It’s still hot outside. Take shelter on Saturday in one of our city’s many fantastic, often world-class museums when you and a guest can get in for free compliments of Smithsonian magazine and its annual Museum Day. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket, which allows for free admission for two people this coming Saturday during museum hours. The following New Orleans area museums are participating:
Southern Food and Beverage Museum and The Museum of the American Cocktail; The National WWII Museum; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses, The Historic New Orleans Collection, The Cabildo, The Presbytere, 1850 House, New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, Longue Vue House and Gardens, New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana National Guard Museums at Jackson Barracks; and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum.
Tickets can be downloaded here.
New Orleans is home to the National Fried Chicken Festival presented by Raising Canes! Check it out this weekend at Woldenberg Park on the river. The free, outdoor festival has expanded to three days to run Friday through Sunday, Sept. 20-22.
There will be food from more than 35 restaurants, music on three stages, and chefs will compete in a best fried chicken contest judged by local and national food critics. The 2019 lineup includes Bounce Royalty, St. Augustine Marching Band, Bonerama, Little Freddie King, Cha Wa,Brass-A-Holics, Raj Smoove and Friends and more.
If you do not mind shelling out a few bucks there are Chandon Bottomless Bubbles VIP Lounge tickets for sale that include access to a private climate-controlled lounge area near the main stage, VIP restroom access, unlimited Chandon Champagne and, of course, fried chicken. Tickets are also available for the Royalty Lounge, which affords three specialty Crown Royal Cocktails, a fried chicken dish and a lounge area. Other special experiences include the Hospitality lounge. Special experience tickets are available at friedchickenfestival.com. Otherwise just show up with a lawn chair or a blanket.
On both Friday and Saturday $10 will gain you admission into Nola on Tap, Louisiana’s largest beer event, with past events attracting 25,000 beer lovers. This dog-friendly beer festival features a serious music lineup, more than 400 local, national and home-brewed beers, food vendors, games, prizes, Beer Judge Certification Program awards and a Barktoberfest, pet adoption event. Barktoberfest is a special vendor area at NOLA on Tap designed with canines in mind: meet LA/SPCA adoptable dogs, pick up some freebies and shop for special treats for your pet from vendors.
If you want to up your game a VIP package with perks is available as are drink ticket packages. Check it out at: nolaontap.org/tickets. All proceeds from NOLA on Tap benefit the homeless animals at the Louisiana SPCA.
Scheduled entertainers scheduled for Saturday include Robin Barnes, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.; Roadside Glorious 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.; Choppa 5:30 p.m.; and Category 6, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Planning ahead? Mark your calendar for next Friday (Sept. 27) evening’s “Pour Decisions” when NOLA Brewing (3001 Tchoupitoulas St., nolabrewing.com) closes out Louisiana Craft Beer Week with a free brewery event featuring performances by Cedric Burnside, and Alvin Youngblood Hart, and special beer releases. Doors open at 6 p.m. with all sixteen taps of the Original Tap Room maxed out with specialty beers. Alvin Youngblood Hart will kick off at 7 p.m. with Cedric Burnside headlining at 8:30 p.m.
Whatever you decide to do this weekend, make it a great one, everyone. Use it to celebrate the people and the community you love.