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Witches and Warlocks in the Storyville Museum
The Storyville Museum hosted this annual mini-soiree for the Vieux Carré Commission Foundation offering a spellbinding evening with live music, spooktacular refreshments and a lively costume contest.
- photos by Melanie Cole
Day of the Dead: The Smaller the Village, the Bigger the Celebration
In New Orleans, the celebration of Dia de los Muertos has found a home - in a city that already knew how to dance with its dead.
– by Karla Marie “Karlita” Cochran
B.B. St. Roman: Beyond the Bird
From searching for shamans to crafting voodoo candles, this French Quarter resident has led a truly charmed life.
– by Doug Brantley
Spirit World in the Vieux Carré
After 35 years behind the lens, photographer Cheryl Gerber reflects on the people who shaped the French Quarter and the spirits they’ve left behind.
– by Cheryl Gerber
Celebrating the Return to St. Augustine’s Sanctuary
On October 18, the church celebrated its 185th birthday - and its return to the historic sanctuary nearly five years after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Ida.
- photos by Melanie Cole and Ellis Anderson
Historic BK House Soirée 2026
This year, the museum’s annual soirée seemed even more magical, celebrating the 200th birthday of the beloved historic house.
- photos by Ellis Anderson
The Forgotten Mexican Roots of New Orleans Jazz
A Mexican Cavalry band performing for the 1884 - 1885 World’s Exposition in New Orleans created a sensation, but their influence can still be heard in our music today.
– by Baylee Badawy
Barbara Yochum: As Long As I Can Do It
As a child, she dreamed of being an artist; now, after six decades as a Jackson Square fixture, she’s still finding time to dream.
– by Michael J. Warner
A Tree Grows on Bourbon Street
Street trees in the Vieux Carré: Meet a few of our hardy neighbors that survive – and even thrive – in the dense urban fabric of the French Quarter.
– by Helen Sierminski
Swampus Parade 2026
It was a dark and stormy night, with creatures from the murky marshes parading through the Quarter, heralding the Halloween season.
- photos by Melanie Cole
Krewe of Dolly: Celebration of Life Parade 9-2-5
The 700-member Krewe of Dolly turned out in full force on September 25 in a celebration of life parade through the Quarter, ending at the Jazz Museum for a proclamation from Mayor Helena Moreno.
- photos by Ellis Anderson
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
The visitor count thins and locals flee whenever possible, but summer in New Orleans offers up memorable family times – even if “the humidity slaps you in the face like a screen door so hard you swear you can hear the hinge.”
– by Elisa Cool Murphy
On Parade: Swampus and Krampus
Two newer parades – one led by an ancient alpine Yuletide creature and the other by a shaggy swamp monster – are helping lead the way in sustainability, accessibility and creativity.
– by Matt Sheen
Hop to It: The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Bunny Matthews Exhibit
A new exhibit and book, “Bunny Matthews: His Life, Art, and Obsessions,” celebrates “da real New Oyunz cultcha” and the man who drew it.
– by Doug Brantley
River Fest 2026
A parade through Jackson Square and along the river leads to a day of music at the New Orleans Jazz Museum each year for River Fest.
- photos by Melanie Cole
Vice, Liquor, and the Vieux Carré in the 1920s
“We drank because they told us we couldn’t…” Undeterred by a constitutional amendment, the threat of arrest, or the very real possibility of drinking bootlegged poison, the French Quarter’s party roared on throughout the 1920s.
– by John Shelton Reed
Fame Factory: The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
For more than half a century, the city’s arts conservatory has been fostering local talents and bringing “wildest dreams” to life.
– by Doug Brantley
A New Voice and Vision at the Marigny Opera House
Bogdan Mynka’s meteoric rise from guest residency to executive director at the Marigny Opera House has reinforced his commitment to serve the city that’s embraced him.
– by Kim Ranjbar
New Orleans Mermaid Parade 2026
The 4th annual family-friendly parade by Krewe du Fool included a giant puppet show, a pageant, a parade along the riverfront and a costume contest – all to benefit the Audubon Institute Education Department.
- photos by Karla Marie “Karlita” Cochran