Dial 12, D1 Watch MASTERPIECE
“Maigret” — the first contemporary TV adaptation of Georges Simenon’s beloved novels featuring the streetwise Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret — Sunday, October 5 at 8pm on WYES-TV. Stream at wyes.org/live or on the PBS app. Find full WYES program listings at wyes.org.
Fall is here and it’s prime time to enjoy all New Orleans and south Louisiana has to offer…and that is a lot!
Our cover feature highlights some of the best brews around town for those that imbibe. Beer is booming across the city, with a wide variety of fantastic pubs, breweries and taverns to raise a glass, watch the big game, meet with friends (and make new ones), enjoy local food trucks and more.
It’s also time again to get out and enjoy fall festival season. From food-centric fests to local art, music and culture, there is so much to celebrate across the New Orleans community. We have a jam-packed calendar of the best ways to eat, dance and play (be sure to bookmark it!).
Our unique community, and the efforts of determined leaders, is key to making memories (such as at your favorite watering hole or neighborhood fest), as well as making big changes. One of the most important community efforts is the teams of people working together to save our shores, from the tip of the boot to the lake and beyond. Louisiana is at an environmental crossroads, with immediate action required to save our communities, our culture, our business and our special way of life. Without the efforts of these leaders, raising a glass and enjoying New Orleans fun simply would not be possible.
And as always, we also have great fall recipes, dining news, style inspo and more to guide your autumnal activities through to the holidays.
Gather, grow and gallivant! The weather is cool(er) and there’s no better place to be than right here.
Send us a line! Have something you want to share with us? Email ashley@ myneworleans.com
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Scream Time
Check out our latest seasonal blog, Scream Time. Writer Jeremy Marshal reviews the best haunted houses, spooky shows and frightful events this month. Podcast Want to hear a scary story? Sit back, grab your favorite warm beverage and join us for season three of Beyond the Grave…if you dare.
Editors’ Picks
Each week, find out what our editors recommend for the best of the best around town. From the best places in the CBD to eat and drink during Saints games to concerts and happy hours, brunches, shopping and more, we share with you our top picks.
Calendar Wondering what to do this weekend? Be sure to stop by MyNewOrleans.com every Friday, where we have your one-stop highlight list of where to go and what to eat all weekend long.
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities recently announced the 2025 Louisiana Poet Laureate, New Orleanian Gina Ferrara. Ferrara is an associate professor of English at Delgado Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans.
Her poems have been published in Callaloo, The Poetry Ireland Review, Tar River, The Southern Review, and she was nominated for a Best of the Net and a Pushcart Award in 2024. Her latest collection, “Amiss,” was published by Dos Madres Press in 2023.
According to a recent press release, Ferrara plans to use her position to promote and highlight the work of Louisiana poets.
“Poetry dwells in all of us and it’s often a matter of cultivation that leads to fruition. It is about finding voice. My experience as an educator has made this my mantra and mission, whether it has been leading breast cancer survivors in a workshop or nurturing reluctant middle schoolers to write a poem. A discovered voice is something I am privileged to see,” she said.
Past poet laureates include Alison Pelegrin, Mona Lisa Saloy, John Warner Smith, Jack Bedell, Brenda Marie Osbey, Darrell Bourque, Julie Kane, Ava Leavell Haymon, and Peter Cooley.
BY ASHLEY MCLELLAN
Events around town:
Oct. 3
“Surprise! Jump Start Your Writing” at the Milton H. Latter Memorial Library will engage and inspire poets and authors and with a workshop led by Brad Richard. nolalibrary.org/events
Oct. 7
Writer John T. Edge (author of “The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South”) stops by The Garden District Book Shop to discuss his latest book, “House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home,” along with New York Times columnist Brett Anderson. gardendistrictbookshop.com
Oct. 11
Scare up a good time with a familyfriendly “Ghostly Story Hour” at the Mid-City branch of the New Orleans Public Library. The event will include spooky stories, songs and activities. nolalibrary.org/events
Oct. 15
Meet New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks at Octavia Books with the launch of his latest novel, “Remain: A Supernatural Love Story.” Tickets for the event include a pre-signed copy of the book and a photo op with the author. octaviabooks.com
Oct. 27
Blue Cypress’ Krewe of ARC (adults reading children’s classics) book club revisits the YA novel “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” just in time for Halloween celebrations. bluecypressbooks.com
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The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight
Oct. 1
Accompanied by a candlelit setting at the Saenger Theatre, the Rock Orchestra will perform songs from iconic rock bands like Metallica, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses, My Chemical Romance, and many more. saengernola. com
The Lehman Trilogy Oct. 2-19
Le Petit Theatre hosts the 2022 Tony Award winner for Best Play, a sprawling saga spanning generations as a family business turns into a financial powerhouse. lepetithteatre.com
“Kimberly Akimbo” Oct. 7-12
This 2023 Tony Awardwinner for Best Musical tells the story of a teenage girl afflicted with a condition that causes her to rapidly age. This poignant but lifeaffirming fairy tale hits the stage at the Saenger Theatre. saengernola.com
LPO: Hungarian Dances
Oct. 9
Guest concertmaster Alexandra Preucil and violist Antoine Tamestit join the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for an exploration of Hungarian music and culture at the Orpheum Theater. orpheumnola.com
$uicideboy$
Oct. 11
New Orleans musical act $uicideboy$ brings their caustic mix of punk-rap and trap-metal to the Smoothie King Center. smoothiekingcenter.com
Fortune Feimster
Oct. 16
Stand-up comic Fortune Feimster, who recently starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Netflix’s “FUBAR,” brings her confessional, affable style of comedy to the Orpheum Theater. orpheumnola.com
Peter Frampton
Oct. 17
Peter Frampton comes to the Saenger Theatre as part of his “Let’s Do It Again!” tour celebrating his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. saengernola.com
Josephine Baker: From Creole Goddess to Siren of the Resistance
Oct. 17-19
New Orleans singer Anais St. John plays legendary songstress Josephine Baker, who took Jazz Age Paris by storm and eventually worked with the French Resistance in WWII, at BB’s Stage Door Canteen in the National WWII Museum. nationalww2museum.org
LPO: An American in Paris
Oct. 22
Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” is the centerpiece of this show from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theater. orpheumnola.com
“Gypsy”
Oct. 24-Nov. 9
Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts will stage Broadway’s famous tale of backstage drama centering around Gypsy Rose Lee. rivertowntheaters.com
Krewe of Boo
Oct. 25
Get in on some spooky fun in the French Quarter with the Krewe of Boo, a Halloweenthemed parade, with frights for the whole family. kreweofboo.com
World Ballet Company: Cinderella
Oct. 26
This spectacular Broadwaystyle ballet from the World Ballet Company brings the beloved fairy tale to life at the Orpheum Theater with humor, romance, and the grace and majesty of classical ballet. orpheumnola.com
Wheel of Fortune: Live!
Oct. 29
Hit gameshow “Wheel of Fortune” comes to the Orpheum Theater for one night only for an exciting live show. orpheumnola.com
John Legend
Oct. 23
John Legend comes to the Saenger Theatre for his “Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour.” Not limited to “Get Lifted,” the show will also include iconic hits from Legend’s other albums. saengernola.com
NOBT Presents: Dracula Oct. 24
New Orleans Ballet Theater presents its take on Bram Stoker’s classic tale of horror and romance at the Orpheum Theater. orpheumnola.com
Paul McCartney
Oct. 29
Former Beatle and rock legend Paul McCartney comes to the Smoothie King Center for his “Got Back Tour.” smoothiekingcenter.com
Deutsches Haus hosts its annual Oktoberfest on the banks of Bayou St. John. The “Bavaria on the Bayou” lasts over three weekends in October and features authentic German foods, live music and dancing. Visitors willing to test their strength can join the Masskrugstemmen, a beer stein holding contest. Last year 28,000 thirsty festival-goers consumed 500 kegs of beer, 600 bottles of wine and 5,000 shots of Schnapps to wash down two tons of German sausage and more than 5,000 pretzels. This year, visitors can sample 20 different German beers. Tickets to Oktoberfest may be purchased at the gate and are $10. Children 12 years and younger are free. 1700 Moss St., 504-522-8014, deutscheshaus.org.
Pinhook Whiskey recently partnered with Cure’s Neal Bodenheimer as part of their collaboration series. The series sources great whiskey and works with distillers and palates they admire to create something that expands the possibilities of American whiskey. For this collaboration, Master Blender Sean Joseph joined Bodenheimer at Tales of the Cocktail to create a unique blend in front of a live audience. The final product has notes of sweetgrass, butterscotch, tobacco and nutmeg and a palate of bruleéd sugar, baked pear, spearmint and clove. The whiskey is available in local liquor and grocery stores, and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. pinhookbourbon.com
Many of the city’s bars and restaurants are offering game day food and drink specials for Saints fans to enjoy. At Copper Vine, guests can catch the beginning of cool fall weather on their wrap-around balcony overlooking Poydras and O’Keefe Streets. Access to the balcony is part of their “Game Day Brunch Experience,” featuring a curated brunch buffet from Executive Chef Amy Mehrtens, as well as bottomless mimosas and a bottomless Bloody Mary bar. 1001 Poydras St., 504-208-9535, coppervinewine.com.
Over at Costera, General Manager Steve Groom offers guests the Saints-inspired “Black and Gold Rush” cocktail. Made with bourbon, Averna Amaro, lemon juice and honey syrup, this Manhattan riff is bound to keep you cheerful, no matter the final score. 4938 Prytania St., 504-302-2332, costerarestaurant.com.
The Bower’s Beverage Director Mickey Mullins has created a crowd-pleasing big batch cocktail, “The Dome Pour,” featuring strawberry-infused tequila, zesty lime juice and triple sec. It’s the perfect libation for a group of thirsty fans to share. 1320 Magazine St. 504-582-9738, thebowernola.com.
Fans who want to show their love on the go should stop at the Hermes Bar at Antoine’s for a limited-edition Saints themed go-cup, ready to be filled with whatever potion you desire. The bar opens early, at 9:30 a.m. so guests can grab libations en route to the Dome or a watch party. 713 St. Louis St., 504-581-4422, antoines.com.
New Orleans’ own Louie Louie THC/CBD seltzer has added a new flavor to their line-up. The Strawberry Spritz, a refreshing blend of pineapple, strawberry and lemon, is inspired by a drink called “Frog Lemonade” found in the 1901 “Picayune Creole Cookbook.” The components of the drink, however, are very much from the present, geared to New Orleanians who want to limit both sugar and alcohol from their diets.
Strawberry Spritz is sweetened with natural fruit juices and a touch of monkfruit, and is Louie Louie’s lightest offering, a mere 25 calories, with 5mg THC and 5mg CBD. Strawberry Spritz and other Louie Louie drinks are available at bars and stores across the New Orleans metro area and on their website. drinklouielouie.com
/ TWO STUDIOS PHOTO
Sazerac House is leaning into the spicier part of Halloween, serving up cinnamon-flavored cocktails and more at their “Cinful Nights.” This wickedly fun Halloween event, running Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 is an adults-only after-hours experience. The museum and distillery are transformed into a playground for grown-up trick-or-treaters. Guests will be treated to a night of spooky fun and deliciously spicy cocktails made with Fireball Blazin’ Apple. Costumes are mandatory — as they should be at a New Orleans Halloween shindig. Guests are encouraged to lean into the theme, donning their most mischievous costumes — the spicier the better. For more information and tickets, visit sazerachouse.com
New Orleans-native and graduate of Delgado’s Culinary Arts Program, Chef Adam Korbel took over as executive chef in the kitchens at the NOPSI Hotel’s Public Service and Above the Grid restaurants in May. In an August press release, the NOPSI, located in the CBD, announced changes to the eatery’s menus, describing the revamped offerings as “regional ingredients and Southern soul with refined presentation.” Public Service’s crabmeat-stuffed flounder over dirty rice cakes and an oyster BLT with pork belly and smoked tomato jam piqued our interest. At the Above the Grid pool and bar, look for boudin fritters with creole mustard aioli and Natchitoches mini meat pies. Both menus are available for in-room dining. nopsihotel.com
If you are game for a culinary road trip, Houston is not only lovely this time of year, it also is home to the Southern Smoke Festival. Bonus: At least four New Orleans chefs and restaurateurs will be there, too. The Crescent City contingent includes Ana Castro of Acamaya, Neal Bodenheimer of Cure, Mason Hereford of Turkey & The Wolf and Joaquin Rodas of Bacchanal. The annual festival started in 2015 and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Southern Smoke Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund, which “supports food and beverage workers in crises nationwide, and Behind You, the program offering no-cost mental health counseling to industry professionals in several states, including Louisiana.” southernsmoke.org
Last Halloween, we noticed our most enchanting friends cackling over wickedly lavish feasts at local haunts. So we cast a spell not to miss out this year — and it worked. At least four New Orleans restaurants are conjuring three-course “witches’ brunches” this month. Hop on your broom and fly to Gris-Gris in the Lower Garden District or St. John in the Central Business District Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 for spirited concoctions and potions, as well as devilishly inspired takes on each restaurant’s fare, such as Gris-Gris’ “Nadja’s Bloody Slice” chocolate torte with strawberry coulis spatter and the “Vampiric Nightmare” salad at St. John. At the famously haunted Muriel’s Jackson Square in the French Quarter on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, fuel yourself for the witching hours with seasonal favorites like pumpkin bisque or shrimp and goat cheese crepes, a wood-grilled filet and a choice of dessert. Also in the Quarter, Tujague’s is offering only one chance to gather your coven, so naturally it’s on Oct. 31. The menu hasn’t yet been revealed, but we are confident it will be magical. Reservations are required for the brunches, and donning your witchy best is encouraged.
On Oct. 22, join Les Dames d’Escoffier New Orleans chapter for its Hot Dish 2025 event. The philanthropic organization is comprised of “women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality.” This year the annual fundraising event is at Mister Mao Swim Club at The Maidstone (formerly The Drifter Hotel) in Mid-City at 3522 Tulane Ave. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit the organization. The patron party kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and the reception begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the poolside soiree include a raffle, auction, drinks and bites from local chefs. lesdamesnola.org/hot-dish-2025
In August, New Orleanians flocked to the newest installment of Dallas, Texas-based Shug’s Bagels. The original Shug’s opened in 2020 and is the brainchild of New York native Justin Shugrue, who also has an Austin, Texas location in the works. The Uptown bagelry is at 7505 Maple St., next door to Chef Mason Hereford’s meat and three joint, Hot Stuff. Those who swear by New York-style kettle-boiled bagels are in for a treat with options ranging from plain and everything to jalapeno cheddar and French toast. Get them with spreads like cream cheese, peanut butter or lox spread, or as the bread for a sandwich. Rolls and wraps are also available for breakfast or lunch sandwiches. Shug’s is open daily 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shugsbagels.com
BY ANDY MYER
1. Rat Des Champs’ Harbor Hat and Scout Pinafore are the perfect combo for October outdoor gatherings and festivals in New Orleans. The weight and cut of both make them as flattering as they are functional. Available at ratdeschamps.com.
2. Crafted from soft, wide-wale cotton, this classic Polo Ralph Lauren vest will be your fall go-to. Wear with or without a blouse, pair with a skirt, slacks, jeans, or a dress – the options are endless. Caution: may cause you to curl up with an apple cider or hot cup or tea and an Edith Wharton novel. Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com.
3. Add a bit of autumn pep to your step in Veronica Beard’s Valentina Sneaker in rich Hazelwood, a tone that goes with everything. The luxe suede corduroy shoe features a padded collar, cushioned midsole with one-inch lift and leather details. Available at Febe, febeclothing.com.
4. Toss a few of these charming velvet corduroy Icon Pillows with embroidered leaves on the sofa for an easy textural update. Light your favorite candle, turn on a cozy movie and invoke cooler temperatures and changing scenery. Available at Anthropologie, anthropologie.com.
5. Whether you throw it on for a quick trip to the farmer’s market or a soccer game, Frame’s Swing Jacket with patch pockets and bell sleeves will have you looking perfectly polished. Available at SOSUSU,
Typically, while perparing for high school, 12-year-olds are navigating advanced math classes and interpersonal relationships. But Naomi DeBerry isn’t a typical middle schooler. When she was 6, her father — New Orleans journalist Jarvis DeBerry — needed a kidney transplant. DeBerry sought a way to understand what was happening to her dad. A few years — and a successful kidney transplant — later, the younger DeBerry published the book “My Daddy Needs a Gift,” to help children going through similar experiences. Because of her book and organ donation advocacy, Naomi was recently named
BY KELLY MASSICOT / PHOTO BY THERESA
to the first-ever TIME magazine “Girls of the Year” list — the only American among the 10 young women honored.
Q: Your dad is an experienced journalist; was writing always part of your path? Well, before my dad had his kidney transplant, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but when he had his transplant, I definitely knew for a fact I wanted to be a transplant surgeon. Both of my parents are writers, so I’m exposed to a lot of that, but I think I really wanted to write this book because I wanted kids to have a perspective, and I wanted adults to see that kids have a perspective too. Because when my dad was sick, generally, all the focus was on him, as it should be. Not only was my dad affected, but me and my mom were affected by this too. So, I wanted to write this book so that other kids or other people wouldn’t feel alone in the same process that I was in.
Q: How do you feel about bringing more awareness to organ donation? I really want to be able to make sure that organ [donation] awareness is spread all over, as far as we can get it, and not only nationally now, but worldwide. That’s really all what I wanted my message to do. I wasn’t even trying to be girl of the year or anything. But I’m glad that not only that I’ve gotten this exposure, but that my book, “My Daddy Needs a Gift,” has gotten this exposure as well.
Q: What was the process in writing your book? It was really busy, because when my dad had his transplant, he was one of the last people to have surgery before they shut everything down for COVID-19. So, it was basically like you were living in a double pandemic in our house. I couldn’t even be around
him very often because of how sick he was, and I was basically isolated from not only him, but from the outside world. We started writing this book when I was about 9 and a half, so it’s like, three years later. [With] the writing process, I had a lot of different ideas of what I wanted the book to be like. We had some discussions where my mom wanted me to be a part of the process, and the designs and all the illustrations and everything. Writing the book actually wasn’t as long as the illustrations took, because we had to keep going back and changing things. Our Illustrator’s dad had a heart transplant, but we would have never known [that]; unless we actually met her.
Q: What was the call like from TIME Magazine? I really wish [it was] more exciting or interesting, but really [what] happened is my mom just got an email from TIME, asking if my mom could give parental consent to make me one of the TIMES’s Girls of the Year. We don’t know how it happened; like we don’t even know how they found me, but I’m glad they did. I also want to say, as girls, I know a lot of time we don’t get the recognition that I think we should get and that we do deserve for things that we’re doing all over the world. I’m glad that I was able to be one of the leaders of this group for TIME Magazine, and I’m excited to see where TIME takes this from the other girls in the future.
Q: What do you hope other kids take from your book? That you’re never too young to be able to make a difference. And also, that if there’s something that you think is important, to bring awareness to, or to advocate for, then you should do it, because you can really make a difference.
Around here, we know that from Halloween through Easter — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Mardi Gras — is the “Fat Season” (with the exception of Lent if you’re Catholic.)
Now I live in an apartment behind the Sloth Lounge, so kids can’t find me for trick-or-treat. But I still buy Halloween candy. I carry it when I go for a walk in case I meet any kids who need candy. Naturally, I got to eat the leftovers to prevent waste.
Last summer, me and my gentleman friend Lust decide to fly to the actual Bahamas for a week. I never been there before in my life. I know that with the Fat Season coming up right after, it might be the last time I can fit into this bathing suit for a while. Maybe I had that fact on my mind when I ordered a special extra comfy sweatsuit especially designed for flying — with a lot of extra pockets and a sleeping mask you can pull down from the hoodie. I ordered a X-Large, which I figured would be extra comfy and also to allow some growing room.
It didn’t get delivered until the day before we left, and with all the packing and writing reminder
notes and threats to leave in various places for the kids, I didn’t have time to try it on.
The cab is already out front to take us to the airport when I put the suit on. Then, when I jump into the back seat with Lust, he looks at me and says, “Who are YOU? Modine? Is that you in there?”
This suit is enormous. It looks like I borrowed it from Jabba the Hut.
Thinking back, I guess I didn’t take into account that, in addition to being big, it’s also unisex, so I should have ordered a size down.
Well, I got to admit it IS comfortable. But the pants keep falling down.
I pray that my baggage arrives in the Bahamas on time.
Which it don’t. But there are shops in the Bahamas and I slop
into one in this sweatsuit get-up and buy a T-shirt with a shark on it and shorts that match the shark. They fit, and it turns out this will be my wardrobe for my week in the Bahamas.
Five days later my suitcase gets there. I am so excited. Lust says we should to go to the hotel dining room for a fancy dinner and celebrate my birthday ahead of time. (It will actually be in two weeks.)
While I am deciding what to wear, now that I have actual choices, Lust goes down to the dining room ahead of me. He tells the waiter it is my birthday and whatever I order for my dessert, could he put a candle in it and sing. The waiter says certainly sir, and how old is the lady?
Lust gets a evil inspiration. He
tells the waiter I am 95. (For your information, I am NOT 95. Not even close, thank you very much.)
Anyway, in I strut in the best outfit I packed, and ask this same waiter — who happens to be standing by the door— if he will show me to Mr. Lust’s table. His eyes bug out and he says, “Ohhh my Gawd! You look amazing!” I give him a big smile, glad that I am wearing actual clothes that fit and that don’t have a shark connection, and say “Thaank �� you…"
He holds my elbow all the way to Lust’s table and seats me like I was as fragile as a two week-old manicure.
Seems a little overboard, until I overhear him tell another waiter how old I supposedly am.
After dinner, Lust tells me his little white lie got us excellent service. I just snarl.
But I do offer to lend him my big comfy sweat suit for the ride home. And I do wander around in the hotel gift shop until I spot a whoopee pillow. And I do stick it into the sweat pants’ enormous back pocket for the trip home.
It was a good trip, after all. Now bring on the Halloween candy.
From stage fright to a record deal, Maddy Kirgo is finding her voice in New Orleans
As I interview singer and guitarist Maddy Kirgo on Zoom, she gets out of a car and sits in the sand at Venice Beach wearing Black, oval-shaped sunglasses with the breeze blowing her hair out of her face.
The 29-year-old musician sunbathing at the beach and moving away from her well-meaning, eaves-dropping father, is the exact vibe of her latest album “Shadow On My Light.” It is laid back, relatable and feels bright and honest. As the Los Angeles native’s debut album, the refreshing, summery body of work showcases her angelic range and effortless ability to sing soothing melodies across genres like indie, country and pop.
“I have a really hard time talking genres, because I’ve listened to so much music,” Kirgo said. “So I think there’s genre purism that I’ve never really been able to stick to.”
Kirgo’s father, who owns a music studio, taught her to play guitar at 13. When asked about her hypothetical Spotify Wrapped playlist, she said it would include classic
R&B, Fleetwood Mac deep cuts, Dolly Parton and Frank Sinatra. Understanding her varied musical influences and career history sheds light on the vocal freedom and control she showcases in her latest album.
Over the years, she overcame her stage freight by performing with a country band, sharing secret songs on Soundcloud and busking with her guitar before releasing “Shadow on My Light” with Arkansas-based independent record label Gar Hole Records in 2024.
She plans to record another album this fall including songs she’s performed live throughout the year. She wants to go back to her roots with a paired-down album focusing on guitar and thoughtful lyrics about a breakup, falling in love again, family and
the state of the world. She hopes to tap back into how she felt when she was in her bedroom, singing and playing her guitar, afraid to perform in front of anyone. In her dream album recording scenario, Kirgo said she would have all of the required recording equipment set up for her so she can record in solitude. There’s something special about being alone, she said before mentioning her new solo painting practice.
“I’m influenced by everything around me, but I always like to focus on love,” Kirgo said. “I think that’s the thing that makes us human and ties us all together. And people just have to remember that that’s available to them. They could be focusing on love instead of all that weird shit.”
Must-see performances this month
Oct 19-20
NBA Youngboy at Smoothie King Center at 7:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m. smoothiekingcenter. com
Oct 22
Hippie Sabotage - Echoes of Time Tour at The Joy Theater at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. thejoytheater. com
Oct 23
John Legend Get Lifted – 20th Anniversary Tour at The Saengar Theatre at 8 p.m. saengernola.com
Oct 25
The Soul Rebels at Tipitina’s at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m. tipitinas.com
Oct 29
Paul McCartney Got Back Tour at Smoothie King Center at 8 p.m. smoothiekingcenter. com
The Great Depression of the 1930s produced one of the greatest bodies of documentary photography in American history. Names such as Russell Lee, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks and, most notably, Walker Evans were among the many photographers who worked for President Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression-era Farm Security Administration, known as the FSA. Their assignment – fan out across the nation and create a portrait of American life with all its miseries and hardships during the Depression. What they found, especially in the rural Deep South, were economic conditions that were already dire long before the stock market crashed in 1929.
New Orleans was of particular interest to Walker Evans, who worked for the FSA from 1935 to 1937. A short biography of Evans published by the Art Institute of Chicago described Evans as “one of the leading photographers in the history of American documentary photography.
This 1935 photograph “Sidewalk and Shopfront” taken in the 500 block of Bourbon Street was one of an extensive series of images Evans took during his two-month visit to New Orleans in February and March 1935. This glimpse at the “French Opera Barber Shop – Home of the Perfecto Hair Restorer” is a delightful hint at what life must have been like in the French Quarter during those bohemian years when it was no longer the center of Creole culture and on the cusp of becoming the city’s adult entertainment district.
Revival architecture, peoples’ faces and plantation houses along River Road. As the Art Institute of Chicago bio claimed, Evans’ “forays into the city’s French Quarter resulted in some of his most iconic images.”
Art historian and former director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art Richard Gruber, agreed. In an article for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, he described Evans’ visits to Louisiana as “one of the most productive times in his career, when he created many notable photographs including those made in Hale County, Alabama, during the summer of 1936, in the company of writer James Agee, for their book, ‘Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.’”
Sidewalk and Shopfront, Bourbon St., New Orleans, 1935. By Walker Evans. Image Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
In New Orleans, Evans quickly settled into the local art community. He lived in a rented apartment in the Pontalba Building on Jackson Square where he became close friends with Paul Ninas, regarded as the dean of modern art in New Orleans, and his wife and fellow artist Jane, whom Evans later married after the couple divorced. From his base in the city, he traveled about photographing other buildings in the French Quarter, ordinary street and levee scenes, decaying Greek
In 1938, the Museum of Modern Art in New York mounted a major exhibition and publication of his work titled, “Walker Evans: American Photographs.” The publication contained 87 photographs, including the one seen here and others taken during his two-month visit to New Orleans. In the book’s essay, New York writer and art connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, who later served as one of World War II’s “Monuments Men,” claimed “the most characteristic single feature of Evans’ work is its purity, or even puritanism.”
Kirstein continued, “After looking at these pictures with all their clear, hideous and beautiful detail, their open insanity and pitiful grandeur, compare this vision of a continent as is, not as it might be or as it was, with any other coherent vision that we have since the war (World War I). What poet has said as much? What painter has shown as much?”
BY JAY FORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESS KEARNEY
BREWS FOR EVERY BEER (AND MORE) LOVER ARE ON TAP ACROSS THE CITY
Microbreweries have been part of the fabric of the New Orleans food and dining scene for decades now. Abita was the OG pioneer back in the 90s, when a trip to the Northshore to fill a growler or three with their potent Andygator demanded its own mixtape and felt like a personal quest. Then what started as a reaction to the monolithic chokehold of corporate lagers soon became an extension of them as industry buyouts and consolidation absorbed a lot of the scruffy startups. But a new generation, focused more on taps, community and the applied lessons in rediscovered craft, soon arose. The relative affordability of canning line equipment and the shift in perception that aluminum can be just as good as bottles for quality helped too. These are happier days, where you can easily find your experimental sours and juicy IPAs in groceries citywide. Coupled with hard seltzers and the wild west of THC beverages, kids today don’t know how good they have it.
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Avisit to Urban South’s Taproom on a recent Friday night is a case-in-point. Urban South was founded in 2016, making it sort of an elder statesman for Craft Breweries: The Next Generation. Jacob Landry is the founder and president. He’d spent the years prior working in public education, but brewing was his passion. Lucky for us he took the plunge and since then Urban South has expanded to include a second location in Houston as well as a turnkey hospitality group in Pensacola. It’s well known now, but people who simply equate it with their ubiquitous Paradise Park lager and move on are missing out. Greatly.
Passing through the doors of the Tap Room on Tchoupitoulas, the aroma of hops and malt suffuses the air. The vibe is quasi-industrial; equal parts living room, video arcade and airily enclosed party space. Stainless steel brewing tanks and other commercial equipment doubles as a backdrop. The foreground includes lots of family-style seating as well as softer nooks to huddle with just a few friends. A Paradise Park branded trailer serves as office space and string lighting ties the room together. There are oldfashioned board games to go along with the classic '80s and '90s arcade ones and kids are absolutely welcome. It is a true “Third Space,” with theme nights (trivia, puzzles and vinyl to name a few) and other organized activities to shape visits. For example, a sip n’ paint class was in full swing in a cordoned-off section to the right near pallets of cans recently. And there is merch. Lots of merch.
The popular duo of parade staples (Holy Roller and Paradise Park) are essentially a footnote to a torrent of other options from the vast menu board. “Right now we have about 30 taps,” Landry said. “You’re going to find all of our core beers that you
see out in distribution. But you’re also going to find a ton of special release beers you can only buy here at the brewery,” Landry explains. Urban South is constantly brewing small beta batches only available at the brewery. These projects are initially vetted in the tap room, which serves as a particularly compelling proving ground for product rollouts. “We can tell when it’s going to be a really popular beer,” said Landry. “We will get people coming back for it again and again. That might be a beer that gets promoted up to the distribution room.”
A recent example of this is their Lime Cucumber Dosa. “When that started, we had no plans to put that into distribution,” said Landry. “But the first batch sold out pretty quickly. We doubled the batch the next time and that run sold out too.” From there it went into distribution, ostensibly as a seasonal, but the distributors soon asked if they could make it year-round. A new brew was born. Regarding beer, the selection is broadly divided between lagers, ales, IPAs and sours with a sprinkling of stouts and porter for balance. Lagers consolidate around variations on their popular NEIGHBORHOOD BREWS
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Paradise Park, with lower calorie versions as well as creative infusions like peach. Lager fans might try the crisp Czech Pale, while those looking for more body might try the Dark Mexican option brewed with Vienna and pale chocolate malt. “I’m so excited about how people are embracing full-flavored craft lagers,” said Landry. Ale fans can try a floral Hibiscus Saison as well as a spicy Rowdy Mango featuring bite from habanero pepper. The ever-popular IPAs spill out into a broad panoply of optioned-out Holy Rollers as well as hazy versions like Sunshine Haze Dream and Citra Spin. But it is the sours section that expresses an especial creativity, with an array of gose beers that play with various fruits to offset the faint saltiness of the style. “Gose is unique,” Landry explained. “It’s an old German style that is sour and salty and makes a great foundation for variations.”
Quirky takes like Blueberry Pie share space
with more staid Lime and Cucumber. The lower ABC of these gives you greater room to explore — and small glass "flights" are a way to do just this. Urban South also casts a wide net with inclusion of hard seltzers, some infused with THC. “We launched the THC seltzers because that is one of the categories of drinks that some folks are switching to. And it also captures people who maybe weren’t beer drinkers to begin with.” So who buys it? “Our key demographic is soccer moms. It’s soccer moms and grandmas. Honestly.”
Food-wise, Urban South offers Urban Smash – a plug-and-play food truck option parked near the main entrance. The menu is simple but effective – smash burgers and fried chicken sandwiches along with other pub-happy fare. You place your order at the truck and receive a pager so you will know when it is ready. The smash burgers are tasty – try the Urban Smash Burger with
Urban South offers theme nights (trivia, puzzles, ip n’ paint class and vinyl to name a few) and other organized activities.
double patties and pickles prepared with their lime-cucumber gose beer and griddled onions. But my favorite was Noni’s Chicken Sandwich with buttermilk-marinated chicken breast, a vinegary red cabbage slaw, the aforementioned gose pickles and tangy Tchop sauce. Fried pork rinds and pretzel bites round out the sides. It’s not exactly Mediterranean Diet fare, though they throw vegetarians a cruelty-free bone with the Hawaiian Vegan Sandwich (made with a jackfruit patty).
The social house aspect of it is a big draw and a calendar of events can be found on their website. Going into October expect a lot of football and Octoberfest happenings. “We are one of the sponsors of the Deutsch House Oktoberfest,” Landry said. “We’ll have a whole suite of lagers that we don’t normally make ready to pour.”
Complementing the lager (I’m sorry, “larger”) beer operations like Urban South and Port Orleans is Broad Street Cider & Mead. Also opened in 2017 (a banner year for local brewers), Broad Street Cider & Mead takes advantage of the lower capital costs associated with the production of, well, cider and mead. Owned and operated by the partners in business and in life team of Jon and Diana Moore, the duo were driven by a fascination with and a desire to share these unique beverages with a wider public. “We also opened up the cidery because no one else was doing this here,” Jon said. “And the startup costs are much lower.” More akin to winemaking than to beer brewing, cider and mead don’t require the voluminous stainless steel heating tanks and other expensive gear that beer brewing does. “Everything takes place at room temp,” Jon said. “We are technically a winery as far as the feds are concerned.” It’s an intriguing distinction and one that is especially expressive from a noninterfering perspective. The brewer turns it over to the process rather than fiddling with the dials in an effort to control things.
While the capital costs are lower, the ingredient costs are higher. Cider requires quality apple juice and mead requires honey. Like fine dining, the excellent ingredients speak for themselves. And drinks made with both require that most precious of resources – time. “it’s about a six-to-nine-month process end-to-end, because we naturally carbonate,” Jon explains. Jon studied cidermaking in Oregon prior to coming to New Orleans and both he and Diana traveled the world together exploring handmade ciders. This puts a neat educational spin on this and it fosters a more inquisitive atmosphere than a typical beer hall. Instruction and classes are embedded in the ethos.
While Broad Street Cider & Mead doesn’t have a dedicated food component, it offers provisions from St James Cheese for its tastings and also chocolates from New Orleans’s most excellent Piety and Desire Chocolate.
Cider & Mead is a 21-and-over establishment and puts an emphasis on tastings and other informative aspects. Club members get a discount on refills but if you just want to relax and enjoy a drink you can do that there as well. Their ciders break out along three main types – those made with McIntosh apple juice for Michigan, apple juice sourced from the Pacific Northwest and (finally) apple juice sourced from Rennes, France.
The McIntosh based ciders feature medium to high acid and low tannins. They have found that this type of cider lends itself well to infusions such as teas. The Duchess of Devonshire, infused with Earl Gray, is their core house cider. It’s also a double entendre / historical sex joke (get it? Took me a second). The other McIntosh options rotate on a seasonal basis. You can check their website or Instagram to see what’s new, but some seasonal choices have included Autumn Fruit and Flowers (an infusion made with herbal tea) and Green Fairy (an infusion made with Absinthe botanicals from local distillery Atelier Vie). You see a lot of collabs with local independents like this pop up in their craft – another plus.
The Pacific Northwest Ciders are bolder. They stand up well to the co-fermenting process, which is when other fruit juices are used in fermentation to naturally lend their characteristics to the finished drink. Here their Windsor line serves as the base for experimentation. Some of their co-ferments include Cherry Jubilee (made with Michigan tart cherry juice) and Pomegranate Jubilee (made with pomegranate juice).
The French Bittersweet Cider is the darkest, made with tart apple juice from Rennes in Brittany, France. These have medium tannin and high acid, bringing them closer to red wines than the other iterations. Saison Français is the core here, with variations such as Captain Cook’s 2nd Voyage (pineapple juice) and Eliza Courtney (lavender and Earl Gray tea).
While lots of people have at least some experience with hard cider at this point, few are likely to be as familiar with mead. This most ancient of alcoholic beverages requires only three ingredients – water, honey and yeast. The honey used comes as a happy byproduct of Louisiana’s sugar cane industry, which uses bees to pollinate. “This is the source of the raw honey we have coming to market,” Jon said. “Prices have dropped the past few years so it makes mead brewing much more affordable.” This is good as honey can be an especially expensive commodity. Jon and Diana usually have anywhere from one to three meads on tap – keep an eye out for their popular Oxfordshire – a triple-berry mead that appears a few times per year.
While Broad Street Cider & Mead doesn’t have a dedicated food component, it offers provisions from St James Cheese for its tastings and also chocolates from New Orleans’s most excellent Piety and Desire Chocolate. Tastings and education are the way to go here, though it certainly offers a comfortable space to relax. Note that they have limited hours of operation so be sure to check online before you show up to avoid being ciderless – a gift certificate for a loved one might also make a nice present this holiday season.
NEIGHBORHOOD BREWS
Garden District/ Irish Channel Abita Brewing Company 2375 Tchoupitoulas St. abita.com
Care Forgot Beercraft 1728 St. Charles Avenue careforgotbeer.com
The Courtyard Brewery 1160 Camp St. courtyardbrewery. square.site
Miel Brewery & Taproom 405 Sixth St. mielbrewery.com
NOLA Brewing 3001 Tchoupitoulas St. nolabrewing.com
Over on the other end of Tchoupitoulas Street you will find Port Orleans Brewing. “Ownership here is a group of entrepreneur friends who love easy drinking beers,” said Chase Guillory, their Director of Marketing and Communications. “In 2017 they decided they wanted to open up brewery, since there was not very many of them in New Orleans at the time.” Their motivation? “To create beers that they enjoy for everyone else.” It was a soup-to-nuts build-out and when the doors opened, fully formed, it quickly engrained itself as a go-to fixture on the Uptown corridor. Furthermore, kids and pets are welcome, creating another “Third Space” option in this largely residential pocket of Uptown. Inside it is smaller than Urban South, with a living room feel featuring warmer wood tones, softer seating and an overall cozier ambiance. Lest you feel hemmed in, know that the brewery spills out into an excellent side yard with additional seating, an outdoor bar and plenty of turfed space for games. A recent Saturday also offered a bounce house, but whether this was for kids or adults this writer neglected to ask. On pleasant fall evenings, it’s a great place to meet up with friends for a beer while bringing the kids along to range free in the year.
A dedicated restaurant component –Avo Tacos – features a broad selection of enticing tacos and other Mexican fare supplemented by burgers and a kid’s menu. Suggested items include the Coco-Loco, with crisp fried shrimp and spicy slaw, as well as the Hawaiian Chicken quesadilla. The Chimichurri Steak offers pineapple soy-marinated flank, chimichurri sauce, crispy onions and scallions while the Buffalo Soldier happily weds wings with tacos in a
Sriracha-spiked coconut chicken and Danish blue cheese sauce amalgamation. Fans of lighter fare will also find several vegetarian items including the Rastaman Taco with panéed avocado, vinegary slaw, corn salsa, "rasta" crema and cilantro. In short these are big, easy flavors that pair well with the beers. And there are lots of beers.
Port Orleans has about 16 different beers and seltzers on tap at any given time. There is a core lineup featuring Riverfront (lager), the excellently named Kennerbräu (Kolsch), Dorada (a crisp Mexican-style lager) and Bucktown Brown (brown ale). Augmenting these is a rotating cast of seasonals.
“Right now our most popular beers are Dorado Mexican lager and our Jax pilsner,” Guillory said. “We also make a pineapple sour that people really love.” This little number, called Dole Whip, capitalizes on the America’s culty obsession with Disney World’s Dole Whip soft serve ice cream. A bonus – this beer comes topped with marshmallow fluff to give it extra flair. It is gimmicky, sure, but be forewarned – this one clocks in at 8% ABV making it a lot stronger than you might expect. There are other hybrids and sours – The Filling is Mutual is a play on pie and makes use of sweet-tart cherries and vanilla to yield a jammy surprise. The Three Day Weekend Summer Ale jukes more in a mojito direction with a hibiscus and lime base – this one compliments events like tailgating.
Guests seeking a more establishment style will like Gleason IPA, made with a blend of Azacca, Mosaic, and Lemondrop hops. What’s more, a percentage of the profits go to support Team Gleason in its efforts to support those living with ALS. A juicer option is the Oops – All Mosaic New England-style hazy IPA. Like other microbreweries, Port Orleans has expanded into brewed beverages other than beer to cater to broadening tastes. This includes seltzers like a Spicy Paloma and a Strawberry Daquiri. It also includes some infused with THC; Port Orleans cans the beloved local THC seltzer Louie Louie. “They’re one of our partners, so we sell their products out the front,” explains Guillory. For beverages on tap, flights, to-go growlers, crowlers, and six-packs are all available.
Like Urban South, Port Orleans offers an array of themed nights to bring people together during the week. As you might expect, Taco Tuesday is a thing. Wednesdays feature wing specials, and Thursday is Trivia Night. It goes without saying that it’s also a good place to catch football games – LSU takes center stage on Saturdays and the Saints star on Sundays. Event space is also available for private and corporate get-togethers. Going into October, look for some Halloween candy-inspired choices (last year featured a Warheads Sour). “We’ve done candy bar stouts before too,” Guillory said. There will also be Oktoberfest celebrations.
Port Orleans offers an array of themed nights to bring people together during the week. As you might expect, Taco Tuesday is a thing. Wednesdays feature wing specials, and Thursday is Trivia Night.
Dying wetlands of southeast Louisiana. The straight lines are canals cut by industry. The wetlands are a natural component of hurricane protection for hundreds of thousands of people, but about 2,000 square miles worth have turned into open water in less than a century.
BY SAMANTHA HINDMAN
Louisiana is disappearing. More than 1,800 square miles of wetlands have vanished since the 1930s, and every 100 minutes, another football field of land slips into open water.
The scale of land loss is staggering, and so are its consequences. The tide is pushing back communities, and the region’s incredible ecosystems are collapsing.
But in the absence of swift federal or state action, something else is taking root. Across Southeast Louisiana, community-led organizations, scrappy nonprofits and passionate individuals are stepping in to fill the gap.
“The goal is building and maintaining land. That’s [our] core metric,” said Kimberly Davis Reyher, Executive Director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL). “And it’s urgent. We can’t afford to wait any longer.”
While New Orleans is often viewed as a city protected by levees, its future is inseparable from the wetlands that surround it. Without these natural buffers, hurricanes hit harder, leading to entire communities being displaced.
From Plaquemines Parish to the Lower Ninth Ward, it’s local actors who are now filling in the gaps left by institutional delays.
Drive down certain stretches of Highway 1, and you’ll spot road signs marking towns that no longer exist. Where there were once cypress forests and marshland, there’s now open water. Levees locked
More than 1,800 square miles of wetlands have vanished since the 1930s, and every 100 minutes, another football field of land slips into open water.
the Mississippi River into place, cutting off the sediment that once replenished its delta. The result is what many locals call simply: the land loss crisis.
“We’re losing Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico,” said Reyher. “And what’s at risk is really everything that happens in coastal Louisiana.”
Everything means, well, everything. Wetlands serve as natural speed bumps for hurricanes, absorbing storm surge before it reaches homes and cities. They shelter wildlife, support commercial fisheries, and form the backdrop of entire communities.
“You take away the marsh, and you take away the protection,” Reyher said. “You take away the economy. You take away the culture.”
It’s important to note that, in the face of Louisiana’s land loss, the state has not stood still. In fact, its Coastal Master Plan, a science-based, long-term strategy to restore wetlands and protect vulnerable communities, has long been praised as a model for coastal resilience.
73% of Louisiana coastal voters support largescale restoration projects like sediment diversions
Updated every six years and shaped by public input and rigorous modeling, the plan outlines sediment diversions, marsh creation, and flood protection measures to the tune of billions in investment.
But recently, the future of that roadmap has felt less certain.
“We had been rising to the top with a plan that was rooted in science,” said Kristi Trail, executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy. “Unfortunately, what we’ve seen recently is a complete erosion of that plan.”
That shift, Trail says, stems in part from political pressures that have redirected attention away from long-term, data-driven solutions toward short-term gains. In the absence of full institutional follow-through, that responsibility is increasingly falling to citizens.
While some large-scale projects, like sediment diversions and barrier island restoration, are moving forward, most are funded by a finite pot of money from the BP Deepwater Horizon settlement.
“We’re all working to figure out what happens next, where the funding beyond that point will come from,” said Reyer.
Louisiana, in many ways, has had a lasting legacy of community activism. In the 1980s, Lake Pontchartrain was in crisis. It was polluted, closed to swimming, and largely abandoned as a recreational space. It would have been easy to give up. But locals didn’t.
“It took citizens to really raise their voice and say, we have got to save our lake,” recalled Trail. “And that grassroots effort…pushing parish leaders, pushing state leaders to make a big change…was not easy or overnight. But that fight was worth it.”
Institutions didn’t lead the movement to restore Lake Pontchartrain; instead, it was neighbors, ordinary people who believed the lake was worth saving.
Trail sees that same spirit echoing now in the fight for Louisiana’s coastlines. “That grassroots effort that started to save the lake has grown into what is now the Pontchartrain Conservancy,” she said. “We’re still focused on water quality, but now we’re also focused on coastal restoration. Because what we realized is you can’t separate the two.”
The Conservancy itself traces its roots to 1989, when concerned citizens formed the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. What began as a local water quality campaign has evolved into one of the region’s leading voices on climate adaptation and coastal protection.
For Trail, that history is both a success story and a roadmap toward an optimistic future. “We can turn this around. There is hope,” she said. “We did it before with the lake, and we can do it again with our coast.”
When two college students started Glass Half Full in 2020, they weren’t thinking about the coast. They just wanted to recycle glass. “There was no curbside program in New Orleans,” said Franziska Trautmann, co-founder and CEO. “We thought, what if we do it ourselves?”
What began as a backyard operation has since exploded. The group has now processed tens of millions of bottles, turning them into recycled sand used for beach restoration, sandbags, and levee fortification. (Their stretch goal, Trautmann noted, is one billion.)
Glass Half Full also spun out a nonprofit arm, Glassroots, to run education programs and organize volunteer events. “We want people to see where their glass goes,” said
Previous page and right: Glass Half Full and CRCL, CSED, Common Ground Relief, Tulane, and The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe. Volunteers assisted in placing bags of burlap filled with recycled glass sand in place to build a berm to protect newly planted spartina grasses. This was an effort funded by the National Science Foundation to fill in a crucial area of marshland for the Pointe-au-Chien tribe.
Trautmann. “To literally touch the sand. To be part of the impact.”
Program Director Sebastian Brumfield Mejía helps lead those efforts. “It’s a very full-circle process,” he said. “People drop off their bottles, come to fill sandbags, and see that material go back into the coast.” The group regularly collaborates with other organizations, proving that even newcomers to the movement can play a vital role.
In 2024, CRCL restored 37 acres of habitat with the help of nearly 1,000 volunteers
And they’re the first to give credit to those who came before. “CRCL, Pontchartrain, Common Ground, they’re the OGs,” said Trautmann. “We’re experts in recycling, and they’re experts in coastal. We’re learning from them.”
In Southeast Louisiana, disaster mobilizes and invigorates the public. When storms hit, it’s not FEMA that shows up first; it’s your neighbor.
“After Hurricane Ida, it was clear,” said Trautmann. “When the power goes out, people just jump into action… It’s your neighbors, small organizations, people coming together and figuring out who needs help.”
This instinctive response is part of the region’s muscle memory. Storm after storm has trained residents to rely on each other long before the cavalry arrives. “It’s almost a microcosm of how to organize,” Trautmann said. “People aren’t waiting for permission. They’re responding to the crisis they see in real time.”
When storms hit, it’s not FEMA that shows up first; it’s your neighbor
While this response relies on action, it also relies on education. A major challenge in coastal Louisiana is psychological distance: many New Orleanians don’t realize how intimately their city’s future is tied to the wetlands beyond the levees.
Christina Lehew, executive director of Common Ground Relief, put it plainly: “We live in a walled city. But really, we’re just living on top of a swamp.”
Groups like Common Ground, Pontchartrain Conservancy, and CRCL are actively closing that gap. They take students, tourists, and locals into the wetlands. They visit neighborhoods and schools, running hands-on events.
Restoring the environment is of utmost importance, they believe, but restoring people’s relationship with it is even more dire.
That message is landing. Events like the State of the Coast conference, once a wonky gathering of scientists, are now full of community leaders, teachers, and even high schoolers. CRCL’s Coastal Stewardship Awards highlight everyday people, not politicians, who are leading the charge.
What’s striking about this movement is how little ego is involved. Louisiana’s grassroots aren’t operating in silos, but rather through constant collaboration. “We don’t do anything alone,” said Reyher.
Formal coalitions like Restore the Mississippi River Delta unite big players under shared priorities. Informal partnerships pop up, too.
“During Super Bowl week, we teamed up with Lafourche Parish and the NFL to build an oyster reef,” said James Karst, Communications Director of CRCL. “But it’s never enough, you know? We need to do more.”
One primary reason why this coalition works is trust. Grassroots leaders aren’t faceless institutions; they’re locals who speak the same language as fellow residents. They know the land because they’ve lived through the storms.
Building their respective missions in public has given those missions much more impact: CRCL posts before-and-after photos of marshes volunteers have helped rebuild. Glass Half Full gives public tours of its facility. Pontchartrain Conservancy welcomes thousands to its lighthouse museum each year. Common
Ground tells the story of resistance in every seedling they plant.
This garnered trust has real consequences. One 2023 poll by the Global Strategy Group (GSG) showed 73% of Louisiana coastal voters support large-scale restoration projects like sediment diversions. That consensus didn’t materialize overnight but was built by years of boots-on-the-ground education.
If there’s one advantage grassroots groups have over bureaucracy, it’s flexibility. When red tape slows things down, they pivot. When grants dry up, they get scrappy.
Just ask Trautmann of Glass Half Full, whose team has tested everything from using recycled glass for sandbags to making jewelry out of it, experimenting until something sticks. “We tried a bunch of things,” she said.
Facing page: CRCL volunteers and community members build an oyster reef at Bayou Pointe-au-Chien southeast of Houma. The shells were collected from restaurants in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
This page: In and around the Central Wetlands Unit/Bayou Bienvenue, where Common Ground Relief has been working to restore the freshwater wetlands habitat here since 2012.
“Now we’re focusing on green infrastructure and restoration. But we learned a lot from all those trials.” That mindset of test, adjust, and try again, is central to how these groups survive and grow.
Other groups have found success by partnering outside the traditional nonprofit space. CRCL, for instance, has teamed up with over 40 restaurants through its oyster shell recycling program. Since its 2014 inception, the organization has recycled more than 16 million pounds of shell and protected over 8,600 feet of shoreline along the coast.
“It’s a wonderful way to get restaurants involved in coastal restoration,” said Karst. “And everyone who eats food can get involved simply by eating oysters at one of the restaurants that are members of the program.”
These creative partnerships and agile strategies enable grassroots organizations to continue moving forward, even when the political or funding climate becomes hostile. It’s how they keep building in the face of rising tides.
Still, the scale of the crisis is enormous. Louisiana is losing land by the hour. And no matter how driven a local organization may be, rebuilding an entire delta is bigger than any one group.
Yet even amid that urgency, there’s power in small wins. Christina Lehew of Common Ground Relief puts it this way: “We just do what we can. Even if it seems small.”
That is what a mindset of resilience looks like. And the efficacy of such an outlook is clear.
In 2024, CRCL restored 37 acres of habitat with the help of nearly 1,000 volunteers. Glass Half Full recycled millions of pounds of glass. Common Ground planted thousands of trees. Each of those efforts may feel like a drop in the bucket on its own, but together, they’re incredibly powerful.
The grassroots movement thrives on momentum and morale. Every shell bag filled, every wetland restored, every student brought into the field is a reminder that progress is possible. The scale may be daunting, but the direction is forward.
The coast doesn’t just belong to scientists, agencies, or nonprofits: It belongs to us. To every person who calls South Louisiana home. And that means the responsibility to protect it belongs to us, too.
Whether you volunteer on a spare weekend, donate to a local group, or just learn and talk about the issues we have at hand, you’re a direct part of the solution. The coast is our natural barrier, our economic engine, our culture, our identity. And its survival depends on all of us showing up, however we can.
If one message has rung true across all of the leaders aforementioned, it’s this: Louisiana’s best hope is its people. When communities come together to protect what they love, a sustainable future stops being a dream and instead becomes a choice. A choice we all have the power to make, every day.
Oct.3-4
NOLA Coffee Festival
Where: Pontchartrain Center
by Ashley McLellan
Notes: More than 40 restaurants featuring one of the Crescent City’s favorite foods, plus live music, a beer garden and a 5k fun run/walk. friedchickenfestival.com Time
Notes: Celebrate New Orleans’ unique coffee culture, sample coffee from industry leaders, network with coffee professionals, learn about brewing and coffee making techniques.
Highlights: Latte art demos, a tattoo parlor, farm to cup displays, live music, how-to classes on brewing and coffee businesses, and, of course, plenty of coffee tastings. nolacoffeefestival.com
Oct. 4
9 A.M. TO 6 P.M.
Fall Garden Festival
Where: New Orleans City Park
Notes: Plant sales, garden supplies, educational presentations, arts and crafts and more. neworleanscitypark.org
Oct. 4-5
11 A.M. TO 9 P.M.
National Fried Chicken Festival
Where: New Orleans Lakefront
Oct. 4
6 TO 9 P.M.
Art for Arts Sake
Where: Magazine Street
Notes: Shopping, music, sales, specials, cocktails and food along New Orleans’ iconic Uptown merchant stretch. magazinestreet.com
Oct. 10-11, 17-18, 24-15
Oktoberfest New Orleans
Where: Deutsches Haus
Notes: Three weekends of German food, beer, wine and schnapps, shopping and crafts, kids’ fun and oompah music. oktoberfestnola.com
Oct. 10-12
Gentilly Fest
Where: Pontchartrain Park
Notes: Celebrate the culture and community of the Gentilly neighborhood with music, arts and Kids’ Village, all benefitting local first responders. gentillyfestival.com
Oct. 10-12
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival
Where: Lafayette Square Park
Notes: Sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the festival includes the best BBQ in town (including options for non-meat eaters), an arts market, auction and live music.
Highlights: Music from Tad Benoit, Leo Nocentelli, Little Freddie King, Bobby Rush and more iconic musicians. jazzandheritage.org
Oct. 18
11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. Westbank Hispanic Heritage Festival
Where: University of Holy Cross campus Notes: Celebrate the inaugural year for this celebration of Hispanic art, crafts, culture, music, food and community, hosted by the University of Holy Cross. unhcno.edu/calendar/ hispanicheritagefestival.php
Sept. 30-Oct. 12
Pensacola Songwriters Festival
Where: Pensacola Beach, Florida
Notes: Live, local music and performances by Gulf Coast songwriters. pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com
Oct. 3-4
Tejas Fest
Where: Victoria, Texas
Notes: Performances by renowned Tejano and Texas Country music, shopping at local vendor, Cornhole Throwdown competition and kids’ fun. discovervictoriatexas. com
Oct. 4
Dauphin Street
Beer Festival
Where: Mobile, Alabama
Notes: More than 48 beers at 12 locations along Mobile’s historic downtown Dauphin Street.
Oct.9-11
Taste of the Beach Festival
Where: Casino Beach, Pensacola, Florida
Notes: Local food vendors, beer tastings, frozen zone, live music and cooking challenges visitpensacola.com
Oct. 10-11
Baytowne Beer Festival
Where: The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin, Florida
Notes: 200+ craft beers to sample and enjoy. baytownebeerfestival.com
Oct. 18-19 Wooden Boat Festival
Where: Madisonville, Louisiana
Notes: View classic, spectator and wooden boats, live music and food vendors, presented by the Maritime Museum Louisiana along the Tchefuncte River. maritimemuseumlouisiana.org
Oct. 17-19
10 A.M. TO 5 P.M.
Boo at the Zoo
Where: Audubon Zoo
Notes: Not-so-scary fun at the zoo for the whole family, with proceeds benefitting Manning Family Children’s and the Audubon Zoo.
Highlights: Trick-or-treating for kids 12 and under, photo ops with creepy crawly animals and backgrounds, a scary-silly haunted house and favorite zoo exhibits. audubonnatureinstitute.org/boo
Oct. 17-19
NOLA Funk Fest
Where: Spanish Plaza
Notes: Live performances and educational experiences highlighting Louisiana’s unique culture and music.
Highlights: Music performances by Dumstaphunk, George Porter, Jr., Master P and The Soul Rebels, Galactic, Cyril Neville, Bucktown All-Stars and more funky performances. nolafunkfest.com
Oct. 18-19
5 P.M. TO 9 P.M.
Ghosts in the Oaks
Where: New Orleans City Park
Notes: Trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, pumpkins, food and spooky fun. neworleanscitypark.org
Oct. 23-Nov. 2
New Orleans Film Festival
Where: In person screenings at various locations through Oct. 27, virtual screenings through Nov. 2
Notes: Highlighting the work of local, national and international filmmakers plus educational and celebratory events. neworleansfilmsociety.org
Oct. 25
11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. Tremé Fall Fest
Where: St. Augustine Catholic Church yard
Notes: Second-line parade, live music, local food vendors, arts and crafts all celebrating the historic Tremé neighborhood.
Highlights: Music by Shannon Powell, the Original Pinettes Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins and more. tremefest.org
Nov. 1
10 A.M. TO 6 P.M.
Freret Street Fall Festival
Where: Freret Street from Napoleon Avenue to Valmont Street
Notes: Held over from spring 2025 (on account of bad weather), this new fall festival highlights local Freret Street businesses, arts & crafts, food, music and festivities.
Highlight: More than 200 vendors, three stages of live music and performances, pet adoptions from Zeus’ Rescues, food and drink. freretstreetfestival.org
Nov. 8-9
Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival
Where: Louis Armstrong Park
Notes: Presented by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, enjoy two days of live funk, blues, R&B, jazz and, of course, a variety of gumbo creations from local chefs across the city. jazzandheritage.org
Nov. 15
10 A.M. TO 6 P.M. Beignet Fest
Where: New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds
Notes: Sweet and savory beignets (and
more food favorites) plus live music performances all benefitting the Beignet Fest Foundation raising awareness and support for children with autism and developmental delays.
Highlights: Music from Marc Broussard, Rebirth Brass Band, and Imagination Movers.
beignetfest.com
Nov. 16,
10 A.M. TO 6 P.M.
Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
Where: Oak Street between Carrollton Avenue to Eagle Street
Notes: Celebrating the Crescent City iconic po-boy in all forms and sizes, along with four stages of live music, a piano truck and front porch jams.
Highlights: 40+ food and drink vendors, Saints game viewing area, arts market, kids’ zone and Oak Street merchant sales and celebration specials. poboyfest.com
Nov. 21
Celebration in the Oaks kicks off
Where: New Orleans City Park
Notes: Annual holiday light festival, plus food, hot chocolate and dazzling displays. celebrationintheoaks.com
Oct. 30-Nov. 10 Foo Foo Fest
Where: Pensacola, Florida
Notes: Twelve days of music, culture, live performances and more across multiple venues. foofoofest.com
Nov. 7
30A BBQ Festival
Where: Miramar Beach, Florida
Notes: All-you-can-eat barbecue, live music, craft brews, wine and fun along the beach. sowal.com
Nov. 7-9
Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival
Where: Seville Square, Pensacola, Florida
Notes: 200+ painters, sculptors, jewelry makers, crafts and other artists, plus live music, dancing and food.
visitpensacola.com
Nov. 22
Sparkling Wine Festival
Where: The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin, Florida
Notes: More than 30 sparkling wines, light bites and holiday lights. sandestinwinefestival. com
Dr. Ronicka Briscoe
Dr. Ronicka Briscoe is a nationally recognized educator, scholar, and leader with nearly twenty years of professional experience. She is the Founder and CEO of Winning on the Road, LLC and the best-selling author of “In Relentless Pursuit of Me: Upending The Unicorn Effect”. Known for her engaging style, Dr. Briscoe blends research and lived experience to inspire action. “In Relentless Pursuit of Me: Upending The Unicorn Effect” is a powerful autoethnographic anthology that features dynamic Black women unpacking the complexities of identity and leadership. By framing their experiences through the lens of the “Unicorn Effect”, a term Dr. Briscoe coined to describe the unrealistic expectations placed on Black women to excel without equal resources, pay, or recognition, eight women from diverse industries share how they’ve navigated barriers, juggled unseen labor, and risen above inequity to succeed with perseverance and purpose.
Washington Building Services
Upholding a family legacy begun by her father, Brian, Ambria Washington has worked tirelessly to fulfill the potential of Washington Building Services, taking a two-person janitorial team and expanding it into a regional force of 30+ full-time and part-time employees and contractors spread across the New Orleans Metro area. Offering an array of janitorial services for commercial and public spaces, including general commercial cleaning, disinfection, stripping and waxing floors, floor care custodian porter staffing, and other cleaning services, Washington Building Services has, under Ambria’s stewardship, become an industry leader in janitorial services in Louisiana with a focus on sustainability and more advanced cleaning technology.
Mirambell Realty
Aforce to be reckoned with in New Orleans real estate, Alyssa Quinn of Mirambell Realty has rapidly become one of the city’s most recognizable agents. Known for her bold pink branding, relentless hustle, and unmatched results, she was voted Best Residential Real Estate Agent in the 2025 CityBusiness Reader Rankings. A top producer and UNO grad, Alyssa launched her career in 2021 and hasn’t slowed down since. Featured in multiple publications, Alyssa combines sharp market instincts with a fearless, modern approach— bringing vision, strategy, and design expertise to every deal she touches.
alignED New Orleans
InNew Orleans- where resilience is both history and heartbeat, few leaders embody vision and community quite like Dominique Simone, co-founder and CEO of alignED New Orleans. A proud New Orleans native, her career has been defined by bold advocacy and an unwavering commitment to the city’s families. Today, she stands at the forefront of transforming how New Orleans engages with education and civic life. Her influence extends well beyond the city. Known nationally for reframing narratives around school choice, equity, and community voice, Dominique has become a trusted thought leader in education and advocacy. Yet when asked what brings her the greatest joy, she doesn’t point to accolades or recognition. Instead, it’s the everyday victories: parents who feel seen, educators who feel supported, and communities that begin to envision a stronger future for the next generation of New Orleanians. alignednola.org.
LN Hughes Funeral Services
For over 30 years, Lisa Hughes’ heartfelt mission has been to provide the most exceptional funeral and memorial services for families suffering in the aftermath of loss. Opening LN Hughes Funeral Services in 2019, Lisa has crafted every detail of their elegant chapel to offer a peaceful space for remembrance and personal connection, where a member of the Hughes family is always present at every service and memorial. A funeral should not feel like a time exclusively of mourning, but celebration also. To that end, the LN Hughes reception room was specially designed as a place of warmth and support for clients on the North Shore and across the Greater New Orleans area, a representative space of the level of devotion and service that Lisa has dedicated her life to performing.
Clothing from SOSUSU Boutique: Tanya Taylor LS Blaire dress and Sylvia Toledano necklace
The Diabetes Collective ®️
In the Oscar-winning film
“Steel Magnolias”, Julia Roberts’ portrays Shelby, a woman living with Diabetes. This was groundbreaking, as it was one of the first times Hollywood showed an intimate look into the life of someone living with Type 1 Diabetes.
Rachael Sood, a Nurse practitioner and CDCES, is the founder of The Diabetes Collective, the first NP owned Direct Diabetes care practice in the US. Rachael is passionate about increasing awareness and screening practices for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes through the focused practice of Diabetology. She also serves as an international public speaker, creator and collaborator working with Global Diabetes brands and experts.
Today, the Diabetes Collective is part of a larger global transformation, providing a collection of comprehensive, contemporary and convenient healthcare services for people and their families living with or at risk for Diabetes, like Shelby. Rachael believes the real steel magnolias are the resilient people living with Diabetes.
For more info, please visit thediabetescollective.net.
Clothing from SOSUSU Boutique: Rachel Gilbert Quinn dress
Syn Skin Aesthetics
Lizette Alvarado, founder of Syn Skin Aesthetics, is passionate about creating a space where women embrace their beauty without apology. For her, skincare is sacred, a pathway to confidence, connection, and healing. What began as a focus on aesthetics has expanded into holistic care with Venus Concierge, a luxury in-home recovery service supporting plastic surgery patients through every stage of healing. Lizette’s mission is simple yet profound: empower people to feel their best inside and out. Guided by purpose and heart, she continues building ventures that embody care, courage, and community. Reminding others that true success is legacy, not perfection.
North Carolina has its share of haints, which is why it established the First in Fright Trail, a guide to all things paranormal from the mountains of western North Carolina to the Atlantic Ocean. The travel guide lists places to stay, dine and visit, plus manmade haunted houses if you just need a scare. We selected a few to give you a taste of the supernatural, all worth a visit this time of year when the veil between living and dead grows thin. View the full list at visitnc.com/first-in-fright.
It was with great fanfare that the Omni Grove Park Inn reopened in Asheville after the devastation of Hurricane Helene last year. And I’m sure the ghosts who reside there, especially the “Pink Lady” who apparently fell from a balcony in the 1920s, were glad the guests have
returned. Owners claim the Pink Lady’s particularly active around Room 545, and you know she loves the kids. But nothing scary here, just flickering lights and a few harmless pranks.
Another guest who fell to his death refuses to check out of the Dunhill Hotel in Charlotte. Cold spots, lights coming on and off and other unexplained activity has been reported, especially in Room 906.
Why do apparitions love restaurants?
So many stories recount tales of items being flung from tables or cold spots in shady places. Take the Country Squire Restaurant, Inn & Winery in Warsaw where guests have reported creepy noises, footsteps without humans attached and doorknobs turning on their own. Read the inn’s guestbook. It’s filled with accounts from former visitors who swear they were not alone.
The Wright Brothers don’t haunt the Black Pelican Restaurant in Kitty
Hawk, but a station keeper apparently does at this former lifesaving station. While on the coast, visit the state’s many lighthouses, several of which, such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, are haunted.
Theaters serve as another hotspot for ghostly activity. A young boy named Christopher haunts The Caroline Theatre in Greensboro, moving things around, messing with the lights and making unwelcomed sounds. Over in Manteo by the coast a former projectionist likes to play pranks at the Pioneer Theatre, one of the oldest family-owned movie theaters in the country.
Loup Garou?
There are ghosts and then there are demon dogs, strange black canines sporting glowing eyes and yellow teeth. These demon dogs love to haunt the historic St. John’s Church in Valle Crucis (Latin for “Valley of the Cross”), and some believe they
are the harbingers of doom. Stories of their appearance and attacks have been around since the 1800s. The lovely country church was built in 1862 to serve the mountain residents and today hosts a summer concert series, no dogs allowed.
The name alone will send chills up your spine. The Great Dismal Swamp in the state’s northeast border with Virginia doesn’t need ghost tales to sound scary but apparitions apparently frequent the wetlands of South Mills. According to local stories, “The Lady of the Lake” appears to visitors of the Great Dismal Swamp, hovering over the waters as she searches for her lost lover who died in the treacherous bogs. Some have heard her moans, others witnessed her ghostly image. But don’t let that scare you away from this picturesque park with hiking trails, wildlife and the 22-mile Dismal Swamp Canal that’s popular with paddlers.
A rich brown-on-brown grid-style wallpaper from Poppy provides a mindfully balanced backdrop to your living space. thepatterncollective.com
Synonymous with October but craved year-round, a “Pumpkin Cream” paint delivers a milky tan color reminiscent of the seasonally celebrated sip. behr.com
Indulge in an espresso martini nightcap while sitting stylishly in a cognac tanned leather sling chair made from ash wood. Eclectic Home, 8211 Oak St., 504-866-6654, eclectichome.net
Add luxe glamour to an entryway with a caramel copper gooseneck version of the Original French Quarter Lantern. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, 521 Conti St., 504-5229485, bevolo.com
Create a home café corner with the Breville Barista Touch Impress espresso maker in a chic colorway like Olive Tapenade Brass. Current Crop Roasting Shop, 3931 Magazine St., 504-571-5129, currentcroproasting.co.
The shade of your morning cappuccino softens up your favorite corner with a 100% cashmere oversized throw. Sotre, 3820 Magazine St., 504-304-9475, sotrecollection.co.
Make a circular statement with a mocha coffee table made of hand-finished pine and complemented by a marble top and light brass base. Arhaus, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 504-5816684, arhaus.com
When I try to describe my family to anyone, it’s always pretty confusing. I often talk about my brother and my sister – who in truth were my half-siblings, although we never used that language – and remember them fondly even though they’ve both passed away.
But I also frequently describe myself as an only child, which is also true. w
Sometimes I’ll refer to myself as an only child to someone who will remember me talking about my siblings, and they’ll say, “Wait, but I thought you said …?”
The thing is: My brother and sister, children of my father’s first marriage, were much older than I was — my brother was 21 when I (a product of my father’s third marriage) was born and my sister was 19. So even though we were emotionally close, we did not grow up together, in the same household or even the same decade.
I was raised mostly by my mother, and I was her only child, so that’s what my childhood really reflected. I was a pretty typical only child — very close to my mom, comfortable around adults, sometimes lonely but also glad I didn’t have to share a bathroom with anyone.
And while the stereotype is that only children are often spoiled and overparented, I don’t think I
really was, partly because it was the 1980s and 1990s and children were generally allowed to be feral and partly because my mom was a single mom working more than one job and she didn’t have the time or the money to put me in violin classes followed by SAT prep classes followed by sailing classes.
In my teen years, I recall two things: 1. I had a great deal of freedom, but my mom did want to know where I was at all times, so I was constantly stopping at pay phones and leaving messages on the answering machine updating her on where we were going (and mostly telling the truth) and 2. On the rare occasions when I didn’t tell the truth, I always got caught because when you’re an only child, you have to be sure to keep your story straight. There was no one
else to distract my mom, no other kid I could claim she was confusing me with the way my friends in big families did.
Georgia, my younger daughter, now also finds herself in a blended family situation like I had. We don’t say “half-brother” or “half-sister” either, but from the moment she was born, Georgia lived one of three realities, depending on the day: She was one of three kids (during the half of the week we had my stepson, Elliot); she was one of two kids; or she was an only child (during the few weeks each summer that my older daughter, Rowan, stayed with her dad in Missouri).
Now, though, with Elliot at graduate school and Rowan at college, Georgia is, by default, an only child the majority of the time. And as the era of parental benign neglect has
ended and I am not facing the same challenges my mother did, Georgia is now, I suspect, feeling distinctly overparented. I just have so much time on my hands now. No sooner does she discard a pair of pants than I have them spinning in the washer, without even asking if she planned to wear them again. Gone are the days when I was too busy to check if she had finished her science homework – instead I’m emailing her during the day to make sure she goes to office hours because these are the grades high schools are going to see. And activities? She’s doing robotics, volleyball, STEM Design + Build + Sail, and baby-sitting.
She misses her siblings. I think she misses her freedom to fly under the radar even more.
As we all start to get comfortable with this new reality, these new roles, these new expectations, I’m reminded that with a blended family, there’s never really a single truth. I’ve spent my life trying to describe my family in neat little terms that make sense to other people, but the truth is, I can’t. And maybe that’s the point: the messy, shifting, sometimes contradictory way we all relate to one another is really what makes a family a family. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. It just is what it is. And we are all in it together.
Fit for a
The Kingsway brings a new take on Asian flavors
When a promising chef’s first restaurant explodes on the scene and not only dazzles local diners but garners widespread national acclaim and nominations for elite culinary awards, the pressure can be intense for that chef to rush into their next dining project. Ashwin Vilkhu, lauded co-executive chef of the beloved contemporary Indian spot Saffron, wasn’t about to take that bait, leaving fans of his flavors eagerly anticipating his next move for years. So, after six years operating a pop-up followed by eight years at his flagship restaurant, Chef Vilkhu finally treated the Big Easy to his latest venture this past year: The Kingsway, an ambitious and elegant four-course prix fixe concept that highlights an inventive take on modern Asian cuisine.
And why would an Indian American chef with considerable success crafting complex and excitingly novel Indian flavors pivot to East Asian fare for his sophomore effort? “I always knew I wanted to do an Asian restaurant,” said Vilkhu. “Our family has a great love for Asian food. Most Indian people would agree, Indian people love two types of food: Indian food and Asian food. The flavor profiles are so robust and they’re vibrant, and there’s a lot of texture and temperature. And through Chinese migrations centuries ago, you come up with wok cooking and Chinese flavors. Living in New Orleans, of course there’s a lot of Vietnamese and Thai influenced food, too. So it just becomes a part of the fabric of the
chef and of you as a person.”
That delightful marriage of culinary innovation and a deep-seated passion for Asian flavors has produced a lovechild in the form of The Kingsway, which opened on Magazine Street this past summer. The format is a four-course fixed affair, though diners have three options per course, leaving plenty of options while still keeping the menu lean and focused. It’s yet another interesting move by Vilkhu, especially when local diners have historically favored a la carte-style dining. “My Dad (Saffron’s co-executive chef Arvinder Vilkhu) was very adamant about doing an a la carte menu. And I said, ‘Just give me a chance. Give me one month to prove it to you that this can work.’ And it did. The first month was a huge success. The second month was incredible. And now we’re in our third, and it’s just a great start and we’re extremely happy with it.”
A visit to the Kingsway will treat diners to a thoughtful, contemporary space that feels comfortable and effortlessly elegant, from the lighting to the furniture, music at just the perfect volume, right down to the handsome imported glassware. But the real star, obviously, is the menu. Among the starting options, you’ll find a crab, brie and champagne soup that might seal itself in the firmament of best new Crescent City soups, or at the very least make you go a little weak in the knees with its delightful combination of a classic French volute with South Asian accents like Kashmiri chili oil, curry oil and a hint of lime zest. You’ll also find “refrigerator noodles,” Vilkhu’s take on Chinese leftovers that somehow
About the Chef Chef Ashwin Vilkhu immigrated to New Orleans from northern India with his family in 1984, and, like many notable chefs, got his start in the family kitchen. Vilkhu continued to make his bones in the kitchens of private clubs around town like English Turn and the New Orleans Country Club, and earned his undergraduate degree and then a master’s in hospitality from the University of New Orleans. Eventually, the family’s West Bank catering company began a popular Friday popup that became Saffron in 2017, where Ashwin continues to cook alongside his father and coexecutive chef Arvinder Vilkhu. The public quickly took note, and Saffron has been nominated for a slew of James Beard awards, amongst other accolades, and, most importantly, entrenching itself in the fabric of the New Orleans restaurant community. Not resting on any laurels, Vilkhu opened The Kingsway in the summer of 2025, to similarly justified acclaim.
turn into magic when left overnight in one’s fridge, in this case Hong Kong-style noodles with Gulf shrimp and black garlic. It’s a heck of an entrance.
Course two at The Kingsway comes straight from the kitchen’s wok station and includes a solid salvo of culinary firepower, beginning with a scallion lamb dish stir-fried with garlic, red chili and sesame and topped with flash puffed rice noodles, and you’ll notice the menu’s lone chicken dish, tossed hot with almonds, garlic, and a rich, barrel-aged soy sauce. If either of those don’t catch your eye, you’ll find a salt-baked shrimp dish, admittedly one of Vilkhu’s personal favorites, and which takes inspiration from one of his favorite restaurants growing up on the West Bank, Kim Son, which featured a “salt-baked” seafood section on its menu. “It was a family that was Vietnamese, but they lived in China, so food was really unique. They had a whole salt-baked section with scallops, oysters. That’s really an homage to the way they would cook.”
Continuing from there, a third course — from the grill and sauté section — seems deceptively simple. There’s a steak, a fish, and fowl. Those options become less simple when you realize that they’re all standouts, from the Japanese izakaya-style steak with shishito peppers, mushrooms and katsuobushi, as well as a delicately flavorful herbed snapper
flavored with nuoc cham and served in dashi broth. Then there’s a fun surprise in the form of a modern, Asian revamp of the French classic duck à l’orange, which the chef prepares Peking style with a crispy, lacquered skin and paired with kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) spiked with coconut oil, onions, green chilies and salt. It’s a one pitch home run of a dish, showcasing Chef Vilkhu’s ingenuity and playfulness in the kitchen. By the time you get to the dessert options, which include a spot-on key lime pie dusted with powderized yuzu as well as the obligatorily decadent chocolate cake with sesame ice cream, it’s easy to forget that The Kingsway is only a few months old and not a long-established New Orleans destination. It certainly feels that way, which is a remarkable achievement in its own right.
It’s easy to see how Chef Vilkhu’s ascent as a local culinary star takes shape in his latest offering, and the progression seems both natural and inspired. “I spent most of my professional cooking experience trying to really hone in on and think deeply about food and experience. Kingsway is just the evolution of that,” he said. And if that’s evolution, we can’t help but wonder about the delightful places it might take us to next on this chef’s journey.
But first, we’re definitely going to need more refrigerator noodles.
You’ll have plenty of options if you’re craving exciting Asian fare on Magazine St., but one of our recent faves is Pomelo, which has been dishing up authentic Thai fare since 2023. Chef Kanokporn “Aom” Srisuk has blessed New Orleans with flavors from her home city of Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand, and one taste of her mii kew street noodles, rich and spicy curries bursting with Louisiana shrimp, or barbecued eel will let you know that this isn’t “utility Thai,” but something special. It’s a perfectly cozy spot for a date night, or even just a random Tuesday that isn’t quite spicy enough. Get the herbed Thai sausage and thank us later!
Chef Jackie Blanchard, a Louisiana native, might have risen to local acclaim with her beloved Japanese cutlery shop Coutilier, but opening Sukeban on Oak Street gave us a taste of her true culinary passion: elegant Izakayastyle cuisine in a hip, clubby room perfect for a fun evening with friends, or to get an epic night on the town started right. Temaki hand rolls and sashimi are the stars of the show here (we adore the Hokkaido scallop version with Cajun caviar), but keep your eyes peeled for specials, which might include umami explosions like a creamy sea urchin ramen that will make your eyes roll back in your head. Wash it down with some premium sake, Japanese beer or shochu, and the world will melt away in a delicious Tokyo dream.
BY JYL BENSON / PHOTO BY SAM HANNA
Named for JeanBaptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, also known as Sieur de Bienville, who founded New Orleans in 1718, Oysters Bienville was created by and became popular under Arnaud Cazenave, the founder of Arnaud’s restaurant, in the 1920s. Cazenave’s creation was a competitive response to the overwhelming attention Oysters Rockefeller was attracting at nearby Antoine’s Restaurant. The original is served baked on the half shell under a creamy dressing featuring shrimp, mushrooms and Italian cheese bound with breadcrumbs. The elegant dish feels just right for a special occasion or holiday dinner, but it is also simple and straightforward to prepare.
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You can make classic Oysters Bienville or do as we did and turn it into a holiday casserole. We offer methods for both. If baking the oysters on the half shell, you will need 24 clean oyster shells and two large boxes of rock/ice cream salt.
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Shucking oysters is not for me. If it is not your jam either you have options. Most oyster bars are happy to set shells aside for you or you can turn to Loftin Oysters (loftinoysters.com). Loftin’s stoneware oyster shells are sold by the dozen, and they are perfect for chargrilling oysters, as well as baking, broiling, stuffing, and smoking. The bottoms are flat, so no rock salt is needed for cooking. They are also reusable and can go straight into the dishwasher. Just purchase preshucked oysters and get after it.
Shared by Executive Chef Nicole Barthel, Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar Serves 4
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup cubed bacon
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1 cup minced Gulf shrimp
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shrimp stock
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 dozen oysters shucked
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic, onions, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes or until tender and translucent.
3. Add the minced shrimp and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes.
4. Add flour and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the heavy cream, the stock, and whisk to incorporate. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the Parmesan cheese then remove the vessel from the heat.
7. If making a casserole. Add the oysters, Creole seasoning and half of the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Scrape the mixture into a buttered 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish. Scatter the remaining breadcrumbs over the casserole. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the top of the casserole is browned and golden, about 10 minutes more. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.
8. If baking the oysters on the half shell: Add the breadcrumbs and the Creole seasoning to the shrimp mixture and stir to combine.
9. Preheat the oven to 500F.
10. Nestle each oyster into one half shell. Divide the oysters on their shells among four round metal baking pans filled with rock salt, 6 oysters to a pan.
11. Top each oyster with 1 heaping tablespoon of Bienville sauce.
12. Bake the oysters until the sauce is browned and bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve at once.
Nick Barton, Bar Manager at Osteria Lupo got his taste for hospitality in high school, working at a Tulane student favorite, The Palms. “My brother bartended there,” he said, “so I started working the door.” Barton headed to Washington D.C. for college, earning his bartending chops along the east coast. He returned home in 2016 and joined Osteria Lupo in their early days. His bartending background, a mix of classic cocktail bars and music clubs, prepared him for busy nights at Osteria. Barton jokes that he is “still serving Tulane kids.... They love this joint.” Barton’s time away has given him perspective on different regional attitudes to bartending. “In D.C., if you tell people you’re a bartender, they assume that’s your second job, that you’re working on something else...but I make good money doing it, and I take a lot of pride in it. In New Orleans, I just feel like the general profession of being a bartender is more respected.” And well it should be.
Podcast
Listen to Elizabeth’s podcast “Drink & Learn;” visit elizabeth-pearce.com
BY ELIZABETH PEARCE /
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Barton says to save the “green stuff” after you have strained out the shrub. It makes a great relish for sandwiches!
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If you want to batch this for a party, add all ingredients except the egg white to a pitcher and chill. You will need to shake each drink individually with the egg white as you make them.
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Barton thinks home bartenders can take a page from restaurants when planning a party. “You need everything within arm’s reach: your shaker, the glass you’re pouring in, your juice, your spirits, your jigger, your strainer. I highly recommend everyone use a jigger for at least the first 100 times you make a drink. After that it’s a judgment call.”
Sibiana Sour
1 ounce Cimarron blanco tequila
1 ounce Pimms #1
1 ounce cucumber coriander shrub (see recipe)
1 bar spoon fresh lime juice
8 dashes Fee Foam (egg white substitute) or 1 egg white
Coriander Cucumber Shrub
9 kilograms of cucumber
6 liters white vinegar
4 kilograms of sugar
300 grams of coriander powder (ideally freshly ground)
40 grams of salt
20 grams of fresh ground black peppercorn
Puree all ingredients in a blender to make a green liquid. Put in the fridge and steep for at least six days, then strain. The shrub will keep 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator.
Add all ingredients to the shaker except Fee Foam/ egg white. Add ice. Give them a quick shake to chill. Strain out the liquid. Throw out the used ice but save two small ice cubes. Add the liquid back to the shaker with the small ice cubes. Add Fee Foam/egg white and shake. The small ice cubes will agitate the egg white. When you feel the ice cubes begin to slow down, your emulsion is thickening. Once they have broken down and you can’t hear them anymore, strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
The school year is in already in full swing and with so many exceptional educational institutions in New Orleans, it’s never to early to plan for your child’s educational future.
Cathedral Montessori School
Celebrating sixteen years of educating New Orleans students, Cathedral Montessori School (CMS) utilizes Montessori materials designed to inspire self-directed learning. A non-profit, co-educational, certified Montessori School, CMS now serves students ages three through twelve and changes the educational landscape of the city by providing the only preschool through sixth-grade Montessori education in New Orleans. We are committed to building a diverse and equitable community and offer financial aid to eligible applicants through the School and Student Services Program.
CMS provides an education of hope, self-motivation, and discovery to a greater population of students who will go on to contribute and problem-solve creatively in both the local community and across the world. Growth, transformation, and change are celebrated at CMS, but the curriculum and culture remain constant to support independent academic inquiry and discovery, emotional confidence and empathy, and social justice and collective responsibility.
CMS welcomes you to visit campus for an Open House on October 18th from 10 am - 12 pm. Please call the office at 504-252-4871 to secure your appointment on that day.
To learn more information, please visit cathedralmontessori.org.
Ecole Bilingue
At Ecole Bilingue, our experienced, nurturing teachers use a projectbased approach to help children explore problem solving and build selfawareness. Our program, rooted in creativity, offers students a fun and enriching way to master the French language and expand the way they interact with the world. Each student receives personalized instruction, as our small class sizes allow teachers to understand each student’s learning style and develop students’ skills.
Founded in 1998, Ecole Bilingue is the only private, independent French immersion school in Louisiana and offers programs for students 18 months - 8th grade.
Learn more at: ebnola.net/maternelle.
The Mount Carmel Academy experience is filled with opportunities for each student to pursue her passions, uncover new talents, grow spiritually, and discover the person God created her to become. Students collaborate with peers, view failures as opportunities for growth, and approach an ever-changing and complex world with an inquisitive mind.
Small class sizes (average of fifteen) ensure an interactive and inclusive learning environment. Students are encouraged to expand
their interests as they navigate through more than 50 extracurricular activities and become active participants in the community through the school’s service learning program. Graduates depart from Mount Carmel Academy with confidence in themselves and a love for each other. They are well-prepared for college and beyond.
Explore the Mount Carmel Academy campus, meet students and teachers, and learn more at an Open House on October 9 from 37:30 p.m. RSVP on mcacubs.com.
Jewish Community Day School of Greater New Orleans (JCDS) is a coeducational independent school for students ages two months through sixth grade, with seventh grade to be added in 2026 and eighth grade in 2027. Balancing challenging academics with an enriching Jewish Studies program, a JCDS education is interdisciplinary, project-based, and holistic.
The school’s small class sizes and differentiated instruction ensure each child is valued for their individual strengths. Students take what they have learned at JCDS beyond the school’s boundaries, too, using their education to fulfill the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world.
JCDS is a nurturing school where families of all backgrounds are welcomed and children are prepared to be engaged, compassionate leaders. JCDS now offers van service from Uptown! To learn more or schedule a tour, please contact us at admissions@jcdsnola.orgor call 504-887-4091.
Arden Cahill
Arden Cahill Academy, voted the #1 Grammar School by Gambit Weekly readers, offers an exceptional academic experience for students from six weeks old through 12th grade—all on a beautiful 12-acre campus just minutes from downtown New Orleans. Nestled along Bayou Fatma in Gretna, the school blends rigorous academics with a unique outdoor, country-style environment.
From our nurturing Infant Center and strong early childhood program to our college-preparatory high school, Arden Cahill supports every stage of student growth. Highlights include horse stables, a petting farm, STEAM Lab, art studios, music rooms, and a 300-seat theater. Our first senior class graduated in 2023, marking a proud new chapter in our tradition of academic excellence. Families are invited to schedule a private tour to experience the Cahill Way. High school students can also become a Whale-for-a-Day. Please join us for our Open House October 15, 4-7pm. Visit us at ardencahillacademy.com to find out more.
Kehoe France
Kehoe-France Schools, with campuses in Metairie and Covington, offer a nurturing educational experience for children from 8 weeks to 7th grade. Our small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and comprehensive International Baccalaureate® (IB) curriculum create a dynamic environment where students explore their passions, develop critical thinking skills, and become compassionate, globally minded leaders. At Kehoe-France, we blend tradition with innovation, ensuring a well-rounded education that prepares each child for future success. Join our community and experience the legacy that has made KehoeFrance Schools a cornerstone of education for over 60 years.
Learn more at kehoe-france.com.
Ursuline
Ursuline Academy is an all-girls Catholic school offering a diverse educational environment from six weeks through 12th grade. Founded in 1727, Ursuline Academy of New Orleans enjoys the distinction of being the first all-girls Catholic school in the United States. As girls progress through the academy, a highly interactive approach exposes them to increasingly complex concepts in STEM and the arts that go beyond learning the material. Ursuline girls
learn to think creatively, articulate their ideas confidently and compassionately, and solve problems collaboratively. Ursuline’s all-girls environment empowers students to challenge themselves, explore outside their comfort zones, and expand what they are capable of achieving.
At Ursuline, students blaze their own trails—it’s the school’s legacy. Make it yours, too.
To learn more, please visit uanola.org.
Stuart Hall
Stuart Hall immerses boys in a supportive, character-based culture in which they can thrive inside and outside the classroom. From our boy-centered curriculum to our supportive atmosphere to the breadth of extracurricular, athletic, and after-school activities, Stuart Hall’s focus on formation produces young men of character, integrity, and boundless capability.
Founded in 1984 and named for Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ, a well-known religious of the Sacred Heart, Stuart Hall focuses on upholding her philosophy through a modern, robust curriculum based around the belief that “education is formation, not just information”. Faculty and staff are dedicated to working with parents to help each child build a foundation for a life centered on a love for learning, a desire to help others, and a commitment to Faith, Scholarship, Leadership, and Honor.
Private tours of the campus are given daily by appointment. To schedule a tour or for more information, visit stuarthall.org/ private-tours.
De La Salle
Rooted in the Lasallian tradition of the Christian Brothers, De La Salle High School excels in guiding young men and women of varied backgrounds from all areas of the New Orleans metropolitan region. At De La Salle, we see our students as unique individuals, and we challenge them to reach their full potential, both in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. Serving young men and women in grades 8-12, De La Salle offers a comprehensive academic program that features a college-model, 4-by-4 block schedule, anchored by four 85-minute class periods each semester. De La Salle is dedicated to developing our students’ spirituality, academic progress, physical abilities, and social and behavioral maturity, instilling in them the values of the Five Core Principles of Lasallian Schools: Faith in the Presence of God, Quality Education, Respect for All Persons, Inclusive Community, and Concern for the Poor and Social Justice.
Learn more at delasallenola.com.
St. Martin’s Episcopal
At St. Martin’s, we inspire curiosity in our students, the first step to developing a love of learning. Simply put, St. Martin’s believes in teaching students how to learn and how to think, not what to think. St. Martin’s Episcopal's identity guides how we educate and shape children through developing strong moral and ethical values, compassion, and empathy in every student. We believe in respecting others, speaking honestly, offering kindness, and serving the community in celebration and worship of God.
Whether students are inside a classroom or outside exploring, our picturesque and expansive 18-acre campus, which includes a chapel, 500-seat theater, visual arts building, indoor swimming pool, two full-size gymnasiums, lighted football field, all-weather track, amphitheater, student center, two libraries, multiple playgrounds, three science labs, a Lower School STeaM Lab, and the Gibbs Family Center for Innovation + Design, is an exciting place where they learn and grow.
The St. Martin’s experience lasts a lifetime. Learn more at stmsaints.com/admissions or schedule a personal tour today.•
As the nights grow longer and that crisp chill tinges the air, there’s a whole world of Fall
Time fun to be had across the Gulf South!
Scarlet Pearl Casino
If you’re dreaming of your next unforgettable getaway, let Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort bring it to life. Indulge in world-class elegance inside our stunning all-glass 300-room tower, where sleek, modern design meets exceptional service and spa-inspired bathrooms that invite you to unwind in total comfort.
Step into paradise at Lava Links Golf Club, a dazzling 18-hole experience surrounded by tropical gardens, cascading waterfalls, and our signature erupting volcano. As the sun shines down, cool off with a handcrafted gourmet ice pop from Pop Brothers, featuring refreshing, family-friendly flavors in a lively setting filled with music and vibrant energy.
From lavish accommodations to thrilling gaming and unmatched amenities, Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort is your number one travel destination on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Please contact 888-752-9772 for details and pricing.
Big Bay Lake
Big Bay Lake, a one-of-a-kind planned community on one of Mississippi’s largest private recreational lakes, is the perfect solution for those looking to live the “Lake Life” 24/7. Located only 90 minutes from New Orleans, Big Bay Lake’s waterfront and water-view homesites range in price, starting at $50,000, and include several resale homes available for immediate purchase. This is not a short-term rental
property but a lasting community providing unique opportunities to create the perfect home or weekend getaway to relax and unplug. Whether you are a boating aficionado, fishing enthusiast, or just a family who loves to make a big splash, come enjoy fun-filled days and star-kissed nights at BigBay Lake, where the little things make life…“Big!”
Call for a boat tour today at 877-4BIG-BAY or visit bigbaylake.com.
Briquette
A historic gem tucked cozily among the historic warehouse district, Briquette offers the finest in modern tastes and design. Featuring a signature open kitchen and an 18-foot seafood display, enjoy watching fresh fish being prepared before your eyes on red-hot briquettes while sampling an extensive wine list and beautifully crafted cocktails.
On November 14 at 7 pm, join Briquette for their Wente Vineyards Wine Dinner. Hosted by winemaker Carl Wente, this unique culinary experience will feature five courses, priced at $150 per person. Call to RSVP today!
Discover more at briquette-nola.com
New Orleans Creole Cookery
New Orleans Creole Cookery prides itself on offering the finest in Cajun and Creole cuisine in a stylish and innovative fashion that excites audiences and ignites appetites. As the holidays approach, NOCC is your hub for families and friends to sit down for the finest in comfort dining. Learn more at neworleanscreolecookery.com.
Foo Foo Fest
Foo Foo Festival has become a Fall-time staple for Pensacola, where nationwide visitors and locals alike come together to celebrate art and community. The 12-day event, which features immersive experiences, exhibitions, and performances from October 30 - November 10, 2025, becomes a hotbed for some of the finest music on the Gulf Coast, offering a wide buffet of styles, grooves, and vibes to fit any palette.
For 2025, Foo Foo Festival is soundtracking the Fall with both classical and contemporary sounds. The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra is proud to present Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Celebrating the three hundredth anniversary of the piece’s publication, Four Seasons features four concertos representing each season of the year, a totemic work from one of the all time masters of the craft. Fast forwarding several hundred years, Night Moves Music Fest returns with a staggering lineup of modern musical titans like Japanese Breakfast, Dashboard Confessional, and Joyce Manor.
There’s so much to discover when Foo Foo Festival comes to town. Discover more at foofoofest.com.
Here at the Lodge at Gulf State Park, you can reunite with nature. Enjoy relaxing views of the sugar white sand beaches and emerald waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast or walk or bike our 28 miles of trails through 6,150 acres covering nine ecosystems.
The Lodge is highlighted by 350 guest rooms and suites; 4 dining outlets overlooking the Gulf, live music, a beachside infinity pool, and 40,000 sq ft of event space.
The Lodge is a resilient environmentally friendly coastal development where sustainability and connectivity to the outdoors are a central focus.
Learn more at Lodgeatgulfstatepark.com.
The Woodlands® Resort is proud to present the inaugural Songwriters Festival – three days dedicated to the craft of storytelling through music; featuring headliners Darryl Worley, The Frontmen, and Neal McCoy. From Dec 29, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026, visitors uplifted and enriched by immersive experiences, world class cuisine, and unique songwriter sessions that you won’t find anywhere else. Tickets are all-inclusive, covering luxurious resort accommodations, all food & beverage throughout the three-day festival, and access to intimate performances and curated experiences.
Learn more at woodlandsresort.com/offers/songwriters-festival. •
When the diagnosis is not what you would prefer, it matters where you go for care and these New Orleans cancer care providers will be with you every step of the way.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Louisiana Blue)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Louisiana Blue) is devoted to its mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a reminder that screenings can save lives. If you have not had an annual wellness exam this year, schedule one. Depending on your age and health or family history, your provider may recommend preventive cancer screenings like a mammogram, Pap smear or colonoscopy. Let your healthcare provider know about any changes or unusual symptoms you’ve noticed. You know your body better than anyone else, so speak up about any concerns and ask any questions you have.
Louisiana Blue’s clinical team of health coaches supports members diagnosed with cancer. Health coaches give you personalized support and can connect you with network providers and community resources. It does not cost anything to work with a health coach.
Visit lablue.com/managingcare to learn more.
Every 36 minutes a child is diagnosed with pediatric cancer in the United States, making it the leading cause of death from disease in children.
With the largest team of pediatric hematologist oncologists in the Gulf South, Manning Family Children’s goal is to offer the most advanced therapies that can be found anywhere, right here at home – keeping kids in Louisiana for the expert, and often lifesaving care they need, and always regardless of the family’s ability to pay.
The hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is the only accredited Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant facility in Louisiana and one of a select group nationally to provide newly approved sickle cell gene therapy.
With an ongoing commitment to academic medicine and research in collaboration with Children’s Oncology Group, Manning Family Children’s joins our peers nationally in working toward a future where there is a cure for every child.
To learn more visit manningchildrens.org/cancer.
A cancer diagnosis can be frightening- exploring and identifying the best treatment options for you is key to recovery, survival, and a better quality of life.
The distinguished team of experts at East Jefferson General Hospital | Tulane Cancer Center offers the most advanced treatments for patients with cancer and the opportunity to participate in Clinical Trials locally. Tulane provides quality care, leading innovation, and personalized treatment plans for each patient to treat a broad range of cancers. These physicians work as a multi-disciplinary team, with a full range of medical services, to provide truly comprehensive cancer care.
Tulane Cancer Center services include cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation with an emphasis on convenience for patients and their families. That means patients are able to visit with a number of Tulane specialists in one location, often in one appointment, providing them with one-stop cancer care.
For more information, or to make an appointment, please call 504-988-5000 or visit tulanedoctors.com.
Ochsner
Ochsner Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center have clinically integrated to provide advanced cancer care right here in Louisiana. This means access to life-saving clinical trials for innovative therapies, more specialists, and more resources for our patients. Through this collaboration, Ochsner is the first and only provider in Louisiana with a fully integrated cancer program based on MD Anderson Cancer Center’s standards and treatment plans.
Learn more at ochsner.org/EndCancer. •
PREMIERES SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT 8PM
Benjamin Wainwright stars as Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret in the first contemporary television adaptation of Georges Simenon's beloved novels.
Dear Valued WYES Members,
Thank you for your support of WYES. We remain committed to offering the best local and PBS programming possible to our community – which is the very reason that you support WYES.
With the recent loss of federal funding, we are faced with some difficult costreduction decisions in order to maintain the valued service that you rely upon and deserve. That includes making changes to WYES’ content in New Orleans Magazine
We value our longstanding partnership with New Orleans Magazine and are pleased to continue to provide our members with access to their awardwinning monthly content. However, beginning with the November issue, the WYES program listings will not appear in print but instead be offered online at wyes.org. We will continue to highlight WYES events and happenings here in a smaller format, but will move all program and schedule information online to wyes.org. The website’s front page features highlights of must-see programs that month, along with many other valuable program and learning links.
In addition, we will initiate a weekly program highlights email. If you have not already provided us with your email address, please contact our Membership Office at membership@wyes.org or call 504-486-5511 to be added to the contact list.
Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time. Your ongoing membership support ensures that WYES can continue to serve our community with the quality programming it deserves and that you, our members, have come to expect and trust.
With gratitude,
Robin Cooper President and CEO, WYES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17
7pm-10pm
WYES | 916 Navarre Ave. | New Orleans
$45pp | $1,200 VIP Table of 8
Tickets at wyes.org/events
ALL GUESTS WILL ENJOY A VARIETY OF FOOD, WINE & BEER, AND LIVE MUSIC FROM THE CONSORTIUM OF GENIUS!
Katie’s • Byblos Mediterranean Grill
• Dooky Chase
• Two Tony’s
• Sun Ray Grill
• Junior’s on Harrison
• Zuppardo’s Family Market
• Martin's Sala Nola • Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza • G’s Grill at Monkey Hill Bar
• Swiss Confectionery • Baker Maid • New Orleans Ice Cream Co. Casa Nola Limoncello • Opelousas Chicken & Seafood • Vaucresson’s Creole Café • Liuzza’s by the Track • Beachcorner Bar & Grill • Cafe Navarre Ember Indian Cuisine • Ralph's on the Park • Angelo Brocato • Blue Line Sandwich Co. • Coca-Cola Bottling Company United and more!
NEW THIS YEAR! VIP TABLE EXPERIENCE FOR 8, $1,200 WITH EARLY ENTRY AT 6:30PM
Your VIP Table for 8 includes an exclusive Antoine’s catered menu and dessert with premium bar service provided by Dorignac’s, plus grab a “Blood Bag” specialty cocktail.
Enter the costume contest for your chance to win a prize!
Categories include: Best Morgus Show Character, Best Couple and Best Homemade.
Special thank you to our fabulous event committee and co-chairs: Debbie Holzenthal & Donna LaNasa
As Dr. Morgus would say…“Don’t be a ghoul, be part of the experiment!” JOIN US!
Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park
June 19 — June 25, 2026 • 7 Days • 10 Meals
Booking deadline: December 19, 2025
Starting at $4,499: Air Taxes and Fees/Surcharges, Hotel Transfers, Round Trip Air from New Orleans
Tuscan & Umbrian Countryside featuring Italy’s Charming Hill Towns
November 14 — November 24, 2026 11 Days • 15 Meals
Booking deadline: April 15, 2026
Starting at $4,999: Air Taxes and Fees/Surcharges, Hotel Transfers, Round Trip Air from New Orleans
Curious about our upcoming Italy trip? Join us for a free information session with a travel representative on Monday, November 3 at 5:30pm at WYES. No obligation — just bring your questions! RSVP at wyes.org/events.
See the full itineraries at wyes.org/travel.
Rain or shine — Enjoy a festive shopping event featuring local artisans and designers!
Wednesday, November 12 • 3pm-8pm WYES, 916 Navarre Ave., New Orleans Inside the WYES-TV studios
Free entry & open to the public
Plenty of free parking & street parking available Details at wyes.org/events
CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF JANE
Wednesday, December 3 $100 3pm-5pm
Patron $150 Entry at 2pm with champagne
Wear your finest tea attire as we celebrate Jane Austen’s timeless legacy.
WYES presents a curated reading from “Pride and Prejudice,” brought to life by the incomparable Nell Nolan. With her signature wit and warmth, Nell will guide us through Austen’s timeless tale of love, manners, and mischief.
Details, Tickets & Sponsorships available at wyes.org/events.
Events like these support WYES’ quality PBS programming, award-winning local documentaries and cooking series.
1 WEDNESDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
BIG CATS 24/7, SEASON 2 “New Beginnings” (Part 5/6) The core of the Xudum Pride has fled south, but a group of its young females surprises the team in the north. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes the cheetah mother, Pobe, and Lediba, the leopard, struggles to provide for her ever-growing cub. Photo Credit: Anna Dimitriadis/ BBC Studios
8pm
NOVA “Human: Neanderthal Encounters” (Pt. 3/5) For 400,000 years, Neanderthals thrived across frigid, Ice Age Europe. What happened when Homo sapiens arrived, and how did these encounters change our species –including our DNA – in ways still with us today?
9pm
SACRED PLANET WITH GULNAZ KHAN
“Reclaiming Peru’s Glaciers” (Pt. 4/4) Gulnaz follows the ancient Inca and modern Catholic paths confronting the Andes’ deglaciation. These spiritual traditions unite through engineering, pilgrimages, lawsuits, and prayer to face Peru’s climate crisis.
10pm
NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS WITH A PAST 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
2 THURSDAY
6pm PBS NEWS
7pm
7:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
8pm
FATHER BROWN, SEASON 3 “The Last Man” (Pt. 5/15)
9pm
MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, SEASON 3 “Blood & Money” (Pt.4/8)
10pm
MASTERPIECE “Unforgotten, Season 6” (Pt. 6/6)
11pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
3 FRIDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
INFORMED SOURCES
7:30pm
LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN
8pm
WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC
8:30pm FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER
9pm
GREAT PERFORMANCES “The Magic of Grace Bumbry” Discover Grace Bumbry’s inspiring rise to global opera fame. Spotlighting her historic performances, the film explores the racial barriers she overcame to triumph in her 1966 performance as ‘Carmen.’ Photo Credit: Sounding Images
10pm
AMERICAN MASTERS “Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined”
4 SATURDAY
6pm THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW “Sights and Sounds”
7pm
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Raleigh 2025”
8pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “Latin Roots”
9pm
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “LBJ: My Fellow Americans” (Pt. 2/2)
11pm
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Finneas”
5 SUNDAY
7pm
BRIAN AND MAGGIE (Pt. 1/2) reconstructs the famous 1989 television interview between former Labour Member of Parliament and journalist Brian Walden (Steve Coogan) and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Harriet Walter). The two-part series explores the intimate and complicated relationship between the old friends triggering events leading to Thatcher’s downfall and marking the end of their personal friendship. Photo Credit: Channel 4/ Matt Frost
8pm
MASTERPIECE “Maigret” ‘The Lazy Burglar, Part 1/2’ (1/6) Chief Inspector Jules Maigret (Benjamin Wainwright) and his team of maverick but loyal detectives, “Les Maigrets,” solve a series of complex crimes in Paris. Maigret’s unconventional methods and unique sense of justice put him at odds with his superiors and the judicial system he is supposed to represent. Photo Credit: Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE
9pm
MASTERPIECE “The Gold” ‘To be a King’ (Pt. 1/6) What began as a routine armed robbery turned into one of the biggest heists in British history. Inspired by true events, this gripping drama uncovers the 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery in London
WEEKDAYS
5am ARTHUR
5:30am ODD SQUAD
6am WILD KRATTS
6:30am WEATHER HUNTERS
7am LYLA IN THE LOOP
7:30am CARL THE COLLECTOR
8am DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD
8:30am ROSIE’S RULES
9am SESAME STREET
9:30am WORK IT OUT WOMBATS!
10am DONKEY HODIE
10:30am PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC
11am ELINOR WONDERS WHY
11:30am ALMA’S WAY NOON MOLLY OF DENALI
12:30pm XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM
1pm DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD
1:30pm ARTHUR
SUNDAYS and the decades-long ripple effects that followed. Photo Credit: Sally Mais; All3Media and MASTERPIECE
5am MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD
5:30am ARTHUR
6am WILD KRATTS
6:30am WEATHER HUNTERS
7am LYLA IN THE LOOP
7:30am CARL THE COLLECTOR
8am WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC
8:30am LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN
9am FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER
9:30am INFORMED SOURCES
10am LOCAL PROGRAMMING
11am LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING
11:30am THE DOOKY CHASE KITCHEN: LEAH’S LEGACY NOON ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
1pm RICK STEVES’ EUROPE
1:30pm
100 DAYS, DRINKS, DISHES & DESTINATIONS
Pictured: Hugh Bonneville stars as Brian Boyce
10pm
ASTRID, SEASON 3 “Natives” (Pt. 7/8) In French with English subtitles. 11pm
ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE, SEASON 2 (Pt. 7/8)
6 MONDAY
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Raleigh 2025” (Hour 2)
8pm
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Orlando” (Hour 2)
9pm
BRICKBATS & BOUQUETS: THE MAYORS OF NEW ORLEANS
This 1982 WYES documentary chronicles stories of the mayors of New Orleans beginning with the city’s founding in 1718. As voters prepare to elect a new mayor in October, revisit the stories of some of the people who have held New Orleans’ highest elected office. Pictured: Mayor Moon Landrieu photographed in front of the Superdome, the landmark he helped champion and open as mayor of New Orleans from 1970 to 1978.
10pm
INDEPENDENT LENS “Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution” A groundbreaking look at Phil Sharp’s journey from a Kentucky farm boy with dyslexia to a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, whose RNA discovery transformed biology and launched the biotechnology revolution. Narrated by Mark Ruffalo with insights from New Orleans native Walter Isaacson.
11:30pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
7 TUESDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “Family Recipes/Anchorman”
9pm FRONTLINE
10pm
VOCES: AMERICAN HISTORIA, THE UNTOLD STORY OF LATINOS “Solidarity in A New Era” (Pt. 3/3) Join creator and host John Leguizamo on a quest to uncover Latino and Latina heroes and their contributions.
11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
8 WEDNESDAY 6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
BIG CATS 24/7, SEASON 2 “Succession” (Part 6/6) A new generation of big cats rises in the Okavango Delta; fiirst-time lion mum Serami protects her cubs while Mathata steps up to feed the pride; Pobe and Bo return; as Lediba’s cub grows in confidence, she vanishes.
8pm
NOVA “Human: Into the Americas” (Pt. 4/5) Ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
9pm
SECRETS OF THE DEAD “The Rise and Fall of the Colosseum”
10pm
NEW ORLEANS AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER examines the river’s vital role in the city’s culture and economy.
11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
9 THURSDAY 6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm STEPPIN’ OUT
7:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
8pm
FATHER BROWN, SEASON 3 “The Upcott Fraternity” (Pt. 6/15)
9pm MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, SEASON 3 “Death & Hysteria” (Pt. 5/8)
10pm
MASTERPIECE “Marlow Murder Club” (Pt. 1/4)
11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
10 FRIDAY
6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm INFORMED SOURCES
7:30pm
LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN 8pm WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC
8:30pm FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER
9pm
KING OF THEM ALL: THE STORY OF KING RECORDS Through interviews, restored archival materials, and animation, the film showcases King’s boundarybreaking artists such as James Brown, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John and Grandpa Jones.
10pm THE GENNETT SUITE honors the historical Gennett Records label and the jazz greats who recorded there in the 1920s, such as Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, and Hoagy Carmichael.
10:30pm STEPPIN’ OUT
11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
11 SATURDAY
6pm
THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW “Wunnerful Hit Songs”
7pm
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Raleigh 2025” (Hour 2)
8pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “Family Recipes”
9pm THE CONGRESS
10:30pm
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: AN INSIDE LOOK previews the upcoming six-part, 12-hour documentary series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt. The new series premieres on WYES and PBS stations nationwide on Sunday, November 16.
Photo Credit: Evan Barlow
11pm
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “The Marias”
12 SUNDAY
7pm
BRIAN AND MAGGIE (Pt. 2/2) After a key ally’s sudden departure rocks her government, Prime Minister Thatcher (Harriet Walter) faces mounting pressure. A pivotal television appearance becomes a turning point in her political career and personal relationships. Photo Credit: Channel 4/ Matt Frost
8pm
MASTERPIECE “Maigret” ‘The Lazy Burglar, Part 2/2’ (2/6) Chief Inspector Maigret anticipates the robbers’ next move and gets the chance to confront Cuendet’s killers.
9pm
MASTERPIECE “The Gold” ‘There’s Something Going on in Kent’ (Pt. 2/6) The criminals create a system to smelt the Brink’s-Mat gold and sell it back into the market with the profits being laundered. Jennings and Brightwell make a breakthrough in the case.
10pm
ASTRID, SEASON 3 “Underground” (Pt. 8/8) In French with English subtitles.
11pm
ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE, SEASON 2 (Pt. 8/8)
13 MONDAY
6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Phoenix 2025/ Vintage Spokane 2021”
9pm GERMAN NEW ORLEANS
10pm POV “A Mother Apart” Jamaican American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin re-imagines mothering after being abandoned by her own.
11:30pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
14 TUESDAY
6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY
LOUIS GATES, JR. “The Butterfly Effect”
8pm
AMERICAN MASTERS “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” Learn about the life and career of 4-time Emmy nominee Marlee Matlin as she shares her story in her native American Sign Language. Known for roles in “The West Wing,” “Seinfeld” and “CODA,” at 21 years old, Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award for her role in “Children of a Lesser God.”
5am MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD
5:30am ARTHUR
6am WILD KRATTS
6:30am WEATHER HUNTERS
7am
J. SCHWANKE’S LIFE IN BLOOM
7:30am WOODSMITH SHOP
8am THIS OLD HOUSE
8:30am ASK THIS OLD HOUSE
9am LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING
9:30am KEVIN BELTON’S COOKIN’ LOUISIANA
10am THE DOOKY CHASE KITCHEN: LEAH’S LEGACY
10:30am CHEF PAUL PRUDHOMME'S ALWAYS COOKING
11am LIDIA’S KITCHEN
11:30am AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN FROM COOK’S ILLUSTRATED NOON COOK’S COUNTRY
12:30pm CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL'S MILK STREET TELEVISION
1pm GREAT CHEFS
1:30pm SARA'S WEEKNIGHT MEALS
2pm LIFE OF LOI: MEDITERRANEAN SECRETS
2:30pm PATI'S MEXICAN TABLE
3pm
VARIOUS PROGRAMMING
4pm
NOVA
10pm
AMERICAN MASTERS “Becoming Helen Keller”
11:30pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
15 WEDNESDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
NATURE “Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom”
8pm
NOVA “Human: Building Empires” (Pt. 5/5) Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
9pm
SECRETS OF THE DEAD “Cleopatra’s Last Temple” A French explorer makes an unprecedented discovery in Alexandria’s harbor that could reveal vital new information about Cleopatra’s reign and her connection with the goddess Isis. Pictured: Underwater diver next to a submerged sphinx head. Photo Credit: ©Label News
10pm
NEW ORLEANS TV: THE GOLDEN AGE Trace the history of local television from 1948, the year the city’s first station – WDSU-TV –signed on the air, to 1972, when the station was sold to an out-of-town owner and another station, WWL-TV, became dominant. Narrated by Angela Hill.
11pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
16 THURSDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
STEPPIN’ OUT
7:30pm
BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
8pm
FATHER BROWN, SEASON 3 “The Kembleford Boggart” (Pt. 7/15)
9pm
MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, SEASON 3 “Death at the Grand” (Pt.6/8)
10pm
MASTERPIECE “Marlow Murder Club” (Pt. 2/4)
11pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
17 FRIDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
INFORMED SOURCES
7:30pm
LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN
8pm
WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC 8:30pm
FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER
9pm
ART21 “Art in the Twenty-First Century, Season 12” ‘Between Worlds” features twelve of today’s most acclaimed contemporary artists as they use art to address the pressing questions of our time. The first episode features artists Sophie Calle, Lubaina Himid, Tuan Andrew Nguyen and Dyani White Hawk, who explore themes of migration, colonization and cultural intersection through their work. Notably, both Calle and Nguyen share connections to Louisiana.
10pm ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE 11pm STEPPIN’ OUT 11:30pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
18 SATURDAY 6pm THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW “Big City, U.S.A.”
7pm ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Phoenix 2025” (Hour 1)
8pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “The Butterfly Effect ” 9pm
THOMAS JEFFERSON (Pt. 1-2/2) See both parts of Ken Burns’ 1997 series, which explores Jefferson's career as a statesman
, his presidency, and his complex, often contradictory legacy.
19 SUNDAY
7pm
MASTERPIECE “Miss Austen” (Pt. 1/4) Catch an encore presentation of the acclaimed adaptation of Gill Hornby’s beloved novel “Miss Austen.” Starring Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen, the series unravels the mystery behind why she famously burned her sister Jane’s letters.
8pm
MASTERPIECE “Maigret” ‘Maigret’s Failure, Part 1/2’ (3/6) Maigret and his team’s search for a missing social media influencer is thrown into disarray when he is ordered to investigate death threats received by a billionaire businessman, Ferdinand Fumal. Photo Credit: Csaba Aknay; Courtesy Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE
9pm
MASTERPIECE “The Gold” ‘The Consequences are Mine’ (Pt. 3/6) The task force set up surveillance on Noye and are led to Palmer and more of the suspects. A police raid ends in tragedy in Noye’s garden.
10pm
VELVET, SEASON 2 “The Might of the Pins” (Pt. 1/13) In Spanish with English subtitles.
11:30pm
BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
20 MONDAY
6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Phoenix 2025/Vintage Spokane”
9pm
LITERARY NEW ORLEANS Hear from authors and literary experts including Anne Rice, Douglas Brinkley, Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, Walter Isaacson, Susan Larson, Tennessee Williams and Thelma
Toole, the mother of John Kennedy Toole, author of “A Confederacy of Dunces.”
10pm
INDEPENDENT LENS “Ratified” A bipartisan coalition continues a centurylong fight to add gender equality into the Constitution.
11:30pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
21 TUESDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “Moving on Up”
8pm
BREAKING THE DEADLOCK “A Power Play” Experts participate in a hypothetical story of executive power by a pair of rival US Presidents.
9pm
FRONTLINE
11pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
22 WEDNESDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
NATURE “Walrus: Life on Thin Ice” Follow a paleontologist on an Arctic adventure to uncover the hidden lives of walrus and the threats they face as climate change shrinks the sea ice.
8pm NOVA “Ancient Desert Death Trap”
9pm
SECRETS OF THE DEAD “Cracking the Queen’s Code” See how secret letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots, were finally decoded.
10pm
LITERARY NEW ORLEANS
11pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
23 THURSDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
STEPPIN’ OUT Host and producer Peggy Scott Laborde welcomes regular guests Poppy Tooker, Alan Smason, plus new roundtable visitors every week to discuss New Orleans restaurants, arts and entertainment.
7:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
8pm
FATHER BROWN, SEASON 3 “The Lair of the Libertines” (Pt. 8/15)
9pm MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, SEASON 3 “Game, Set & Murder” (Pt.7/8)
10pm
MASTERPIECE “Marlow Murder Club” (Pt. 3/4)
11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
24 FRIDAY
6pm
PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
INFORMED SOURCES
7:30pm LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN
8pm WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC
8:30pm FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER
9pm
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN “Join or Die” (1706-1774) (Pt.1/2)
11pm STEPPIN’ OUT 11:30pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
25 SATURDAY
6pm
THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW “Musical Tour of the U.S.”
7pm
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Vintage Phoenix” (Hour 2)
8pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “Moving on Up”
9pm
AN EVENING WITH SID NOEL: RECOLLECTIONS OF A MAD SCIENTIST WYES brings Dr. Morgus back to local television—this time with a twist. Viewers will see Morgus the Magnificent in all his scientific glory, but also get a rare glimpse of his alter ego, Sid Noel.
11pm
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Charley Crockett/ Waxahatchee”
26 SUNDAY
7pm
MASTERPIECE “Miss Austen” (Pt. 2/4)
8pm
MASTERPIECE “Maigret” ‘Maigret’s Failure, Part 2/2’ (4/6) As Maigret reels from his failure to protect Fumal, he also suffers a devastating personal blow.
9pm
MASTERPIECE “The Gold” ‘Vengeance is Easy, Justice is Hard’ (Pt. 4/6) In Tenerife, Palmer discovers that he is wanted by the police.
10pm
VELVET, SEASON 2 “Taking Flight” (Pt. 2/13) In Spanish with English subtitles.
11:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
27 MONDAY
6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Kooky & Spooky”
8pm
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Kissinger” (Pt. 1/2) Explore the life of Henry Kissinger, from his childhood in Germany to his early life in America, from his stint in the Army to his rise to the top echelons of American foreign policy during Vietnam, through the voices of historians and colleagues. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
9:30pm THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: AN INSIDE LOOK
10pm NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS WITH A PAST 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
28 TUESDAY 6pm PBS NEWS HOUR 7pm
FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. “Finding My Roots”
8pm
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Kissinger” (Pt. 1/2) Discover how Kissinger’s antiCommunism would shape U.S. foreign policy, from Vietnam to the USSR.
9:30pm THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: AN INSIDE LOOK
10pm HIDDEN ALABAMA
11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
29 WEDNESDAY
6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm
NATURE “Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion”
8pm NOVA “Superfloods”
9pm
SECRETS OF THE DEAD “Chasing the Plague”
10pm GERMAN NEW ORLEANS 11pm
AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
30 THURSDAY 6pm PBS NEWS HOUR 7pm STEPPIN’ OUT 7:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
8pm FATHER BROWN, SEASON 3 “The Truth in the Wine” (Pt. 9/15)
9pm MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, SEASON 3 “Death Do Us Part” (Pt.8/8) 10pm MASTERPIECE “Marlow Murder Club” (Pt. 4/4) 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
31 FRIDAY 6pm PBS NEWS HOUR
7pm INFORMED SOURCES
7:30pm LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN 8pm WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC 8:30pm FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER 9pm
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN “An American” (1775-1790) (Pt.2/2)
11pm STEPPIN’ OUT
11:30pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY
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Dear Savannah, Georgia, Dark clouds are massing on the horizon as I slouch over my writing desk, gathering ominously and promising no shortage of gloom and dread in the not-so-distant future.
Counterintuitive though it might sound to the uninitiated, these dark clouds are a welcome sight to most New Orleanians. They are the sort that creep overhead early every fall as a signal that the most oppressive heat of summer is almost over (to say nothing of the pins-and-needles existence of hurricane season) and that the time of shadows is nigh.
One need not be a meteorologist to detect the atmospheric shift. As residents of a fellow Halloween city, you in Savannah are doubtlessly familiar with the tantalizing, tomb-cold frisson it ushers in.
This is when the Spanish moss begins to seem mossier, the shadows seem shadowier, the ghost stories ghostlier – all of it occupying an ethereal place suspended between the world we know and that which exists on the other side.
“The other side of what?,” one might ask. No one knows, exactly – and that is precisely why it is so spookily intoxicating, a cocktail of nostalgia, fear and a dreamlike, tear-stained mystique.
All of New Orleans’ native cocktails are irresistible, but that which comprises its autumn air might be the most blue-ribbon worthy of them all.
Or maybe that is just my breakfast Sazerac talking.
It is the otherworldly spirit evoked by Lafcadio Hearn when, in describing the Louisiana tales contained in his “Fantastics and Other Fancies,” he wrote: “They are my impressions of the strange life of New Orleans. They are dreams of a tropical city.
Ask Mike
Have a question or a thought to share about New Orleans etiquette or tradition? I’d love to hear it. Email it to mike@ myneworleans.com
BY MIKE SCOTT/
There is one twin-idea running through them all — Love and Death.”
You in Savannah have your garden of good and evil. We, as Hearn so accurately articulated, have an entire city haunted right down to its gothic soul by equal parts passion and passing.
It strikes me as entirely fitting that, in a city defined by its deeply rooted dualities – sophistication and squalor, sacred and profane, ecstasy and melancholia – Hearn’s “twin-idea” is embedded so deeply in the lore that haunts the place, especially this time of year.
To be clear, I am not talking about mere urban legends. Being a city of storytellers, our urban legends do tend to be more colorful than those found elsewhere, from the legend of Mona Lisa to City Park’s “Woman in Black” to the weird happenings to be encountered along Grunch Road. Yet, aside from a few fanciful flourishes, most could take place in any city.
Rather, I am talking about folklore, the kind of passed-
down tales both built upon and reflective of our cultural DNA.
Take for example the Rougarou, that swamp-dwelling, shape-shifting cryptid that exists in our communal cortex as part werewolf, part boogeyman. Its slathering jaws aside, the Rougarou is not just the subject of a spooky tale. It is a lingering artifact of our Francophone roots, imported as part of the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia.
Ready or not, this is its time of year.
Similarly, there are also the fifollet, those mysterious glowing orbs – also Cajun in origin – that are said to lure the unwary and unwitting deep into the outlying marshes and to their eventual doom, like sinister sirens of the swamp. There are the stories of the Casket Girls, of the House of the Rising Sun, of all things voodoo.
All are chilling at their roots but at the same time deeply beloved by locals, capturing as they do not just imaginations but also a snatch of the haunted past that permeates the loamy earth beneath our feet.
That is the same loamy earth in whose embrace, such stories remind us, we will all end up.
Our knee-jerk response: to dance in the face of it all.
In most cities, Halloween is but a holiday. In New Orleans, it is a way of life.
And of death.
But, until then, mostly of life. And of living.
And make no mistake, nobody is better at living than those who do said living in New Orleans.
So, to those gathering clouds, I say: Come. Darken our cobbled streets with your gloom. Chill us to our heretical bones with the dread you annually deliver.
We crave it. We welcome it. We thrive on it.
That is autumn in New Orleans, and it cannot come soon enough.
See you on the other side. Happy haunting.
Insincerely yours, New Orleans
