Planning A Very Louisiana Derby Weekend

New Orleans offers racegoers many non-racing activities for their time away from the track. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire unless otherwise noted)
The culmination of the racing season at Fair Grounds takes place Saturday with the $1 million Louisiana Derby but, since this is New Orleans, let me help you get the party started early and offer some options to extend it as well.
Spring is here, that means festival season in Louisiana and there are a number to choose from this weekend. The weather forecast calls for plenty of sunshine!
The Tennesee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival kicks off on Wednesday and features plays and readings but my favorite moment of the festival is always the shouting contest in Jackson Square, which takes place on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. Inspired by a scene from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” you will hear loud shouts, see T-shirts being torn and enjoy a laugh or three. If you can holler loudly, get there early and sign up. This event is free.
I also hope to attend “I Never Get Dressed TIll After Dark On Sundays,” a one-act play with a dying girl and “a vulgar but appealing strip joint barker.” How New Orleans. Find more details, including ticket information, here.
To eat and drink like Mr. Williams, visit Galatoireʼs or Arnaudʼs. He ate at both frequently. Order a Sazerac, one of his favorites, and settle in for classic New Orleans dishes.
Also based in the French Quarter, NOLA Food Fest will feature blocks and blocks of local specialties and treats from around the country as well. This is not your usual festival, so donʼt expect the same old festival food. There is no charge to walk around but you will need to pay for food like: pulled pork po-boy, roast beef debris po-boy, meat pie, crawfish pie, char-grilled oysters, smothered rabbit po-boy, cracklin and so much more.
FIND PO-BOYS AND MORE ON THE STREETS OF NOLA

If you want to shop for some local art, be sure to head uptown to Palmer Park for the Arts Market of New Orleans held the last Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This not the same work you see in the French Quarter and I love exploring here from time to time. You can easily stop in before going to the races. There will be food available as well.
Hogs for the Cause starts Friday afternoon and continues all day Saturday and into the night. More than 80 teams will cook pig at City “Pork” Festival Grounds, competing in various categories. Some good music will accompany the feast and itʼs all for a good cause, raising money for pediatric brain cancer care.
Also in City Park is the Big Bass Rodeo and Fishtival. This happens on Saturday but you could easily get involved and make it to the Fair Grounds in time for racing. It is “the oldest freshwater rodeo in the country.” There are categories for different age groups, so everyone stands a chance.
A little farther afield there are some other, very Louisiana events:
Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Chalmette: Mudbug season is underway and you can get your fill of them at this festival, about 25 minutes east of New Orleans. There will be music and carnival games and rides but the reason to attend (and pay the $5 admission) is to eat crawfish! Get them boiled, for the pure experience, or eat them in bread with cheese (expect a long line for this booth) or pasta or pie or étouffée or jambalaya, or...you get the idea. The festival starts Thursday night and continues through Sunday.
THE CRAWFISH FESTIVAL OFFERS CRAWFISH OF ALL KINDS

Photo courtesy Louisiana Crawfish Festival
Crawfish Boil Championship in Marrero: Sorry race fans, this one takes place on Saturday, though you could easily visit for a while and still catch all the stakes races. Marrero is across the Mississippi River about 15 minutes from downtown New Orleans (budget 25 minutes to get to Fair Grounds). Admission is $25 for anyone over 18, children are $10, free under 12. That price means you “get to sample crawfish, corn, sausage, potatoes and anything else in the pot from each competing team.” Last year they had more than 50 teams, so expect to have lots to sample. Concessions and rides are extra.
World Championship Crawfish Étouffée Cookoff in Eunice: First, the good news: this takes place on Sunday, March 29 and music starts at 10 a.m. The bad news? The drive from New Orleans is a little over 2 1/2 hours each way. You could easily make a day of it though, explore Lafayette and Acadiana, the heart of cajun country. Admission to the étouffée cookoff is free; buy your dishes from the cooking teams starting at 11 a.m.
If youʼre visiting New Orleans, you have to get out into the clubs and see some music. By no means is this an exhaustive list (you can find all the listings here) but these are my recommendations.
Jeremy Davenport and his trumpet have become such an institution at the RItz-Carlton that he performs in a lounge named after him. He plays every Wednesday through Saturday at various times. He will evoke a different era but also show modern flair. If youʼre looking for an upscale experience, this is a good choice.
Kermit Ruffins is a trumpet legend in New Orleans and beyond, and he plays at his Mother-in-Law Lounge at 6 p.m. Thursday. Originally, the club was run by Ernie K-Doe (who had a huge hit with Mother-in-Law) and his wife Antoinette. They have both passed but the club lives on. Kermit got his start with the Rebirth Brass Band and is a great showman. He has been compared to Louis Armstrong but expect more wildness and abandon. If you canʼt make it here, Kermit and his Barbecue Swingers also have two shows at Little Gem Saloon on Saturday (7 and 9 p.m.).

LIVE MUSIC IS A NEW ORLEANS MUST

Also on Thursday, the Tin Men play Chickie Wah Wah at 9 p.m. The Tin Men are a trio consisting of Washboard Chaz, Alex McMurray and Matt Perrine. Alex McMurray plays guitar and sings, Matt is, in my opinion, the best sousaphonist on the planet and Washboard Chaz plays...washboard (their website photo has the instruments rearranged). They are a catchy blend of blues, jazz, and funky street music. If youʼre lucky, youʼll catch “Immigrant Song” with Mattʼs sousaphone subbing for Robert Plantʼs original wail.
Little Freddie King will energize you from late night Thursday (start time 11 p.m.) into an early Friday morning (probably done around 2 a.m.). He plays blues and canʼt be pigeonholed easily. He alternately offers an old-school, blues groove and howling vocals with driving guitar. There is no one quite like him and you would be wise to see him if you havenʼt.
Washboard Chaz appears at the Spotted Cat on Frenchmen St. at 6 p.m. Friday with his own band. Jazzy blues, sophisticated jug band and some New Orleans groove all appear while he plays a rub board like no one I have seen before.
Later that night, at the same club, get a taste of classic swinging jazz with New Orleans Cottonmouthkings at 10 p.m. Not a retro show but clearly focused on the genre, they swing and swing and swing some more.
Sunday finds Treme Brass Band at Mother-in-Law Lounge at 5 p.m. for a great taste of traditional brass band music. For my money, this is the brass band to see if youʼre only going to see one. They play the classics and some newer funkier numbers with a street beat that feel like the rhythm of New Orleans.
Now that seems like enough to fill a weekend. Have a great day at the races! Iʼll see you there and maybe out and about as well.