We’ve got your weekend: The common denominator is “fest”

Festigals taking over the streets of New Orleans (photo courtesy of: Festigals)

Thursday, June 21/The Jung Hotel and Residences and the French Quarter: Festigals are back for a full weekend of New Orleans exploration and conversation. In case you don’t know, Festigals brings women of all ages and backgrounds together to engage in New Orleans activities, designed for women, by women. Activities range from discussions and seminars to local tours, so to check out the full calendar of events, go to their website. Tickets for the three-day event range in price, so check their site for a la carte and day pass prices.

Friday, June 22/Igor’s Buddha Belly (4437 Magazine Street): Start warming up your vocals and brush up on your go-to belting tunes because it’s the Nola Cherry Bombs‘ 3rd Annual Cherry-oke Karaoke Party. This year they are fundraising for the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies(IWES) New Orleans. It will be a party of dance, karaoke, and prizes. There is a suggested donation of $5, but no one will be turned away. It all begins at 9:00 PM, and you can find out full details here.

Saturday, June 23/The Banks of Bayou St. John: Midsummer is nearly upon us, which means St. John’s Eve is here. Sallie Ann Glassman and La Source Ancienne Ounfo will celebrate St. John’s Eve with their annual head-washing ceremony, which is a form of Vodou baptism dedicated to Marie Laveau. If you plan on attending, wear all white and bring a white scarf or rag for your head (it will get dirty.) Bring an offering for Marie Laveau. From what we’ve been told, she likes flowers, blue and white candles, Creole foods, hair ribbons and hair dressing supplies, Vodou-esque items (Voodoo dolls, potions, gris-gris bags, etc.), or images of Marie Laveau. The ceremony begins at 7:00 PM.

Saturday, June 23-24/Armstrong Park: Sure, it might be too hot to wear boots, but it’s not too hot to two-step. That’s why they Cajun Zydeco Festival is taking over Armstrong Park on Saturday and Sunday. This two-day will exclusively feature Cajun and zydeco music, so get ready to hear those wash boards. It all begins at 10:30 AM, and the tickets are the price that we love–free. For more details on the festival as well as a list of performers, check out their event page here.

Saturday, June 23-24/Central City BBQ (1201 S. Rampart Street): If you have not had enough festing and heat yet, then you can head over to the Carribean Festival, which will be happening this weekend. The Carribean Fest celebrates Caribbean cuisine, music, dance, and culture while highlighting New Orleans’ deeply-rooted cultural connections as the Caribbean’s northern-most city. There are activities planned all throughout the day, it’ll cost you $15 for a festival ticket, and you can find out full details about the festival here.

Saturday, June 23/Hi-Ho Lounge (2239 St. Claude): Ripping something off isn’t usually a comedic event, until it becomes a comedic event. Enter, The Rip-off Show. The Rip-off Show is a monthly comedy show that grabs three comics and pits them against each other in a battle of wits in order to win a bad DVD. It’s a live pop culture gameshow that pulls from a variety of different game styles, from riffing on internet culture and current events, to Price is Right style bidding on weird Etsy items, to writing a Tinder message to a weirdo, to guessing whether a picture is of a Juggalo or a cat. Each comic performs a stand-up set as a brief intermission in the middle. If you are feeling like a laugh this weekend, the show begins at 8:00 PM and is absolutely free. For more details and a comedic line-up, check out their event page here.

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