NEW ORLEANS — In case you haven’t had enough fun with Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, more festivities are planned for March 29. The free Make It in Old Algiers Festival, a celebration of the creativity in Old Algiers, will be presented by Old Algiers Main Street Corporation, with support from the Level Up Campaign, at Devore (formerly McDonogh) Playground in the 1500 block of Teche Street near Mardi Gras Boulevard.
“We want to showcase the ‘makers’ in our community, which is rich in history and culture, but also full of people who are part of the creative fabric of New Orleans: they make music, food and art every day,” said Festival Chair and OAMSC President Kevin Kellup.
While it’s all part of the same celebration, there are two smaller festivals-within-a- festival. A praline contest, with visitors being the judges, will feature several local candy makers, who will compete for a $250 cash prize. The Level Up Campaign will present its Cake Pop-a-Palooza, an activity for kids who want to decorate cake pops, as well as other children’s fun.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with music starting at 12 p.m. Everything from Baroque to Gospel to jazz and Caribbean sounds will be featured by local musicians. The music line-up includes local artists Anais St. John, Amina Scott, Victor Campbell, and the Kings of Brass.
Barbecue brisket, fried chicken, tacos, fried fish, soft ice cream and more will be for sale for a little taste of New Orleans, and everything from blown glass items to handmade lip gloss will be offered by local artisans.
“This is the second time we have presented the festival,” Kellup said, “and we are proud of the community coming together for this again. We definitely see it growing each year thanks to the wealth of creative people we have in Old Algiers.”
Sponsors include New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, Caesar’s, Olive Branch Café, Algiers Development Corporation and Crescent Towing.
For more information about the festival, visit www.oldalgiersmainstreet.org or follow OAMSC on Facebook and Instagram.
Old Algiers Main Street Corporation is a 501c3 non-profit organization accredited by the National Main Street Association. It works to create equitable economic opportunities for its residents and businesses.
The Level Up Campaign’s mission is to empower communities for short-term development and long-term resiliency through instruction, training, guidance, and inclusion.
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