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Spotlight: Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans  

seno1
May 6, 2012 By In Culture

By: Caroline Stivers

 

Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (SENO) aims to encourage the development and sustainability of local burgeoning entrepreneurs wishing to make a positive, concrete impact on the New Orleans community.  Through its annual PitchNOLA event, SENO encourages local entrepreneurial spirits to pitch their business ideas to an audience of hundreds for the chance to win start-up capital and get valuable feedback.  SENO’s other initiative, the Social Venture Accelerator, matches year-long fellows with seasoned mentors in order to help each fellow make his or her fledgling business or organization sustainable and impactful.  Since 2011 alone, SENO’s Accelerator Fellows have generated combined revenues of over $2 million, created dozens of jobs, and addressed serious local issues including education, the environment, and food security.

643 Magazine St., Suite 102 http://www.seno-nola.org/ 

A Tugg For NOLA

tuggscreencap
May 5, 2012 By In Culture, Events, Theater, TV and Film

Have you ever sat in The Prytania and found yourself staring not at the screen but at the projection booth; wondering what it would be like to show a movie in a theatre like this?

With Tugg, you no longer have to wonder. Through this new startup service, anybody can choose a movie from its collection, pick a local theatre they want to see it at, promote the event, and, if enough people agree to show up, it happens!

New Orleans area theatres can only benefit from promoting Tugg events; the more people know – the more events get created, the more tickets get bought, the more snacks get bought, the more word of mouth spreads – everybody wins.

And the city could see it’s first Tugg screening next week. A local moviegoer is trying to setup a showing of “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” at Canal Place on May 10. So far, 26 people have signed up – 24 more are needed to make this happen. We have one day left (deadline is evening of May 6).  Help bring this to NOLA…

<Update: With a little over an hour left before the deadline, the event reached it’s required number of guests! 10 seats are still available, but you only have under 3 days to reserve.>

<Update 2: The event is now SOLD OUT! Fret not; go register with Tugg, and setup your own screening.>

New Defend New Orleans Posters

defend
May 4, 2012 By In Art, Culture

 

Defend New Orleans has just released a new series of posters. They retail for $20 and are available online and at the Defend store – 1101 First St. at Magazine St. in the Garden District. $10 from each supports Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp.

Order now: http://www.defendneworleans.com/posters/
Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp: http://louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com/

Getting Dressed for Jazzfest

Preppy
April 24, 2012 By In Culture, Events, Fashion, Music

By: Elizabeth Tran

Dressing for a festival can be tricky. How does one look cute and factor in the reality of practicality, especially in a place like New Orleans in the springtime? Jazzfest is going to be sunny, dusty, and messy. Yes, messy. Please tell me how to eat a soft shell crab po-boy without making it look like mayo, bread crumbs, and shredded lettuce vomited all over me. We have all experienced the difficulty of choosing a great outfit for those weekends at the fairgrounds that will look good despite all the obstacles. Luckily, I have perfected my own festival looks and am going to share them with you.


Nothing says bohemian like a maxi skirt. A maxi dress works in this case as well, but I like to do skirts because it offers me the opportunity to mix and match with colors. Spring is a great time to bust out the bright colors and make unexpected matches, so put the gray away cause it ain’t winter anymore honey. Just remember to balance out the long skirt with a less covered up top and avoid looking like a nun.


Sometimes I can only handle my feet being dusty and disgusting for like the first few days of Jazzfest. Yeah, the gladiator sandals are cute and whatever, but the dust and mud at the fairgrounds is really terrible for my pedi. When I just can’t take it anymore, I bring out my motorcycle boots for one last hurrah before stashing them away until fall rolls around again. The trick is to show off those gams with shorts or mini dresses, and feminize those tough boots with floral prints and some lace.


Being a little bit preppy at all times is kind of what the South is all about. Just take a walk Uptown and try and tell me you didn’t count more than 10 polo shirts and Sperry Topsiders within a 3-block radius. Bringing some of that charm to Jazzfest is all about balance. Wear a button up and give your shoulders a break from the sun for a day, but tuck it into shorts that have a fun print. Wear a quirky hat or scarf to loosen up your look. You will look pulled together regardless of how many beers you had.

Just remember, it’s all about the details. Not just the accessories and adorbs jewelry, but the little things you will need and might forget to pack. If you leave your sunglasses at home, you will kick yourself. A watch will help keep track of when shows are starting. Bringing a purse will be useful, but a pain in the ass if it’s not cross-body, just saying’. Are you wearing lipstick today? Don’t forget to bring the tube with you or by 3 pm it will be all gone from the makeout sesh you had with crawfish bread earlier. Happy festing!

5 REASONS I LOVE JAZZ FEST

Jazz Fest
April 23, 2012 By In Culture, Events, Music

April 27 – May 6 is JAZZ FEST! I love love love Jazz Fest. I consider it my third favorite holiday of the year, after Mardi Gras and Halloween. Jazz Fest is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year for both locals and visitors alike. I have loved Jazz Fest since I moved to Louisiana for college and try to go every year when I can get away from work. Here are my top 5 reasons for loving Jazz Fest:

5. CRAWFISH BREAD

One cannot attend Jazz Fest without eating crawfish bread at least once. Most of us want to eat it every day we attend. Festival food in New Orleans is something special, and crawfish bread is by far the pinnacle of the choices you can get. Oooey gooey cheesy deliciousness pretty much sums up the entree. If you haven’t tried it, you are missing out. Get some at your first opportunity. If you are interesting in the list of all the food choices, click here.

4. ENTHUSIASM OF THE CROWDS

People come to Jazz Fest to listen to the music, eat, and have a good time. I don’t think I have ever seen a fight break out or heard about crowd violence at any recent Jazz Fest. People are having a great time and showing love to the musicians who are taking the stages. Everyone is happy to be there, no matter the weather. It is a completely different vibe than the rowdy, sometimes violent Mardi Gras crowds.

3. THE WEATHER

Having the festival in late April / early May means that while the weather is usually warm, it isn’t the Godawful hot that comes to NOLA in July and August. I remember Jazz Fests with unseasonably hot or cold weather, but for most of the recent ones, the weather was perfect for an outdoor festival. Rain can sometimes be an issue, but we just put on ponchos and fight our way to the front of the stage.

2. TOURISTS

Yes, I love them. You should, too. As a local, I recognize our need for tourists. As I have said in some of my previous articles, we need tourists and their money here in NOLA. Tourists keep our hotels full and our restaurants busy, and this translates to money pouring into our economy. One of the beautiful things about Jazz Fest is that it takes place on two weekends, and visitors that come for the entire thing spend a week here, with several days in between the weekends filled with shopping and eating. Jazz Fest acts also finish up early enough that people can go out to dinner and listen to more music in local bars and lounges.

1. THE MUSIC

Other cities have festivals like Coachella and Burning Man. We have Jazz Fest and Voodoo Fest, and Jazz Fest has by far the best and widest selection of both local and international favorites. Where else can you listen to DJ Soul Sister followed by Cee Lo Green and culminating in a choice between Tom Petty or Feist? There are hundreds of amazing acts, and no matter what day you choose to attend, you can find someone you want to hear. Usually the hard part is trying to decide who you want to listen to, since up to 11 people are usually playing at the same time. Click here to view the lineup.

Jazz Fest is coming up soon, and you can purchase one day tickets or special passes that come with additional benefits. You can check out your options on the website.

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Nikki Randolph is a LSU grad with a degree in political science. By day, she is a minion to the man; by night, she is a Faulkner wannabe. You can follow her on twitter @nolajeepgirl.