The V Side: Photographs, sweet jazz and Southern textiles

Along with artist Mark Kirk, students from Sacred Heart’s environmental club built Christmas trees out of used light bulbs to be displayed along Magazine St for Green Light New Orleans.

THURSDAY / Green light district: The environmentally conscious side of you should get down to the Green Light District’s Holiday “Eco-celebration” tonight. From 5 – 9 p.m., stroll the 2000 and 2100 blocks of Magazine Street and enjoy live music, complimentary refreshments, special event sales at the neighborhood’s shops, trunk shows, a live green Santa, and informational tables by several local non-profits and presentations from eco-minded service organizations. A special presentation will also include the lighting of Green Light New Orleans’ Christmas trees created out of used light bulbs by artist Mark Kirk and members of Academy of the Sacred Heart’s Environmental Club. The repurposed Christmas trees will be displayed along Magazine Street’s Green Light District throughout the holiday season to create awareness for Green Light New Orleans’ mission and their initiative Citizens for Light.

THURSDAY / From Sidney with love: Local clarinetist extraordinaire Evan Christopher hits a hat trick with the release of the third CD in his Clarinet Road series. The CD Release Party for In Sidney’s Footsteps features material Evan recorded in Paris during his post-Katrina artist residency there, all of it paying homage to the great Sidney Bechet, who spent his last years as a star in France. The musicians featured on the CD are all France-based players with whom Evan worked frequently prior to his return to New Orleans in 2008 and helped him form groups like the popular “Django a la Creole” and “Jazz Traditions Project.” The music plays at 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro,

SATURDAY / Latin accents: The second annual Latin Jazz Fest celebrates the Latin American influence on jazz. Organized by Casa Borrega, the event features some of the best local talent in the genre, including Mas Mamones, the Afro Cuban beat of Otra, the Nuyorican sounds of Influencia de Jazz, and some Brazilian Bossa Nova from Riccardo Crespo. Other featured vocalists are Hondurans Fredy Omar and Paky8Saavedra. There will be lots of dancing on Rock-n-Bowl’s beautiful floor, beginning at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at 300 South Carrollton Ave.

THURSDAY-SUNDAY / Picture perfect: PhotoNOLA unspools this weekend with a broad-ranging array of photography exhibitions at galleries across the city. The New Orleans Photo Alliance coordinates the annual show, adding portfolio reviews, workshops, lectures and demonstrations to the mix. The event kicks off with a gala from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Musee Conti Historical Wax Museum, with music by Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns followed by a live auction of contemporary photography; tickets are $25 at the door. Many of the events are free; click here for the full schedule.

FRIDAY / Sustainable looks: Fashion hits the floor at the Ogden Museum with Haute and Handmade, a showcase of Southern contemporary couture featuring Alabama Chanin, a company that focuses on sustainability in fashion design. New Orleans designers whose work incorporates Southern textiles also will be featured in the event, which takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the museum at 925 Camp St. Tickets are $12 ($10 for members and $5 for 17 and under).

Aurora Nealand at the new Marigny Opera House Friday

FRIDAY / Candelight en masse: The Marigny Opera House (formerly Holy Trinity Catholic Church) is that neighborhood’s newest performance space. The venue presents its very first performance, Mark Growden and Friends, featuring Aurora Nealand and Helen Gillet, a candlelit concert of sparkling solos by three of New Orleans’ most eclectic musicians, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at 725 Ferdinand Street. A $10 donation is requested, and it’s first come, first seated.