Next Monday, November 13, the Barman’s Fund and New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic & Assistance Foundation (NOMAF) will host BarCentennial, a cocktail competition and wellness fair for New Orleans’ thriving tourism industry workers.The unique bartender competition will give local service industry, entertainers and cultural workers access to health care services including free flu shots, insurance counseling and more.
Inside the Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen St.), BarCentennial will feature tasting tables and an all-out competition pairing bartenders with spirit brands, judged by a panel of local celebrities. Outside on Frenchmen, health providers will offer free flu shots, healthcare enrollment, rapid HIV screening and more.
This is NOMAF’s third year providing flu vaccinations and wellness to local members of the service and cultural industries. The effort began with the observation that industry workers, who interface constantly with the public, often cannot call off work or miss a shift due to illness.
This year, the event expands its offerings to connect event goers to important services such as:
- free flu shots donated by Odyssey House Louisiana
- healthcare counseling by navigators and 504HealthNet
- rapid HIV screening by NOAIDS Task Force | Crescent Care
- information on cardiac disease, dermatology, sexual harrassment, physical therapy, nutrition, smoking cessation enrollment and more.
Importantly, BarCentennial is in the middle of the healthcare enrollment period (Nov 1-Dec 15) and navigators from 504HealthNet and local clinics will be onsite to help event goers understand coverage options and even enroll.
The main BarCentennial competition will feature 6 local bartenders creating a signature cocktail with an assigned spirit. The competitiors will present their cocktail to a panel of celebrity judges headed by musician Nicholas Payton, local spirits writer (Neat Pour) and founder of NOLA Defender B.E. Mintz, and food writer Ann Maloney (nola.com | The Times-Picayune; Where Louisiana Eats). The 300 anticipated event goers also will weigh in on their favorite cocktail creation by casting their Crowd Favorite vote at tasting tables.
The event is free and open to the public, is rain or shine and is 21+. For more information, visit the event’s official Facebook page.
