We got your weekend: Culture, cups and a cruise

The Steamboat Natchez hosts their Family Fun Day cruise Saturday afternoon.

Thursday / Jazz in the Park : People United for Armstrong Park will resume their free Fall concert series, Jazz in the Park, now with nearly twelve hours (noon to 11 PM) of festivities. Before the main event — musical sets from soulful funk singer/songwriter Mia Borders and brass band The Stooges, from 4 – 8 PM at Armstrong Park’s Congo Square — there will an Arts and Crafts Village (noon – 4 PM), where folks can purrose a selection of local art, grab a bite or a drink from food trucks and vendors and enjoy music from The Yisrael Trio. Following Border’s and The Stooges performances, the show goes on in an after-party at Kermit Ruffins’ Treme Speakeasy (1535 Basin Street) from 8 to 11PM.

Thursday / A bite of New Orleans’ past : In the just the past year, New Orleans’ culinary scene has changed considerably, which leaves one to wonder: Just how much has it transformed throughout the decades?

For two nights only (the first of which occurred on Tuesday, September 3), The Friends of the Cabildo host Hidden Treasures of the Louisiana State Museum: Restaurants Edition, a guided, behind-the-scenes tour of The Louisiana State Museum’s current exhibition, featuring a collection of New Orleans menus, cookbooks and restaurant artifacts from iconic local eateries such as Galatoire’s, Antoine’s and Commanders Palace.

The one hour tours (beginning at 6 PM and 7 PM; $20 per person / $15 for Friends of the Cabildo) will take place at the Old U.S. Mint (400 Esplanade Avenue). Reservations (available at 504-523-3939) are required.

Thursday / A spot of tea : During Ogden’s weekly After Hours event (6 – 8 PM), the museum hosts the opening of its seventh annual invitational exhibition, Art of the Cup: Functional Comfort. The showcase, aimed at displaying the ceramic medium’s capacity to simultaneously satisfy both functional and artistic purposes, will feature two cups from each of seventy Southern-based ceramists. In conjunction with the exhibit, Ogden has also orchestrated its inaugural Teapot Spotlight, which will feature select teapots from the same program of artists. The showcase runs through December 7.

As part of this week’s After Hours event, there will also be a performance from percussionist Mike Dillon, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich; food from Miss Linda’s Soul Food Catering; and a kid’s art activity table. Admission is $10 at the door.

Saturday / Flamenco spotlight : Cafe Istanbul (2372 St Claude) beckons New Orleanians off of their sofas and away from cycling summer reruns with “Noche Flamenca,” a cultural evening celebrating flamenco music and dance. The multifaceted showcase features guitar sets, vocal performances and authentic flamenco dance. Artists include locally based flamenco guitarist John Lawrence, professional flamenco dancer Eliza Llewellyn, as well as performers from Andalucia, Spain, the birthplace of flamenco.

The show is from 6:30 – 8:30 PM (doors open at 6 PM). Tickets are $15 in advance / $20 at the door.

Saturday / If you can’t stand the heat : Hell hath no fury like a young child throwing a heat-induced tantrum.

Families can catch a breeze this Saturday at the Steamboat Natchez’s Family Fun Day. The afternoon cruise (from 2:30 – 4:30 PM) will not only provide guests with a breather from the Dog Days of…September, I guess, but also offer a selection of entertainment, including clowns, caricaturists, alligators (and their handlers), costumed characters, games and readings from a children’s author. A family food menu is also available for an additional fee. Reservations ($15 for adults and $7.50 for children 6 – 12 years) are required, available online or by calling 504-569-1401. Boarding begins at 2 PM at Natchez’s dock (Toulouse at the Mississippi River).

Saturday / Shane’s shout out : England in 1819, Prom Date, Mobley at The BEATnik (1637 Clio), time and cover TBD

Baton Rouge’s England in 1819 is a classically trained duo that wields synthesizers and French horn to craft immersive soundscapes that mask some impeccable songwriting. They only swing through town a few times a year, and this show at the newly opened BEATnik is an ideal setting to catch them.

Sunday / A spoonful of sugar : A dash of salt and a pinch of sugar can go a long way; the same bits of doctored-up variations go even further.

As part of the French Market’s culinary series, French Market Fare, Liz Williams, Director of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, hosts a DIY flavored sugars and salts demo in which teaches attendees how to flavored iterations of each staple ingredient. The demo, which begins at 2 PM at the French Market stage between Ursuline and Governor Nicholls, is free and open to the public.