The V Side: fashion, kayaks and the spoken word

Kayak scavenger hunt on Bayou St. John, slated for Saturday

Saturday / Fun on the bayou: It’s challenging, decidedly offbeat and probably won’t happen again any time soon. So scoop up a paddle or two and head for a Kayak Scavenger Hunt organized by Bayou St. John kayak tour company Kayak-iti-Yat. The fun takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting at Bayou St. John between Dumaine and Orleans avenues, with clues geared toward the history and ecology of the city’s favorite bayou. Cost is $100 per four-man team, but hey, it’s for a good cause. Proceeds go to Re-Bridge, which is trying to rehabilitate the Magnolia (aka Cabrini footbridge) and Dumaine bridges. You can arrive by boat or bike; for details click here.

Saturday / And the fun continues in Treme: Speaking of offbeat tours, here’s one through New Orleans’ newest TV-starring neighborhood. Architect Alan Eskew leads a Portage Through Treme by bicycle, in the second of a series of AIA-sponsored monthly tours of the city by bike, bus and foot. Bikers will take in St. Augustine Church, the African-American Museum, Degas House, the House on Bayou Road and Pitot House in a tour that begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at French Market Place at Gov. Nicholls Street in the French Quarter, and ends two hours later at Bayou St. John. Cost is $35 ($25 for AIA members). To register, click here.

Saturday / Casino couture: Continue partying for a cause at the Hi-Speed Fashion Show, 8 p.m. to midnight at Harrah’s Casino. Fashions from Saks, music by DJ Spin, hair by H2O and cocktails and local cuisine round out the runway doings, with proceeds going to the Al Copeland Foundation to benefit cancer research. Tickets start at $25 per, with a patron party from 6 to 8 p.m. starting at $50. It’s an adults-only shindig; given the location, you have to be 21 to attend.

Saturday-Sunday / It’s a first: Words take center stage at the first ever Write, NOLA! Poetry Festival, sponsored by the local literary group WordPlay. Events include workshops, presentations, an exhibit on the history of the spoken word in New Orleans and a showcase of spoken word artists, and takes place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Gallier Hall, 545 St. Charles Ave, with a final showcase at 7 p.m. Sunday at Howlin’ Wolf. You can register for the entire festival ($42) or selected events here. Who else would alert you to these things?