tour will be as unique as the home and the homeowner featured. Tickets will offer unlimited online viewing access for three weeks to view all four private home tours as well as a bonus Lang House Museum tour.
Tickets: $25/ticket
Location: Virtual
Contact: OldMandevilleHistoricAssociation.org/home-tour
16
Virtual Walk to End HIV
Benefits: Crescent Care
Event Info.: The New Orleans “Virtual Walk to End HIV” is joining five other cities to raise funds for HIV and AIDS causes. All the monies raised for New Orleans stays in New Orleans and supports the services at CrescentCare or other charities that support HIV efforts. On the day of the event, tune into a live portion of the show which will feature A-list celebrity support. Last year, Matt Bomer, Bette Midler and Gloria Estefan were featured.
Tickets: Walk Registration Fee
Location: Virtual
Contact: AidsWalk.net/new-orleans
16-22
Party for the Planet presented by Entergy: Endangered Species Week
Benefits: Audubon Nature Institute
Event Info.: Party for the Planet presented by Entergy is a series of virtual events and activities making a positive impact on the natural world. Virtual festivities kick off during Earth Week on April 28 and run through June 27. Families can follow along with activities by tuning into Audubon’s social media pages to discover imaginative new ways to experience nature, create healthy habitats and help neighbors, big and small, from home.
Tickets: Free
Location: Virtual
Contact: Events.audubonnatureinstitute.org/planet
18
WYES Grape Performances with Nell Nolan
Benefits: WYES-TV
Event Info.: Sip wine from Italy, France and Spain while New Orleans columnist and actress Nell Nolan shares monologues inspired by the countries.
Tickets: $110-$145/ticket
Location: Virtual
Contact: WYES.org; (504) 486-5511
22
Art of the Feast
Benefits: The NOCCA Institute
Event Info.: Whether you attend in person or enjoy from the comfort of your home, this event will feature a meal, music and a chance to win artwork, vacation packages and more in a silent auction and a raffle.
In-person guests will enjoy a five-course, seasonally inspired chef’s dinner and wine pairing designed and executed by 2017 Culinary Arts alum Quentin Jackson and the six-time James Beard Award-winning chefs of Link Restaurant Group: Stephen Stryjewski, Donald Link, Ryan Prewitt and Maggie Scales. Live entertainment will be provided by alumni Kevin Gullage and Doreen Ketchens, as well as an alumni jazz ensemble. If you opt for an at-home celebration, you’ll get a four-course dinner for two from either Galatoire’s or one prepared by James Beard Award-winner (and NOCCA’s Chef-in-Residence) Frank Brigtsen. While you eat, you can enjoy custom-made music playlists on Spotify and YouTube. You don’t have to attend the event in-person or virtually to place a bid on silent auction items or purchase a ticket to the raffle. The silent auction will include original artwork, vacation packages, staycation packages, gift certificates and much more. The “art, wine and spirits raffle” will give one lucky winner three prizes: a 12-by-16-foot canvas print giclée titled “Oyster Red Pearl” by Becky Fos; a spirits collection from local distillery Seven Three Distilling Co.; and a wine tasting for up to eight people in NOLA Wine Merchant’s private tasting room.
Location: Virtual & In-Person at Press Street Station & NOCCA’s Chevron Forum
Tickets: $150/Virtual Ticket; $400/In-Person Ticket
Contact: ArtOfTheFeast.com
25
Mad Hatter’s Luncheon
Benefits: Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera Association
Event Info.: This annual event will feature a fashion show provided by SAKS Fifth Avenue, a hat contest, silent auction and luncheon at the Metairie Country Club.
Tickets: $130/ticket; $1,300/Table of 10
Location: Metairie Country Club
Contact: (504) 267-9534
JUNE
4-5
Hogs for the Cause
Benefits: Hogs for the Cause
Event Info.: The nationally acclaimed barbecue and music festival is an annual celebration of the year-round fundraising being done on behalf of Hogs for the Cause. Over the past decade, the festival has raised millions of dollars to offer relief to families with children who have brain cancer. Entertainment will include Old Crow Medicine Show; Robert Randolph and the Family Band; Sweet Crude; Anders Osborne; Boyfriend; Early James; Stooges Brass Band; Honey Island Swamp Band; Molly Tuttle; and Dragon Smoke on one of two stages. In addition, there are two new competitions this year: “Wings and Bacon Night” and “Just Winging It,” presented by Tabasco.
Tickets: Varies
Location: Plaquemines Parish Government Facility in Belle Chasse
Contact: HogsFest.org
6-12
Party for the Planet presented by Entergy: World Oceans Week
Benefits: Audubon Nature Institute
Event Info.: Party for the Planet presented by Entergy is a series of virtual events and activities making a positive impact on the natural world. Virtual festivities kick off during Earth Week on April 28 and run through June 27. Families can follow along with activities by tuning into Audubon’s social media pages to discover imaginative new ways to experience nature, create healthy habitats and help neighbors, big and small, from home.
Tickets: Free
Location: Virtual
Contact: Events.audubonnatureinstitute.org/planet
9-13
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
Benefits: NOWFE
Event Info.: Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, organizers have moved NOWFE to a mid-summer event. Several of the most popular events will occur with limited attendance; however, some events will have additional time slots added. There are several new ticket packages with varying levels so everyone can find something to best fit their budget and schedule.
Tickets: Varies
Location: Multiple local locations
Contact: NOWFE.com
12
Magnolia Ball
Benefits: Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Event Info.: Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s annual “Magnolia Ball” will showcase a silent auction, featuring artwork by Southern artists and items donated by regional businesses, along with music and entertainment as well as ticket packages for deals at participating local restaurants. Timed ticketing required and capacity reduced in accordance with local guidelines.
Tickets: N/A
Location: Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Contact: OgdenMuseum.org; (504) 539-9618
12
Swim for Brooke: the Brooke E. Posey Swim-a-thon
Benefits: Angels’ Place
Event Info.: The Brooke Erin Posey Foundation has announced Angels’ Place as the recipient of the 2021 “Brooke E. Posey Swim-a-thon” which will be held on what would have been Brooke’s 22nd birthday. The foundation, formed in memory of Brooke Posey who was 17 when she lost her life in a tragic automobile accident, selects a local children’s charity as the beneficiary of its annual swim-a-thon. Angels’ Place provides ongoing support services for children with life threatening illnesses and their families in Louisiana and Mississippi. After successfully pivoting to a “Swim Anywhere” format in 2020, the Swim-a-thon is returning to the Southern Yacht Club in 2021 so participants can enjoy the excitement of logging in laps along with food, arcade style games, parade of prizes and more. The virtual “Swim Anywhere” fundraiser will also continue so anyone can participate.
Tickets: $35-$200/ticket
Location: Virtual and Southern Yacht Club
Contact: SwimForBrooke.com; info@swimforbrooke.com
12
New Orleans Heart Ball
Benefits: American Heart Association Louisiana
Event Info.: Volunteers, survivors and supporters for the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, will “gather” for the annual “New Orleans Heart Ball” virtually from home on Saturday, June 12, at 6 p.m. The “New Orleans Heart Ball,” sponsored by Chevron, is a premier event for the American Heart Association, attended by philanthropists and supporters committed to the lifesaving work of the organization. Locally sponsored by: Postlewaithe & Netterville, Chevron, Tulane, Scariano, Lupin Foundation, Jackson Offshore Operators, Auto-Chlor, Entergy, Acadian Ambulance, Blue Tide, Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemetery, LAMMICO, LSU Foundation, Mercedes Benz of Baton Rouge, MECO, Enterprise, Hancock Whitney, & Jones Walker. Heart Ball guests will be encouraged to dress in evening attire, bid on exciting auction items and toast milestones in the fight against heart disease and stroke. All proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association.
Tickets: Free
Location: Virtual
Contact: NewOrleansHeartBall.heart.org; (504) 872-3498; #NOLAHeartBall; @AHALouisiana
13
Family Equality Day
Benefits: Longue Vue House & Gardens
Event Info.: Longue Vue House and Gardens is proud to hold its fifth annual “Family Equality Day,” a free Longue Vue Pride event, on Sunday, June 13, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. In keeping with the inclusive values of our founders, Edith and Edgar Stern, “Family Equality Day: is an event that celebrates and recognizes families of all shapes, sizes and definitions. The event is fun for all ages, with activities, performances, a resource fair and more.
Tickets: Free
Location: Longue Vue House & Gardens
Contact: LongueVue.com; (504) 488-5488
17
Man & Woman of the Year: Grand Finale Celebration
Benefits: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Event Info.: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) “Man & Woman of the Year” is a philanthropic competition to support blood cancer research among a group of motivated and dedicated individuals in communities across the United States. Candidates form powerful fundraising teams and compete in honor of two local children who are blood cancer survivors. The man and woman who have raised the most funds during the 10-week campaign (April 8-June 17) are awarded the prestigious title of “Man or Woman of the Year” in their community. Awards will be announced at the June 17 “Grand Finale Celebration.” An online auction benefiting LLS will precede the Grand Finale.
Tickets: Free
Location: Virtual
Contact: MWOY.org
21-27
Party for the Planet presented by Entergy: Pollination Celebration Week
Benefits: Audubon Nature Institute
Event Info.: Party for the Planet presented by Entergy is a series of virtual events and activities making a positive impact on the natural world. Virtual festivities kick off during Earth Week on April 28 and run through June 27. Families can follow along with activities by tuning into Audubon’s social media pages to discover imaginative new ways to experience nature, create healthy habitats and help neighbors, big and small, from home.
Tickets: Free
Location: Virtual
Contact: Events.audubonnatureinstitute.org/planet
22
WYES Grape Performances with Deacon John
Benefits: WYES-TV
Event Info.: Sip wine while enjoying entertainment by New Orleans musician Deacon John Moore, an interview by Peggy Scott Laborde and more.
Tickets: $35-$125/ticket
Location: Virtual
Contact: WYES.org; (504) 486-5511
JULY
10
Mr. Legs
Benefits: Bridge House / Grace House
Event Info.: “Mr. Legs” is one of Bridge House / Grace House’s largest fundraisers and features male contestants who show a little leg for charity. As a parody of a beauty pageant, “Mr. Legs” contestants don costumes and perform on stage for a few minutes each, entertaining the crowd. Contestants solicit funds before and during the event; the title of “Mr. Legs” is awarded to the contestant that raises the most money. Prizes are also awarded for 1st and 2nd Runner Up. Celebrity Judges select winners from various categories such as: Best Costume, Sexiest Legs, Hairiest, Skinniest Legs and Best Performance. The event also features complimentary food from local restaurants, a silent auction, and raffle. An open bar is available to all guests 6-8 p.m.; VIP ticket holders have an open bar from 6-10 p.m. in the VIP area only. Events such as “Mr. Legs” allow Bridge House / Grace House to provide its services.
Tickets: $50/Ticket; $65/Ticket at door/$100/VIP Ticket
Location: Generations Hall
Contact: BridgeHouse.org/events/mr-legs; (504) 821-7134
AUGUST
6
Susan G. Komen New Orleans Summer Cure Chefs Wine Dinner
Benefits: Susan G. Komen New Orleans
Event Info.: This year’s dinner will be Hosted Virtually by the Windsor Court Hotel New Orleans and delivered to your door.
Tickets: $1,750/Pink Patron level; $3,000/ Partner in Courage level; $5,000/ $10,000/ Partner in Hope level
Location: Virtual
Contact: (504) 455-7310; KomenNewOrleans.org
14
Queen for a Day Promenade Luncheon
Benefits: JPAS Leading Ladies Guild
Event Info.: Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s Leading Ladies Guild’s annual “Promenade Luncheon” will be themed “Queen for a Day,” patterned after the 1950s TV show. Attendees are encouraged to wear their tiaras and will have a chance to vote on their favorite “queen.” There will be contests for the Best Royal Ensemble and Best 1950s Ensemble, a silent auction and a wine raffle. Entertainment will be provided by Suzanne Scott and Byron Scott accompanied by pianist Jim Walpole. Proceeds will be donated to the 42-year-old Jefferson Performing Arts Society to continue its work with youth and its season offerings.
Tickets: $60/Ticket; $670/Table of Eight (includes one nomination for Queen) – deadline to reserve ticket is June 1
Location: Metairie Country Club
Contact: JPAS.org/llg; (504) 214-7177
