We’ve got your weekend: Haunting nights of art, music, and a run for a diamond

Event Pick of the Week: The Mortuary, the Cult of 13 

The Mortuary Haunted House. (Photo from: themortuary.net)

What: A Haunted House

Where: 4800 Canal Street

When: It’s open from Tuesday, October 29 to Sunday, November 2

Why: Well, besides the obvious of it being HALLOWEEN, this Haunted House is an icon of old New Orleans; less than 3 miles from the French Quarter on the cemetery streetcar line, this mansion was originally built in 1872 and operated for about 80 years as an actual mortuary. So you’re walking through an actual mortuary that has been turned into a haunted house mortuary. If that doesn’t make you scream, we don’t know what will. Tickets to the haunted house are $30, and you can get yours here. 

And now for the rest of the WEEK(end)

George Dunbar in his studio, October 2019. (Photo provided by: Callan Contemporary)

Wednesday, October 30/The Cove at UNO (Founders Road, 2000 Lakeshore Drive): Jazz at the Sandbar is in full speed, and they are continuing their UNO series with organist Jean-Yves Jung on Wednesday. Jazz at the Sandbar, held at UNO’s the Cove, is designed to provide UNO Jazz Studies students an opportunity to get real life experience performing with respected professional musicians in front of a live audience. The series is presented on Wednesday nights during the fall and spring semesters and features a different respected jazz artist each week. The concert is free for the UNO community, and there is a suggested donation of $10 to the general public. The concert begins at 7:00 PM.

Thursday, October 31/The Parlor in the Pontchartrain Hotel (2031 Saint Charles Avenue): It’s not all about trick-or-treating or hitting the streets of Frenchman for Halloween. It’s also about the music! This Halloween, you can head on over to The Parlor for a festive Halloween concert. The Parlor will be hosting Parlor Poltergeist featuring  performances by J & The Causeways, Roadside Glorious, and Juno Dunes. But, of course, guests are encouraged to dress to impress and wear their best Halloween costume for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Jack Rose or Hot Tin. It all starts at 9:00 PM, and tickets are $20, which you can get here.

Friday, November 1/Tipitina’s (501 Napoleon Ave): If you are ready for some more music (and who isn’t?) on Friday night, Keller Williams  is set to perform with his bluegrass outfit Keller & The Keels at Tipitina’s.  Williams will be on vocals, and he’ll be joined by flatpicker Larry Keel and bassist Jenny Keel as they perform original pieces and covers in a psychedelic bluegrass style. The trio will continue to tour throughout the fall in support of their upcoming record and Williams’ 25th studio release, Speed, which is due out on November 22. Get a sneak preview via your ears with the live show on Friday. Doors open at 10:00 PM with the show beginning at 11:00 PM. Tickets are $25, and you can purchase them here. 

Saturday, November 2/Callan Contemporary (518 Julia Street): In his sixth solo exhibition with Callan Contemporary, abstract painter and sculptor George Dunbar presents a new body of work in his show “Moon Gold.” Dunbar is revisiting many of the stylistic periods that have made him an esteemed figure in modern and contemporary art. Alternately gestural, hard-edged, and Baroque in character, the series included in the exhibition— Coin Du Lestin, Rouville, Bonfouca, Surge, and Marshgrass—bear the unmistakable aesthetic thumbprint that makes each piece instantly recognizable as his own. A common thread uniting these artworks is Dunbar’s use of moon gold, hence the show’s title. Besides all of his credentials, which are way too many to list in a paragraph, George Dunbar is serious artistic badass. Age doesn’t matter to him, he’s out there working in his studio everyday. The opening will be from 6:00 Pm until 9:00 PM. 

Sunday, November 3/Lafayette Square (S Maestri Place): Do you want to add a little bling to your holiday season? If you like a good scavenger hunt, you’re going to want to be part of Ramsey’s upcoming Diamond Dash. This “Race for the Ring” offers participants a chance to win a $7,500 Gabriel & Co. designer engagement ring. It’s a digital treasure hunt hosted by Ramsey’s Diamond Jewelers in conjunction with Generations Hall, Bella Productions, and B97. Participants will use an app on their phone which provides fun challenges at GPS hotspots in the local area around the Central Business District in New Orleans. The couple with the most points at the end wins a Gabriel & Co. engagement ring from Ramsey’s valued at $7,500! The race starts at 2:30 PM in Lafayette Square. Registration and festivities start at 1:00 PM, and the race ends at 4:30 PM with an after-party and awards ceremony at Generations Hall.

Sunday, November 3/New Orleans Shaolin-Do (4210 St. Claude Avenue): If you are wanting to get the basics of self-defense in your skills then there is a class and workshop for you. This class is an all-levels self defense and fitness class based on the ancient art of kung fu. It distills the most practical and easily-accessible techniques into an effective self-defense program while keeping the humble and non-macho atmosphere of traditional kung fu. You’ll learn how to use your body in a forceful way and keep your mind calm in stressful situations, and no martial arts experience necessary. The class is at 11:00 AM, and you can find out more details here.