What's Up Downtown December 3, 2009
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|  | | Canal Street: Your Home for the Holidays Celebration is in Full Swing;
Canal Street Krewe of Kringle Parade to Roll on Saturday at 11 There is no place like home for the holidays, and the DDD has created a month-long celebration to showcase the many positive changes on Canal Street. This Saturday at 11:00 a.m., the Canal Street Krewe of Kringle parade will roll from Convention Center Boulevard to Elks Place via Canal Street, immediately followed by an outdoor holiday concert. The parade will feature more than 30 festive units, including 6 floats, marching bands, the Big Easy Roller Girls, mascots from the Saints and Hornets, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and a Celebrity Santa to be revealed on Friday! The holiday concert will feature jazz musicians Jeremy Davenport of the Ritz Carlton hotel and Tim Laughlin of the Roosevelt Hotel, gospel choir Shades of Praise, and a special appearance by trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. Next Saturday, December 12, is Kids on Canal Day with Radio Disney! Children of all ages can sing along, dance, play games, and win special "Princess and the Frog" prizes with Radio Disney outside of the Audubon Insectarium from noon to 2:00 p.m. There also will be holiday crafts at the Chateau Bourbon Hotel, Papa Noel Teas at the Ritz Carlton, Teddy Bear Teas at the Roosevelt Hotel, and many more promotions for kids all throughout the weekend at Downtown retailers, hotels, and restaurants. For more information on all of the fun holiday events taking place Downtown, visit www.neworleansdowntown.com/holidays. |
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| DDD Heralds the Holidays with Lighting of Canal Street;
Energy-efficient LED Lights Brighten the Grand Corridor
Canal Street is officially dressed for the holidays after Mayor C. Ray Nagin, DDD Chairman Ron Gardner and Santa Claus himself helped to "flip the switch" and light more than one million twinkling lights along the grand corridor. The annual ceremony took place at the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel. This year, the DDD has made a significant investment in updating the holiday decorations through an effort to be more “green” and cost-efficient. Visitors to Canal Street will notice that incandescent lights are being phased out and replaced with more energy-efficient, robust, and longer-lasting LED lights. The DDD hopes to replace all of the incandescent lights with LED lights over the next 2 to 3 years. This year, the trees that line the Canal Street sidewalks have been adorned with the LED lights. The “cool white” lights are brightening up Canal Street and welcoming visitors and locals alike back to New Orleans' grand corridor for shopping, dining and family fun. For more information Downtown holiday events, visit www.neworleansdowntown.com/holidays.
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| Chanukah at Riverwalk Celebrates 20 Years at Spanish Plaza;
Miracle on Fulton Street Delights Visitors of All Ages On Sunday, December 13 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., celebrate the holiday season at Riverwalk Marketplace with Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana for the annual Chanukah at Riverwalk celebration. This December will be the 20th year Riverwalk has hosted the Chanukah menorah lighting ceremony on Spanish Plaza. The event features traditional Israeli music, dancing, food, and the lighting of the 12-foot menorah. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on Chanukah at Riverwalk, visit www.riverwalkmarketplace.com or call (504) 522-1555. "Miracle on Fulton Street", a holiday attraction in the heart of Downtown New Orleans, brings the magic and spirit of the holiday season alive with hourly snowfalls, a 30-foot tall Macy's Tremendous Tree, a giant gingerbread streetcar covered in snow, and much more. For more information on Harrah's "Miracle on Fulton Street," visit www.harrahsneworleans.com.
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| | DDD Sponsors Stevens Garage and S. Rampart Installations
As part of DesCours Public Art and Architecture Exhibit DesCours, the public art and architecture exhibit now in its third year, will feature architectural installations that challenge the standards on new materials, methods, technology and interactivity. On December 7th through the 13th, the Des Cours art exhibit will highlight several Downtown venues as thousands of visitors and art-enthusiasts find their way to 'hidden' creative locations.
As the Downtown Sponsor of Des Cours, the DDD has funded two Downtown installations. "Photon Garden," by Hiroyuki Futai and EP3, is an urban garden of 16,000 floating LED lights and 400 "planted" tubes located at Stevens Garage at 848 Carondelet Street. Artist Jennifer Hiser's "Chime" will be located at 401 S. Rampart Street. Inspired by the musical heritage of the city and its recent climatic history, "Chime" is an 'inhabitable instrument' made of glass pendants that hang above participants' heads and can be moved to create sound.
"The DDD is once again proud to join the American Institute of Architects in presenting DesCours. This is a great opportunity for people to experience Downtown and its venues like never before," says Kurt Weigle, President & CEO of the DDD. "It is projects like DesCours that continue to make Downtown New Orleans a destination for creative people and Industries of the Mind."
For more information, visit www.descours.us.
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| | Julia Street Glows with 40 New Holiday Wreaths in Time for ArtWalk;
Snowflakes Dance in the Wind at Lafayette Square Park
The Downtown Development District, in partnership with the New Orleans Arts District, is installing 40 new twinkling holiday wreaths along Julia Street from Fulton to Baronne. Installation of the wreaths, which hang from New Orleans' iconic street lamps, will be completed on Friday, just in time for Art Walk on Saturday, December 5. Visitors to Lafayette Square will feel the holiday spirit now through the new year thanks to a partnership between the DDD, the Lafayette Square Conservancy and Parks & Parkways. The Downtown Development District donated 200 glittering white snowflakes to the Lafayette Square Conservancy to dress the park for the holidays. The snowflakes hang from the park's tall oak trees and were installed by the Conservancy and Parks & Parkways this week.
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| | Block-by-Block Cleaning Ambassadors Place Temporary
Trash Cans to Reduce Litter During Major Events
This past weekend, Block-by-Block, the DDD’s cleaning contractor, placed temporary trash cans in anticipation of Bayou Classic and Monday Night Football crowds. The cans were placed in key areas such as the Poydras corridor, Canal Street, the Superdome area and tailgating areas. “Visitors to Bayou Classic weekend and the Monday night Saints' game filled more than one hundred temporary trash receptacles throughout Downtown,” said Mark Landry, Operations Manager for Block-by-Block. “Placing trash receptacles around Downtown before these types of major events is crucial to maintaining Downtown's high standards of cleanliness. In our experience, if a can is available people will use them,” added DDD President Kurt Weigle. |
| | | Good News Bites! Serenity Spa is now open on Canal Street! The J.W. Marriott recently joined forces with Serenity Spa, a locally owned and operated full-service spa, that will act as the hotel's in-house relaxation escape solution for guests. The spa features high end retail products, including gifts for pets, and a New Orleans-themed line of kitchen collectibles and keepsakes.
South Louisiana Submerged Roads Program continues work to repair streets damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Downtown New Orleans. Residents, business owners and visitors are encouraged to adhere to all parking and traffic signs as work progresses. New Orleans Songwriters Festival, or Songfest, will take place at venues throughout Downtown through Saturday, December 5. The festival brings together local songwriters, musicians, and members of the recording industry for speaking panels, workshops, networking and performances. Christmas New Orleans Style has officially kicked off, and events are planned throughout the city to celebrate the holidays for locals and visitors alike. Reveillon dinners, historical characters, choirs and concerts are all part of the fun. The Roosevelt Hotel's "Waldorf Wonderland Lobby" marks the return of a great tradition in Downtown New Orleans. The beloved hotel lobby, once famous for its "Angel Hair" holiday decorations, is adorned with tall white shining trees for as far as the eye can see. This year, the Roosevelt Hotel will also bring back the Teddy Bear Teas and Papa Noel holiday rates.
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| Here's a Little Bit More of What's Up Downtown This Week... Art Walk
What: Galleries are open late to accommodate strolling visitors. Many provide food and refreshments.
When: Saturday, December 5, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Julia Street in Downtown's New Orleans Arts District
Christmas on Jackson Square
What: The French Quarter Business Association and Jackson Square merchants will host a day full of cheer with book signings, trunk shows, free gift wrapping, Santa & Mrs. Claus storytelling and live, local entertainment.
When: Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Jackson Square, New Orleans
Morton's Mingle, Jingle & Jazz Luncheon
Benefiting the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
What: Fourth annual luncheon featuring a holiday jazz concert by Irvin Mayfield
When: Friday, December 18, 2009, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Morton's The Steakhouse, 365 Canal Street
Intercontinental Holiday Choral Entertainment
What: New Orleans area school choirs to present in the hotel lobby
When: Throughout the month of December
Where: InterContinental Hotel, 444 St. Charles Avenue
Street Closures in the CBD Due to Filming
When: Saturday, December 5 through Sunday, December 6 and Saturday, December 12 through Sunday, December 13 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Union Street at Carondelet Street, Gravier Street at O'Keefe Avenue, and Baronne Street at Common Street. No parking signs will be posted on portions of Poydras Street, O'Keefe Avenue, Gravier Street and Baronne Street.
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| For more information on any of the articles featured in What's Up Downtown, or to submit an item for consideration,
contact Lauren Hotard at lhotard[at]neworleansdowntown.com.
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