We’ve got your weekend: Days of the dead

Wednesday, October 17/New Orleans Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Ave.): Are you alone? That’s a trick question because you aren’t, and you’ll understand why if you head to the New Orleans Healing Center on Wednesday night. The New Orleans Healing Center and La Source Ancienne Ounfo will be putting on Vodou Immersion evening. This is a night of food and community where people will be discussing the Vodou religion, experiencing a brief demonstration of a Vodou veve ceremony with initiated drummers and singers, and offering some light “Gede fare” created by Seed, and some rum drinks. The organizers will give a glimpse into the world of Vodou, smash some stereotypes, and inform our city’s influencers about the Day of the Dead/Fet Gede celebration and ceremony on November 1st. It all starts at 5:30 PM on Wednesday night. 

Wednesday, October 17/Effervescence (1036 N. Rampart Street): In case you haven’t noticed, New Orleans is being taken over by film this week. Cinema Reset, the New Orleans Film Festival, The Backyard Festival, and the list goes on and on. But, what is this? Free movies focused around a Halloween theme? And they say culture doesn’t come cheap. Well, at Effervescence at 7:00 PM, they will be screening Interview with a Vampire. That’s right Kirsten Dunst as a young, kinda bratty vampire, and then those other two guys that might have you tilting your neck by the end of the night hoping for just one little nibble. And do we even need to mention our hometown girl (and author) Anne Rice? You can give her some love and bite into this film on Wednesday night. 

Thursday, October 18/The Starlight (817 St. Louis Street): You ready for a bit of a healthier happy hour in the heart of the French Quarter? There will be yoga, cocktails, food and music every Thursday at The Starlight Lounge, starting this week. Karina, yoga instructor, will be upstairs in the Balcony Rooms for an all-levels vinyasa flow from 6-7 PM. Your $15 drop-in fee includes a post-yoga cocktail or fresh juice mocktail. For full details, you can check out the event page here. 

Friday, October 19/New Orleans Museum of Art (1 Collins Diboll Circle): Blato Zlato returns to the New Orleans Museum of Art’s Friday Nights at NOMA series on the evening of Friday October 19 from 5:30-8:30 PM. Come for an evening of live music as well as talks and activities led by the artists. Regular admission prices apply—NOMA members are free—but there is no extra charge for programs or films. For full details, check out NOMA’s event page. 

Saturday, October 20/Louis Armstrong Park: It may still be hot as blazes, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting comfort food. That’s why you can get excited because the Mac ‘N Cheese Fest is happening this weekend. This is the second annual New Orleans festival celebrating the greatest comfort food known to man. The festival is free to enter. Food/drink tickets and other swag are available for presale here. This year’s festival will showcase even more restaurants than last year as well as a musical lineup, new vendors, and attractions! For more information about this event, you can check out their event page here. 

Saturday, October 20/French Quarter: It’s time for the Halloween parade to begin! Seriously, no one does Halloween like New Orleans does Halloween, and you can see it in full force with the Krewe of Boo parade. It starts rolling at 6:30 PM. 

Monday, October 22/The Blue House (1700 S. Rampart): After a weekend of dance, drinking, and more dance, you can get your mind jolted again with  The Blue House Reading Group. Each month they take turns sending out a short creative piece—a story, poem, essay, book excerpt, graphic novel, you name it. The piece can be your own work-in-progress or something from your favorite author or website. Either way, their goal is to come together, have meaningful conversations, and grow as readers and writers. This month they’ll be talking about an essay by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, a New Orleans writer whose debut novel We Cast a Shadow will be out in January 2019. Here’s a link to his “The Taking of Freret Street.” Take a read and then join the group at 6:00 PM on Monday.