New Orleans Tricentennial



New Orleans is celebrating its 300th Anniversary this year and this was one reason we needed to check out what's new and coming up in the city. Have to admit though, that not too much is yet to notice in regard to the anniversary, to the contrary: lots of construction is still going on all over town and there are just a couple of flags to commemorate the big event.

We drove into New Orleans on this beautiful Sunday morning, sunny and warm, taking the scenic route from New Iberia: first Hwy. 182 along Bayou Teche, passing a few historic plantation homes, to Morgan City and then US 90 - the Old Spanish Trail - into New Orleans. Then we had to get used first to the different pace in again, starting at AVIS, when we returned our car. It took us quite a bit to check the car out. Fortunately, the brandnew Jung Hotel was just across the street from the rental station, on upper Canal Street (on pic further below), with a streetcar stop in front of the hotel.

The Jung Hotel with a little over 200 hotel rooms plus rental apartments is situated in a historic building and was only recently renovated and reopened as part of The New Orleans Hotel Collection. The slick large marble lobby area with lots of art on the walls, with a bar, a restaurant and many seating areas is truly impressive, but our room is rather on the small side, no view, though excellently equipped and conveniently furnished with safe, coffeemaker, fridge, etc.

We went out again immediately after check-in at noon to buy a MTA 3-day-pass (for all public transportation) at Walgreens drug store, and from there we walked to Armstrong Park, where the Annual Congo Square Rhythms Festival,one of many music festivals in town, was taking place this weekend. After African dance performances (pic top left) and bands on Saturday and Sunday, the afternoon was mostly dedicated to Brass Bands. Especially the "Glass Got Brass" competition was a real treat: over 20 middle and highschool bands in two categories (beginners/advanced) performed for a panel of well-known judges from the music scene for prize money up to $ 10,000 ($ 40,000 in total), which has to be used for instruments or other band supplies. The Jazz & Heritage Foundation, which is also organizing the prestigious Jazz Festival, is supporting art education in the school system while promoting NO's traditional culture. It's amazing how enthusiastic and talented these kids were!

The park was packed with (mostly Afro-American) people, there were (soul) food and (some) other vendors and the atmosphere was great, the weather perfect, and we stayed till early evening to listen to exceptional music, the finale was a concert of Hot 8 Brass Band, a funky modern band of big men, dressed in orange shirts, before we walked back along the Riverfront and the "Mighty Mississippi River".