What's New in New Orleans

 

Southwest Airlines

• In August 2012, Southwest Airlines announced it will increase its presence in New Orleans with a total of 114 daily flights by March 9, 2013. Southwest currently operates 76 flights from New Orleans, and Air Tran Airways operates eight daily flights.  This 35 percent increase in lift over the August schedule is a huge win for the New Orleans region.  These additional flights will bring approximately 1.5 million additional seats into the market annually. www.flymsy.com 

• Grammy Award-winning Irvin Mayfield and The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra celebrate their 10^th anniversary with a live performance at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall on October 8. Special guests include Aaron Neville, Branford Marsalis and American Idol finalists’ Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams and more. For details and ticket information, visit www.thenojo.com
• The 12^th Annual Satchmo Summer Fest took place in the French Quarter August 3-5 to honor the beloved Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. This free festival included outdoor events featuring live music, dishes served from some of New Orleans’ best restaurants and lectures, concerts and exhibitions dedicated to the life, music and legacy of New Orleans’ native son. www.fqfi.org/satchmosummerfest/
• The Howard Hughes Corporation announced plans for the redevelopment of Riverwalk Marketplace into an upscale outlet center – The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk. Planning to invest $70 million into the transformation of the retail venue, the Howard Hughes Corporation will expand its footprint by about 50,000 square feet. The property is expected to reopen in late 2013. www.riverwalkmarketplace.com
• In anticipation of Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013 in New Orleans, the New Orleans CVB is partnering with Joe Cahn, the “Commissioner of Tailgating,” as he tours across the country showing NFL fans how to throw a Super Bowl party like a New Orleanian. Follow Joe on his “Road Home to the Dome.” www.tailgating.co
• October 11-18, the 23rd Annual New Orleans Film Festival continues its tradition of presenting an eclectic program of films, panels and parties in the Big Easy.  This festival is growing alongside the Louisiana film and television production industry, now ranked third in the nation.
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• This year’s COOLinary New Orleans campaign ran from August 1-31 and featured pre-fixed menus and special pricing at more than 60 of the top restaurants throughout the city. Locals and visitors alike enjoyed two-or-three course lunches for $20 or less and a three-course dinners for $35 or less. The event celebrated the renowned and authentic cuisine of New Orleans. www.coolinaryneworleans.com
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• Starting September 20, 2012, City Sightseeing New Orleans will offer a Hop On-Hop off open-top double-decker tour.  This new and exciting attraction puts New Orleans on an international level with more than 96 countries in five continents.  The tour will have stops at the major attractions, including Jackson Square, French Market, Audubon Insectarium, National World War II Museum, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Bourbon Street, Basin Street Station and Mardi Gras World.  One, two and three day passes are offered. The live tour will be in English with seven languages available via headphones in the near future.

• Away.com, a division of Orbitz.com, named New Orleans as one of the “Five Most Affordable U.S. Cities for Travelers” and one of the “Best Cities for Bachelorette and Bachelor Parties.” This website helps travelers choose their next vacation destination and plan their trip by offering ideas and recommendations customized to their specific travel interest. www.away.com 
• The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation Board of Directors, comprised of elected officials and senior tourism leaders, voted to award the organization’s tourism marketing contract to New York based Dentsu America and Spears Consulting Group. This comprehensive marketing contract represents the primary tourism marketing efforts of the city of New Orleans. www.dentsuamerica.com
• NOLA Fashion Week (NOLAFW), October 13-20, is an opportunity for both established and up-and-coming Southern based or born designers to gain exposure while making an economic impact to the New Orleans fashion industry.  Established in March 2011, NOLAFW offers runway shows and presentations, educational workshops, a fashion market and more at various venues throughout the city. www.nola-fashionweek.com
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• New Orleans’ performing arts scene continues to grow as the playbill for the 2012-2013 Broadway season at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts includes Les Misérables (Oct. 30-Nov. 4), Mary Poppins (Dec. 18-23), Jersey Boys (Jan. 8-27, 2013), Flashdance (Feb. 26-March 3, 2013), Million Dollar Quartet (April 16-21, 2013) and Wicked (May 8-June 2, 2013).  , furthering the attractiveness of New Orleans www.neworleans.broadway.com
• The Louisiana Restaurant Association’s (LRA) Greater New Orleans Chapter hosted the We Live to Eat: Louisiana Seafood Restaurant Week, September 10-16, 2012. Participating restaurants offered a fixed price menu, and each menu included at least one Louisiana seafood option.  The restaurants range from fine dining establishments to neighborhood favorite. www.welivetoeatnola.com
• Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, October 26-28, will feature headliners such as Green Day, The Avett Brothers and Neil Young & Crazy Horse and local favorites such as the Treme Brass Band and Little Freddie King. Along with enjoying these world-class performing artists, festival-goers will experience multimedia art installations, parades, light shows, craft and food booths and more. This is the first year camping will be allowed at City Park throughout the festival. www.thevoodooexperience.com
• In June 2012, The Southern Food and Beverage Museum broke ground for a 30,000-square-foot facility, which will include a restaurant, an exhibit for each of the 17 southern states, a children’s gallery, a cultural innovation center and more. This facility, along with the SoFAB Culinary Library, is scheduled to open in March 2013. www.southernfood.org
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• The Historic New Orleans Collection's latest exhibition, "Something Old, Something New: Collecting in the 21st Century,” is made up of the most significant acquisitions since the year 2000. Chosen by a team of staff curators and historians, the exhibition spans nearly 300 years and represents the diversity of The Collection's archive.  The free exhibition runs from July 24, 2012-February 8, 2013. www.hnoc.org
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• The National WWII Museum now offers the “History and Heritage” travel package, which gives visitors a look at the culture and history of New Orleans combined with an insider’s tour of the National WWII Museum.  Offered on a monthly basis, the package presents an opportunity for travelers to spend a long weekend behind-the-scenes at the Museum with curators, while also touring the city.  www.ww2museumtours.org/history-and-heritage.html

• A non-profit, affordable-housing developer recently closed on the purchase of the four-story building next to the Saenger Theater, which is the former La Salle Hotel, clearing the way for an $11.6 million investment. The plan includes transforming the building in to 32 affordable rental units with street-level rental space at the corner of Canal and Basin Streets.
• The Crescent City welcomed one of the largest Decadence celebrations in history, and despite Hurricane Isaac just days before, the festival brought in revelers for the 41^st Annual Southern Decadence Festival, August 29-September 3. This “end of summer Celebration of Gay Life, Music and Culture” has received much acclaim in recent years throughout the United States. www.southerndecadence.com



Treme

• In 2012, the well-known neighborhood Tremé is celebrating its 200^th anniversary. This area gave rise to jazz and brass bands, incredible architecture, Mardi Gras Indians and several pioneers of the civil rights movement, and is now home to key cultural institutions like the New Orleans African American Museum, Backstreet Cultural Museum, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Armstrong Park and more. www.treme2012.com