On Wednesday, February 27, the People United for Armstrong Park (PUfAP) will host their first annual spring soiree, dubbed “Sowing Seeds in Sacred Ground,” to raise funds for this year’s Jazz in the Park series as well as other community initiatives. Performing at the fundraiser will be Bill Summers, Chris Severin, Khris Royal, Ricky Sebastian, Donald Harrison, Zulu Connection, the Baby Dolls, the Black Feather Mardi Gras Indians, and the New School Brass Band.

Karen Lozinski, Director of Public Relations for PUfAP, says that the spring soiree will be “akin to what we do during Jazz in the Park, but in a slightly more refined, ‘evening out’ kind of way,” with an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. OffBeat has a pair of tickets to give away to the event. Sign up below by noon on Monday, February 25 to enter into the contest.

Khris Royal will be among the performers for Jazz in the Park's first fundraiser.

This spring will mark the third season of Jazz in the Park, a free concert series in Armstrong Park that also features a local food and crafts marketplace. Though this spring’s lineup has not been announced, according to Lozinski, the concerts this time around will incorporate something new: second line parades.

“The New School Brass Band, the Black Feather Mardi Gras Indians and The Women of Class Social Aid and Pleasure Club are going to make the downtime between our opener and our headliner a celebration. We don’t want people to sit down for a single minute — we want to keep ’em dancing the whole time they’re with us!”

PUfAP, an organization founded “to promote citizen awareness of and activities in Armstrong Park,” helped lead the community effort to reopen the park after Hurricane Katrina. Recently, they have begun working with HANO (Housing Authority of New Orleans) to hire and train “high-risk” and formerly incarcerated individuals. “The People United for Armstrong Park have used the phrase ‘sowing seeds in sacred ground’ to describe our work and aspirations for some time,” says Lozinski, “and the depth and relevance of that statement has never been lost on us, to the point we’ve named our spring soiree just that.”

“We’d like the people of New Orleans to see Armstrong Park as we do—as a place for relaxation, reflection, and recreation, and a place to make beautiful memories.”

Sowing Seeds in Sacred Ground will take place on Wednesday, February 27 from 6 to 9 p.m., on the fourth floor of Basin Street Station at 501 Basin Street. Tickets are $50, and may be purchased in advance at www.armstrongpark.org.

–Reuben Dendinger