Community events
CREOLE TOMATO FESTIVAL: Music at the fest, June 10-11 in the French Market District, starts with the Ripe & Ready second-line at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will include David Rogan Band, Bo Dollis Jr. & the Wild Magnolias, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra and others. Fifteen food vendors will prepare signature Creole tomato dishes. The Southern Food & Beverage Museum cooking demonstrations begin at noon on Saturday. More info at www.frenchmarket.org.
GERMAN COAST FARMERS MARKET: The farmers market celebrates its 20th anniversary from 8 a.m. to noon on June 10 at the St. Charles Parish East Regional Library, 160 W. Campus Drive in Destrehan, with local vendors, live music, children’s activities and entertainment, cooking demonstrations and presentations by master gardeners and beekeepers. For more info, go to www.germancoastfarmersmarket.org.
ODDITIES AND CURIOSITIES EXPO: The traveling event with 150-plus oddity vendors and a 1,600-square-foot sideshow museum will take place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 10 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. in New Orleans. Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the door, with children 12 and under free. The museum is an additional $7 ($5 in advance). For more info, go to odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com.
"YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN": The River Region Drama Guild will present its summer musical at the River Region Performing Arts and Cultural Center, 15146 River Road in Norco. Performances are June 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on June 25. Performances June 29-30 and July 1 are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $15 adults and $10 students, can be purchased at rrpa.org. More info at rrpa.org.
NOLA GEN FEZT: NORD’s free music festival, open to ages 13-18, will take place 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on June 17 on the Lafitte Greenway, North Claiborne to North Carrolton avenues in New Orleans. Register at Eventbrite; email confirmation required for entry. For more info, go to https://nordc.org/parks/lafitte.
FAMILY GAME NIGHT: NORD will host a night of board games, card games and more on June 23 at the Milne Rec Center, 5420 Franklin Ave. in New Orleans, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to all ages. More info at nordc.org.
CRESCENT CITY COIN SHOW: The show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 30 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 1 at the Columbus Room, 3310 Florida Ave. in Kenner, including buying and selling, appraisals and a precious metal coin raffle. Free. For more info, call Rick Demers at (504) 464-1995.
PARC DES FAMILLES SPRAY PARK: The Spray Park's 16 water features at 6101 Leo Kerner Lafitte Parkway in Marrero are open daily, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Aug. 13. Call (504) 349-5000 for more information.
ORMOND SPRAY PARK: The St. Charles Parish park is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday during the summer season. For information, see scpparksandrec.com or call (985) 783-5090.
FESTIVALS
NOLA ZYDECO FEST: The NOLA Zydeco Fest will take place on June 10 at A.L. Davis Park, 2600 LaSalle St. in New Orleans. Music starts at 11 a.m., with Lil Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers closing things out at 7 p.m. More information, go to nolazydecofest.com.
ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE: The annual festival takes place June 29-July 3 at the Caesars Superdome, 1500 Sugar Bowl Drive, and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. Performers include Monica, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Doug E Fresh and DJ Spinderella. The Essence Film Festival will also take place June 30-July 2. Tickets start at $214.50 and are available at essencefestival.com.
BOOKS
"I FEEL LOVE": Author and science journalist Rachel Nuwer will discuss her new book, "I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World," with New Orleans writer and MDMA clinical trial participant Lori Tipton at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St., in New Orleans, at 6 p.m. June 8. There will be an audience Q&A and book signing. For more info, see www.gardendistrictbookshop.com.
POETRY EVENT: Local poets Gina Ferrara, Jonathan Kline and Scott Bailey will discuss poetry and their latest works at 2 p.m. June 10 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave. in Metairie. Ferrara, who wrote "Amis," teaches at Delgado. Kline, whose latest work is "The Wisdom of Ashes," is a school art coordinator. Bailey, author of "Thus Spake Gigolo," is an editor at Tulane School of Medicine. For more info, call (504) 889-8143 or email wcsmith@jplibrary.net.
AN EVENING WITH NURSE HADLEY: Hadley Vlahos, a hospice nurse and end-of-life care advocate, will discuss her debut book, "The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments," at Blue Cypress Books, 8123 Oak St. in New Orleans, at 4:30 p.m. June 11. An audience Q&A and book signings will follow. Tickets are $5-$30 and are available through Eventbrite. For more info, go to www.bluecypressbooks.com.
SPORTS
SUMMER LEAGUES: St. Charles Parish Department of Parks and Recreation will host coed cabbage ball and men’s softball leagues this summer. Registration fee is $300 per team and is first come, first served. Games will be played on Wednesdays beginning in August at the West Bank Bridge Park, 13825 River Road in Luling. Registration runs June 1-23. Register at www.scpparksandrec.com.
FUNDRAISERS/GALAS
THE WELCOME TABLE PARTY: International WOW Company, a nonprofit organization for filmmakers, writers, activists, actors and artists, will host a fundraiser on June 8, 7-11 p.m., at the Tennessee Williams House, 1014 Dumaine St. in New Orleans, with a film preview and performance by John Boutté. Tickets start at $25 through Eventbrite. For more info, go to www.thewelcometablefilm.com or call (732) 207-5334.
RUN DA PARISH: The 5K race will be June 10 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 2621 Colonial Blvd. in Violet. The event begins at 8 a.m. with a free half-mile kids' race. The 5K begins at 8:30 a.m. A family field day will begin after the race, featuring games, activities, food, drink and music. Runners’ registration is $25 online, $30 race day. Admission is $10 for families (up to four children, with $3 per additional child). Online registration are available at raceroster.com.
SWIM-A-THON & FAMILY FETE: The Brooke Erin Posey Foundation will host a fundraiser June 10, starting at 10 a.m., at the Southern Yacht Club, 105 N. Roadway in New Orleans. The event will feature food, games, prizes, music and the swim-a-thon, to benefit JoJo’s Hope, a local nonprofit that offers swimming and aquatic activity programs adapted for those with mental and physical limitations. For more info, got to swimforbrooke.com.
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT: The Sons of the American Legion Harvey/Marrero Post 222 will host a tournament on June 25, starting at 12:30 p.m., at 4101 Patriot St. in Marrero. The event will include awards and prizes for winning teams, plus food and beverages for sale. Proceeds will benefit programs of the Sons of the American Legion. For more info, call Herbert Cretini Jr. at (504) 352-5658 or Vincent LeBlanc at (504) 400-7984.
CLASSES
GUN SAFETY: The New Orleans Police Department is offering free gun safety classes. A limited number of safety locks and safes will be distributed. For more information, call (504) 658-5858.
- June 9: 7 p.m., Joe Brown Gym, 5601 Read Blvd.
- June 16: 7 p.m., Morris F.X. gym, 2529 Gen. Meyer Ave.
- June 23: 7 p.m., St. Bernard gym, 1500 Lafreniere St.
KITTEN YOGA: The East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave. in Metairie, will host a free yoga class for ages 12 and older at 10 a.m. June 12 and June 26 with kittens scampering around the room. Felines available for adoption from Jefferson Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be on-site to meet and greet. For more info, call (504) 889-8143 or email wcsmith@jplibrary.net.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERIES: “Transitions and Self-Esteem in Children,” the last of three child development workshops, will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 12 in the Nunez Community College Fine Arts Center, 3710 Paris Road in Chalmette. Free, but space is limited. Registration deadline is Aug. 5. To register, contact CDYC program chair Kathy Huff at (504) 278-6288 or khuff@nunez.edu.
SMART DRIVER: People 50 and older who complete the four-hour AARP Smart Driver class will receive a certificate that may qualify them for a car insurance discount. The next class will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 14 at Ochsner/Elmwood Fitness Center in Elmwood Shopping Center, 1200 S. Clearview Parkway, Harahan. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for others. To register, call (504) 828-3962 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
FREE EXERCISE CLASSES: The nonprofit Be Well — Come Together is organizing free exercise classes modified for all levels from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 2525 Apollo Ave., Harvey. No registration is required. For information, call (504) 368-2525 or email bewellcometogether@gmail.com.
WATERCOLOR CLASSES: Artist Diego Larguia's classes from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 6 at the BK House, 1113 Chartres St. in New Orleans, are open to all skill levels. All three classes are $90 for museum members, $120 for nonmembers. Individual classes are $35/$45. Preregistration is required at www.bkhouse.org.
MEETINGS
NARFE: Vernon N. Landry Chapter 1398 will hold its next monthly luncheon meeting at 11 a.m. June 14 in the Sicilian Room of Rocky and Carlo’s Restaurant, 613 St. Bernard Highway. All active and retired federal/postal employees are invited. For more information, email pamela.e.marks1953@gmail.com.