We got your weekend: From sazerac party to wellness fest

Saturday afternoon, the Roosevelt Hotel’s Sazerac Bar will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the first time they opened their doors to women with a Stormin’ of the Sazerac recreation.

Thursday / Cocktails for the Coast : Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition — comprised of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund and National Audubon Society — is sponsoring Cocktails for the Coast, a cocktail event from at Eiffel Society (2040 St Charles) dedicated to raising awareness about and funds to restore Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. From 6 – 8 PM, patrons are invited to enjoy cocktails, conversation, music and complimentary bites and “coastal swag.” The first 60 people to arrive will receive a free drink ticket, so this may not be the time to show up fashionably late.

Thursday / Stormin’ of the Sazerac : In a city that loves to sip and socialize, it’s hard to believe that just over sixty years ago, drinking establishment were socially prohibitive spaces.

The Roosevelt Hotel’s Sazerac Bar (123 Baronne) will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the first time they opened their doors to women with a Stormin’ of the Sazerac recreation. The celebration begins at 1 PM in the Blue Room with a special ladies luncheon ($49 all-inclusive), vintage fashion show and a best dressed competition. For those who cannot attend the luncheon, there will be a free pre-party at the Roosevelt’s Fountain Lounge, which will include complimentary makeup applications from Waldorf Astoria Spa; vintage-inspired merchandise from Fleurty Girl, Retroactive Vintage and Les Dames Chapeaux; live music; small plates and, of course, $6.50 sazeracs and other specialty cocktails.

The official party (free and open to the public) begins at 4 PM in the Sazerac Bar with a cheers to the first women to drink in the watering hole and more music, drinks, conversation and bites. Period dress is strongly encouraged.

Saturday / Louisiana on the reel : In conjunction with The Historic New Orleans Collection’s current exhibition From Cameo to Close-up: Louisiana in Film, the museum is presenting a free film series focused on how Louisiana has been depicted on the silver screen. The next film, Louisiana shot Blaze (1989), chronicles the romance between a young burlesque dancer (Lolita Davidovich) and eccentric Louisiana governor Earl K. Long (Paul Newman). The screening begins at 10:30 AM at THNOC’s Williams Research Center (410 Chartres). Admission is free and open to the public.

Saturday / Shane’s shout out : NOLA on Tap at City Park Festival Grounds, 1:00-8:00 PM, free

The local highlight of the Louisiana Craft Brewers Week is a huge beer fest in City Park featuring over 200 local and national craft beers. The fest also has a solid music lineup to go with all those tasty brews including French indie pop collective Sweet Crude, rockers Vox & the Hound, DJ Quickie Mart and John Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Admission is free, and you can get discounted drink tickets online beforehand.

Saturday / Wellness Fest : Dissimilar from the majority of New Orleans festivals, which typically involve mass consumption of booze and fried foods, health will be the cornerstone of Reyn Studios’ Wellness Fest. In honor or National Yoga Month, from 1:30 – 3:30 PM Warehouse District pilates and yoga studio Reyn (725 Magazine) will host a party with Yoga Lagniappe, endorsing healthy eating and active lifestyles. The event will feature a an entry level yoga class (bring your own mat), followed by the chance to explore foods and services from from over two dozen local health-oriented businesses including City Greens, the Pilates Lofts, Good Eggs, Nola Bliss Massage and a handful of yoga studios, all of which will be raffling off prizes.

Suggested Donation: $20 per person; donation includes: 1 raffle ticket, entry to the yoga class and entry to post-practice party. Raffle Ticket Donation: $2 per additional ticket. Yoga Lagniappe Subscribers receive an additional free raffle ticket. All proceeds will benefit Yoga Power Play and Fit NOLA. RSVP here.

Saturday / Museum Day Live : For one day, 20 Louisiana museums will participate in Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day Live, an annual celebration of culture and the dissemination of knowledge. Each participating museum will offer free admission to their facilities for anyone who downloads the ticket. Participating New Orleans museums include the Historic New Orleans Collection, Louisiana Children’s Museum, Longue Vue House and Gardens, the National WWII Museum, New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

Tickets can be downloaded only through the Smithsonian website, each good for two people per household, per address; tickets may be presented either in digital form or printed form. For a full list of participating Louisiana museums, click here.