A Big Easy lure
Burlesque, gay pride and (boiled) crabs: Big events in New Orleans beckon (withvideo)
- New Orleans will be rocking with big events in the next several weeks.Nicholas Phillips
- You might not have to go that far for that last-minute summer escape.Photo by Peter Barnes
As the final month of summer sneaks away like a fat-bellied raccoon from a campsite dumpster, the deadline looms large for planning a last-minute summer road trip.
Might I suggest New Orleans? I know, I know, I just wrote about the Big Easy, but there are a few more events worth considering in the coming weeks.
- Enjoy Houston’s ongoing Restaurant Week? Two dozen NOLA restos also offer a discounted prix-fixe, three-course menu during COOLinary New Orleans this month and next.
It also happens to overlap with the New Orleans Seafood Festival in Lafayette Square the weekend of Sept. 10.
- Not feeling the traditional picnic and/or camping trip over Labor Day? Consider attending Southern Decadence, a massive pride festival that’s swarmed the French Quarter for the last 38 years.
Last year's event drew 100,000 attendees — not quite as many as Houston’s Pride Festival, but still impressive given NOLA’s population is about one-fourth the size.
- Prefer a risqué getaway that caters to straighter tastes? The New Orleans Burlesque Festival takes place two weeks later.
Peter Barnes' taste of New Orleans: