The month of October is rapidly becoming New Orleans’ prime festival time, perhaps even giving April or May a run for the money. In addition to the New Orleans Film Festival wrapping up this week, this weekend’s festival offerings include the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival and the 50th Anniversary of the Free Southern Theater Institute. This weekend also draws attention to a haven of traditional culture in what is now one of the city’s most popular neighborhoods–Tremé. As an outgrowth of last year’s “Treme 200” bi-centennial celebration, the New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network has created an annual street festival to continue the historic traditions of life in Tremé.
The famed Little People's Place is a stop on the Treme stroll and bar-hop.
The 2013 Tremé Culture Fest takes place this Friday, October 18 through this Sunday, October 20 in and around New Orleans’ famed 6th Ward community. Known as the Birthplace of Jazz, home to original Mardi Gras Indian culture and the oldest African-American neighborhood of free people of color in the United States, the residents of Tremé invite all to visit the neighborhood, take in the architecture, taste their gumbo, dance behind a second line, and even attend “Jazz Mass” at the historical St. Augustine Church on Sunday morning.
EDUCATION and COMMUNITY SERVICE
Daytime panel discussions and workshops take place at the recently renovated and re-opened Tremé Community Center behind Louis Armstrong Park, where topics such as “Creating Sacred Space” and “To Be a Woman Entrepreneur, Black and Free” will be explored, while Saturday is proclaimed a “Day of Service” — an all-day neighborhood improvement fair with work stations at the Treme Community Garden, Craig School and Hunters Field for community members and guests alike. All can learn about and participate in home rejuvenation, urban agriculture, culinary arts, mural painting and more. Longtime community leaders Lolet Boutté, Vera Warren-Williams, Gina Montana and more will lead several talks.
Al Jackson's photographs of historic Treme are on view at 1528 St. Phillip.
ART EXHIBITS
Seven local photography exhibits depicting life in Tremé over many generations will be on display at seven different galleries and historical museums within Treme proper throughout the weekend, and evenings will feature a neighborhood stroll and bar-hop to some of the most neighborhood’s legendary watering holes. A children’s area will also host activities for kids.
LIVE MUSIC
Of course there will be music, but music delivered in the way it has always naturally lived in Tremé–on the street corners. Rather than on stages or in tents–the way it usually is at most festivals–10 brass bands and jazz combos are set to perform on street corners peppered around the neighborhood all day Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Glen David Andrews, Shannon Powell, the Pinettes Brass Band, New Breed Brass Band and Original Big Seven Brass Band are among the line-up. With early morning gumbo competitions and live music on literally every corner, who wouldn’t want to help rehab a house, weed the garden or clean up the school yard?
Finally, the weekend closes out with Jazz Mass at St. Augustine, immediately followed by an all-female Social Aid and Pleasure Club and brass band second line from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. The Tremé Culture Fest is all ages, free of charge and open to the public. For a complete, detailed program schedule and more information, please visit: www.tremeculturefest.com.
