April means festivals

A young festival goer in New Orleans

There is something magical about New Orleans in springtime. The azaleas are in full bloom with dazzling displays of purple, white, pink and red against a sea of green. By mid-March and April the air is typically fed by high pressure cells and the relative humidity plunges downward, making for several very pleasant, temperate days. Occasionally, violent thunderstorms will emerge as low pressure cells from the Gulf of Mexico clash with them, but those days are few in number. With the onset of this mostly pleasant weather comes the opportunities for outdoor fun and exploration. It doesn't take a genius to know that spring is here and the time for festivals abounds as much as those blooming azaleas. The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival at the end of March kept a number of the literati busy discussing what is the centennial of the birth of one of America's most famous playwrights. Several attendees caught the last of the Historic New Orleans Collections display "Drawn to Life,"a half century of Al Hirschfeld's drawings dealing with Tennessee Williams plays. It closed April 3. While that was intended to keep most folks indoors, the Freret Street Festival last Saturday was just the first of several small festivals intended to boost one neighborhood or specific food group or item. Tomorrow the French Quarter Festival begins for the first time on a Thursday; it has become so successful that a fourth day of fun was added this year. Last year an estimated 400,000 locals and tourists swamped the French Quarter, enjoying food, the unique architecture and a plethora of stages with live music acts. Meanwhile, the folks in Pontchatoula will be hosting their annual Strawberry Festival this weekend as well. For those that make the drive to the country there are several musical acts of note and countless ways to enjoy the noble aggregate fruit. The succession of festivals will continue. By the time the month starts to ebb, the granddaddy of them all - Jazz Fest (the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival) - will be in full swing. Ah yes, it's definitely springtime in New Orleans. I can hear, see, smell and taste it all.

Living for festivals

Today marks the start of two well-regarded festivals in and around New Orleans. For those of us who love the country, there is the Pontchatoula Strawberry Festival, a three-day affair with the heralded Louisiana strawberry at the epicenter of praise and attention that must be paid. It should be an impressive opportunity for everyone to enjoy the juicy, red aggregate fruits in a variety of fashions: from chocolate covered to preserves and beyond. The lineup of musicians include The Wise Guys, Bag of Donuts and Amanda Shaw. Typically, there will be strawberry eating contests and the like. It's good, clean family fun and a crate of strawberries is something of a bargain for those who drive to the sleepy old town. Instead of driving the 50 minutes or so to Pontchatoula, many more visitors and residents will flock to the busy Vieux Carre, the home of the French Quarter Festival. A slew of stages with a huge roster of local stars will continue throughout the weekend with activities not winding down until dusk on Sunday. In terms of numbers the French Quarter Fest is the largest annual festival held in the city and relatively young. The reason is that the cost is free to the public, unlike the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival or the Essence Festival, which charge patrons hefty fees for admittance Parking costs $20 per slot - a 25% increase over regular weekend rates - and off street parking is virtually unavailable. While the names of the performers are not as hallowed as those at the Jazz or Essence Festivals, they are local luminaries and well-regarded purveyors of such widely varying forms of music as traditional jazz, funk, Cajun, classical, contemporary jazz, rock, soul, samba, cabaret, swing, beepop, Latin, Mardi Gras Indian and everything else in between. Several evening venues at hotels and a riverboat jazz cruise will require a ticket for admission, but all of the stages on city streets like Bourbon, Royal, Woldenberg Park and the French Market are free. It is a love fest to the city and one that signals the true blossoming of spring in the city. Food and drink are available for a price at four different locations throughout the festival. Typical costs are $5.00 per item. Jazz Fest will arrive in two weeks and that also is typically the onset of the hot and humid days of summer, even though summer is officially many months away. There is only one bad word that can be uttered over the course of the weekend and that word is rain. The weather forecasters suggest virtually no chance of that for the weekend, so it should be clear skies, lively music, delicious food and lots of family fare fun in the mix. Laissez les bon temps rouler.

French Quarter Fest

The French Quarter Fest is in full swing with an estimated 450,000 guests streaming into the Vieux Carre to experience live music, to witness lots of crazy partying and to sample many delicious offerings throughout the three-day event. The smells of the French Quarter are not what one usually writes about. However, the air of sweet success permeates the area this weekend with well over $140 million in sales generated and approximately 10 percent of that going into city coiffers. It seems ironic that the Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrating its 40th anniversary this year gets all of the press, because the French Quarter Festival with its paltry three days outpolls the Jazz Fest by nearly one-third. By contrast, Jazz Fest occupies a week of performances at the New Orleans Fairgrounds. French Quarter Fest is free to the public, while Jazz Fest tickets are usually about $40 with parking, food, drinks, and souvenirs all extra. A typical couple will spend a minimum of $100 at the Jazz Fest, but more realistically will spend closer to $140. That's a lot of money compared to the free French Quarter Festival. Frankly, there's a lot to be said about enjoying and exploring the oldest section of the city. The only thing that could be a damper on the festivities is the likelihood of rain. Oh, well, the French Quarter Festival has it over the Jazz Fest here too. If it rains, one just has to pop inside a shop or bar. If it rains at the Jazz Fest, prepare for mud and a new purchase of shoes.

French Quarter Festival, V-Day kick off; Dr. Kroger kicks the bucket

Wow! It's been 25 years that the New Orleans French Quarter Festival has been in full swing, starting initially as a very small attempt to beef up attendance from locals into the French Quarter, which had acquired the unseemly reputation of a dirty, dingy and dangerous area of the city. When it first started, a few local artists played some traditional jazz selections and several French Quarter restaurants sold a few of their menu items to the anxious crowds. Over the years the caliber of artists has been raised and the number of stages for performances has increased substantially to 17. The number of participating restaurants and the variety of menu offerings has, likewise, leapfrogged. It is possible to even bring kids to the very family-friendly events that occur from today through Sunday. Special events include a "second line" parade this morning, a battle of the bands, and an oyster eating contest. Local luminary and pianist Ronnie Kole's brass statue was unveiled in ceremonies at the Legends Park on Bourbon Street. Add to this the celebration of V-Day down at the Superdome with stars like Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda and "Vagina Monologues" author Eve Ensler and there's lots of stuff happening way down yonder in New Orleans. For those who want to get out of town, this is also the weekend for the Pontchatoula Strawberry Festival. Surprisingly, Pontchatoula's most famous daughter, Irma Thomas, is not appearing at the French Quarter Festival. So who knows? Maybe that's a good spot to hang out this weekend, away from all of the hubbub and traffic of the downtown and Vieux Carre areas.
Sad news for "Monk" fans: Those who know me well know that I am a particular fan of TV's "Monk." I note with sadness the passing of Stanley A. Kamel, the gifted actor who portrayed the obsessive compulsive detective's overtaxed psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Kroger. Kamel, 65, was found dead of an apparent heart at his Beverly Hills home. He was a veteran of TV for decades having played a number of roles on TV soaps like "Days of Our Lives" and prime time fare like "Beverly Hills 90210." As Dr. Kroger, Kamel had a marvelous part, which he played to perfection opposite Tony Shaloub's quriky Adrian Monk. He will be missed by "Monk" fans across the globe.