BOO!!!

Love this photo ~ he definitely has the spirit! Pushing a shopping cart of pumpkins through the storied New Orleans streets of the French Quarter. HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all :)

Halloween at the Hive!

The Hornets are back home in NOLA! Halloween night is the home opener at the New Orleans Arena. There will also be trick or treating for the kiddos, a costume contest (with $500 for 1st place) and a free t-shirt for every fan in attendance.

Tyson Chandler, Chris Paul ~ CP3 and the gang will be taking on Mike Bibby and the rest of the Sacramento Kings.

Halloween at the Hive!
NBA Basketball
Hornets vs Kings
Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
7:00 PM
New Orleans Arena
1501 Girod Street
New Orleans, LA

( 504 ) 525-HOOP

Halloween Night at the Mortuary!

"Funeral home gone amok!" The Mortuary is a great place to celebrate Halloween night! Doors open at 7:00 PM tonight. They will stay open as long as their guests can stand it.

Tickets go on sale at 6:30 PM. General admission is $20. If you don't want to wait in the long lines, you can purchase VIP tickets for $30. You can also get online coupons through their website. We like discounts :) Just provide your email address and they will send you a printable coupon!

The Mortuary Haunted House
Halloween Night
October 31st, 2007
7:00 PM until at least 11:30 PM
4800 Canal Street
(Bernadotte St @ Canal)
New Orleans, LA

Website : www.themortuary.net

Parking : Limited valet parking at the door. Free off street parking on Canal Street. Or, offsite parking is available at the Delgado City Park Avenue lot, with bus service back & forth to the haunted house for $5.

Update on Dooky Chase's Restaurant Reopening

A little update for everyone regarding Dooky Chase's Restaurant. You can now get their yummy food to go! Pick up your take out order! The dining room is still not open yet for dine in. However, it is available for special occasions, family gatherings after funerals, etc. In fact, Chef Leah and staff feed President Bush on his recent trip to New Orleans in August. Word is they hope to offer full service in the next month or so.

Dooky Chase's Restaurant

2301 Orleans Avenue

( 504 ) 821-0535

New Orleans City Skyline and Vintage Postcard Wallpapers

For your viewing enjoyment ~ two ever-so-delightful "New Orleans Theme" desktop background wallpapers! :)

The 1st wallpaper is a scenic photo sent in to us by a loyal Nola-Blog reader named Jack. Jack said, "this is a awesome NOLA city skyline photograph taken at night." He wasn't lying! Thanks Jack!!

The next wallpaper is a replica of a vintage postcard style logo from the 1940's. It's for the great city of New Orleans & features a lot of the famous landmarks, symbols & buildings ~ like the Saint Louis Cathedral, Magnolia Blossom, Andrew Jackson Monument & the French Quarter. Please feel free to use these New Orleans wallpapers as a background in a MySpace layout, on your website or to give you something pretty to look at on your computer desktop!

Just click on the image you like to get the bigger version. Then, right click on it and save as wallpaper. Done!

Blaine Kern's Haunted Fun House

Looking for more Halloween fun in NOLA? Blaine Kern's Haunted Fun House is there for you! This spooky event is provided by the Krewe of Boo, and takes place inside Mardi Gras World. Aside from scary, Halloween entertainment you will also be supporting the Greater New Orleans First Responders Fund! Oooooooo.... you can also be part of the escapade by volunteering as a ghost, ghoulie, ticket taker, house guide, etc.

Blaine Kern's Haunted Fun House

Thursday, October 25th to Wednesday, October 31st

Open Halloween Night ~ 10/31/07

7:00 PM to Midnight

Tickets $12.00

233 Newton Street

New Orleans, LA

( 504 ) 361-7821

Take the Canal Street Ferry free of charge! Plus, it is a great ride across the Mississippi River. :) You can also take the shuttle or drive yourself.

Greater New Orleans First Responders Fund

http://www.gnofrf.org/

Halloween costume contest for doggies at the Canine Connection

The Canine Connection is a doggie daycare, grooming, boarding, healthy pet food & treats, clothing, toys and gift store. You can even host your pet's next birthday party at their fun location. If your puppy is staying with them, you can even check in on one of their web cams.

On Halloween night, they are having a Halloween Canine Costume Contest! The proceeds will benefit the Louisiana SPCA. :) It only costs $5 bucks to enter the contest. Prizes will go to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Shaggy's Seafood & Sandwich Shop is providing the food for the evening. Fun!

Canine Costume Contest

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Canine Connection

3440 Magazine Street

( 504 ) 218-4098

www.canineconnectionnola.com

www.la-spca.org

Bowling in costume for Halloween at Mid City Lanes

The New Orleans Bowling Meetup Group will be getting together on Saturday, October 27th to bowl in their Halloween costumes. :) As usual, this will take place at Mid - City Lanes "Rock and Bowl." Cocktails at 9:00 PM ~ bowling begins at 10:00 PM. Adding to your fun.... Bonerama is playing that night ($10 cover charge).

Bowl in your costume!

Saturday 10/27/2007

RSVP if you can join the group ~

http://bowling.meetup.com/97/calendar/6238255/?a=cl

Location ~

Mid City Lanes

"Rock 'N' Bowl"
4133 S. Carrollton Ave
New Orleans, LA 70119
( 504 ) 482-3482

Voodoo Music Experience Festival ~ October 26th to 28th

The Voodoo Music Experience is a high point each year for music fanatics. This year it is expanding to 3 days ~ 10/26/07 to 10/28/07. People come from around the globe. Incredible seeing that number of talented musicians (local and national) in one spot. Just to point out a few that have signed on for this year's show..... Rage Against the Machine, Dr. John, Common, Gym Class Heroes, Fleur De Tease Burlesque, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bonerama, The Black Crowes, Deacon John, Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy, Everlast, Zap Mama, Wilco, Hot 8 Brass Band, Plain White T's, Irma Thomas, Sinead O'Connor & The New Orleans Bingo! Show.

Halloween Weekend in New Orleans at City Park ~ Where else would you want to be??!??!?!?!

Voodoo Music Experience Festival 2007
Friday thru Sunday
October 26th, 27th and 28th
City Park (near Lelong Avenue)
New Orleans, LA

Above is a map of the festival grounds. Click on it to see a bigger, easier to read version.

Vintage New Orleans Postcard of Jackson Square from 1938

The colors on this vintage NOLA postcard of Jackson Square (originally the Place d' Armes) are simply lovely! It is from 1938. Notice that all the buildings ~ St Louis Cathedral, Cabildo, State Historical Museum (Presbytere) & Pontalba Apartments ~ and the Andrew Jackson Monument/Statue are helpfully labelled for you. :) One of the most recognizable scenes from New Orleans and the French Quarter.

Click on the image above for a larger version of the postcard.

Crescent City Blues Festival ~ October 19th & 20th

Music and New Orleans ~ they are woven together in my mind. Here is another chance to enjoy amazing musicians! The Second Annual Crescent City Blues Festival will take place on Friday, October 19th and Saturday, October 20th. Best of all...... it is FREE!

Sooooo many great singers and bands will be playing on two stages. Do you remember Bryan Lee ~ the blind guitarist featured at Old Absinthe House for several years? He will perform! Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Tab Benoit, Robert Belfour, Marva Wright, Papa Grows Funk, Tinsley Ellis, Bobby "Blue" Bland to name a few who will be singing for you.

There will also be a "Walk the Beat" 5K walk/run to support the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation for all you healthy people. ha! Entry fee is $20 in advance or $25 on site. Runners & walkers will receive a complimentary commemorative T-shirt. Race starts at 9:00 AM. The festival is presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation.

2nd Annual Crescent City Blues Festival

Free of charge!

Friday & Saturday

10/19/2007 & 10/20/2007

Lafayette Square Park

Across from Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue

Music starts @ 4:00 PM Friday & 11:30 AM Saturday

Bywater Art Market on the 3rd Saturday of each month

The next Bywater Art Market will be on Saturday, October 20th. It is held on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Paintings, jewelry, photography, scarves, sculptures, drawings, watercolors, garments and much more. There will be book signings by local authors Brad Benischeck and Ken Foster. Live music and food as well. Artists are also encouraged to apply to show your work!

Bywater Art Market

Saturday ~ 10/20/07

Markey Park

Royal Street and Peity Street

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

( 504 ) 944-7900

Email : BywaterArtMarket@aol.com

Schedule for the rest of 2007 ~ November 17th and December 15th

New Orleans Desktop Wallpapers : Street Scene & Natchez Steamboat

Yes, you got here just in time! Ha Ha, Here's some really wonderful New Orleans desktop wallpapers you can use in a MySpace layout or just to change your computer desktop background. The 1st image is in color & shows the famous Natchez Steamboat... docked & ready for passengers. It's not a true New Orleans experience without booking a ride on one of these babies ~ taking a ride on the mighty Mississippi River. The next NOLA wallpaper is a classic black & white photo showing a street band scene in the French Quarter. You'll see musicians like these every time you go. They're everywhere & it's just one of the charming things about this city....the great music! :)

Remember ~ we have another site dedicated to free, New Orleans themed wallpapers and images. Just click the link on the left side of this blog!

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VW Jetta commercial filmed in New Orleans

Volkswagen has some of the best commercials. Usually very witty & entertaining. This one is my absolute favorite. Bet you can't guess why?!! ha! It is called "Synchronicity" and came out in 1999 to promote the new 2000 VW Jetta. The ad was filmed on the rain soaked streets of the French Quarter ~ which couldn't be more perfect in my view. :) Music by DJ Master Cylinder. Speaking of music, how funny is it to see the passenger put in a cassette tape. Old school my friends!

"Art for Arts' Sake" ~ October 6, 2007

"Art for Arts' Sake" the annual Art Crawl event is this Saturday, October 6th! From 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. There are so many exciting artists, bands, galleries, restaurants and shops involved ~ it is impossible to describe it all. However, I will do my best for you. :)

You have to experience the 30 + art openings throughout the evening & the city. The French Quarter, Julia Street, Magazine Street and the Contemporary Arts Center are the hot spots. No matter what type of work you fancy ~ classical, sculpture, photography, jewelry or contemporary ~ you are sure to find it.

There will be a street party in the 300 to 600 blocks of Julia Street! Cash bars, music from the Panorama Jazz Band and food provided by Table One, Nirvana, Slice, Byblos, Riche by Todd English and La Divina Gelateria.

The best part? It is FREE to wander in & out of the galleries, antique shops, join in the street party crowd, etc.

Over at the Contemporary Arts Center, there will be several exhibitions ~ including the opening of a new Willie Birch show. (We really like his artwork.) It all starts @ 6:00 pm. The admission is $10, or free if you are a CAC member. The price of admission also grants you entry to the "Hot Jazz" afterparty from 7:00 to Midnight. The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Pinstripe Brass Band and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will be playing.

Free shuttle service between Magazine St, CAC, Julia St and Camp St from 6:00 to 10:00 PM.

More Info ~
( 504 ) 528 - 3805
www.cacno.org