We got your weekend: Bluffs, brides, brass, and bayou

Friday / Can’t pass brass : The Historic New Orleans Collection kicks off its fall Concerts in the Courtyard series with a performance by Brass-A-Holics, which will naturally be held in THNOC’s Courtyard, at 533 Royal Street. With admission, guests receive three complimentary drinks; this month’s featured drink will be the Criollo Cocktail: Old new Orleans Cajun spiced Rum, club soda, agave nectar, lemon, and mint leaves, provided by Criollo Restaurant and Old New Orleans Rum. The show is from 6 – 8 PM; doors open at 5:30. Admission is $10/person, or free for THNOC members.

Friday / Film and foliage : NOMA and NOFS host the first of their Movies in the Garden series, with a screening of Shaft (director Gordon park’s 1971 action film) in NOMA’a Sydney and Wada Besthoff Sculpture Garden at City Park. The film begins at sundown (approximately 7:30 PM). Activities prior to the screening include music by jazz saxophonist Calvin Johnson and free art activities, both from 5 – 7:30 PM. Movie munchies will be provided (for an additional cost) by Woody’s Fish Tacos, Food Drunk Food Truck, Greens to Go NOLA, NOLA Pie Guy, and Ye Old Kettle Cooker. Tickets cost $6 for adults, $3 for NOMA or NOFS members (max 4 tickets) and children 7 – 17; children 6 and under are free. Buy tickets online or at the door.

NOMA’s sculpture garden

Saturday / A bachelor’s worst nightmare: Commitment-phobes, picture this: a couple hundred women (and/or men) in bridal gowns barreling towards you. Anxiously sweating yet?

The Creativity Collective has organized a Bridal Crawl to raise money for Cafe Reconcile and break the world record for “largest gathering of brides.” Although participants aren’t required to wear bridal gowns, in order to break the world record 251 brides (in traditional wedding dresses and veils) must be present for ten minutes at Muriel’s Jackson Square. Registration begins at 2:30 PM. Men are also welcome to participate and dress up. Muriel’s will serve attendees a free glass of champagne or cocktail. At 4, the pub crawl begins, with stops at the Tobacco Exchange, Bourbon Cowboy, Beach, 55 Fahrenheit/ 5 Fifty 5, Gordon Biersch, eventually making its way to Barcadia by 9. At Barcadia, bridal dress awards will be presented in several categories, and there will be a bouquet tossing. Buy tickets online for $20/person or $35/pair, or at registration for $25 each (cash only).

Saturday / I call your bluff : If mention of the Bridal Pub Crawl leaves you bachelors and bachelorettes feeling clammy, jumpy, and generally panicked — don’t worry, the Charity Poker Crawl on the same day, will restore balance to the weekend’s activities. Jim Monahagn and Troy Koehlar host a poker (pub) crawl to raise money for The Roots of Music. Players begin at The Cabildo (in Jackson Square, 701 Chartes Street) at 11:30 AM and collect one card at each of four more stops (Erin Rose, Boondock Saint, Flanagan’s Irish Pub, Molly’s at the Market) to eventually acquire a full hand. At Molly’s, the final stop, the winning hand will be determined, and its holder will be awarded a “valuable” prize. Along the crawl, players can bid on various items, as part of a traveling-auction. Obviously, there will probably be some drinking involved as well. Tickets are $30 per hand (player’s can purchase as many hands as they want) and can be purchased online. Players must be at least 21 years.

Kayaks docked at the NNC’s canoe launch

Sunday / Geauxin’ rowin’ : The Northlake Nature Center hosts a kayaking trip down Bayou Castine, complete with a professional kayaking outfitter who will guide the tour, as well as provide instructions and all equipment/gear. The tours are approximately two hours long and depart/return to the NNC’s canoe launch at the Center (23135 Highway 190, Mandeville). You can register for one of four time slots: 10 AM, noon, 2 PM, or 4 Pm. Free for NNC members and $5 for non-members. Call 985-626-1238 to reserve. Participants must weigh at least 50 lbs. and be at least 13 years to ride in their own kayak.

Chelsea Lee is assistant editor of NolaVie. Email comments to her at chelsea@nolavie.com.