The doldrums of summer are drawing to a close. July is slowly heating up, but this weekend (while it’s still hot) brings with it two big events that combine art and fun: White Linen Nights and Satchmo Summer Fest. Fall festivals might just be on their way.
WHITE LINEN NIGHT will bring together thousands of summer-dressed partygoers for its annual block party on August 3rd from 5pm to 10pm in New Orleans’ Julia Street Arts District. The party is New Orleans’ largest and most elegant gathering of art lovers.
The free outdoor stroll features a wide variety of paintings, sculptures, photography and more by local and national artists, making this the best contemporary art exhibition of the year.
More than 20 gallery and museum exhibits, as well as outdoor installations, live music, bars, restaurant tents and food trucks will be dotted around the 300-600 blocks of Julia Street, the 500 block of St. Joseph Street, the 900 block of Camp Street and various other locations.
Although most people are expected to be wearing white linen at this high-profile event, there is no dress code – just dress nicely.
After the galleries close, the party continues at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a DJ, cash bar, food trucks, a fashion show and more. Tickets are $40-50. Visit ogdenmuseum.org.
Baby Doll’s Saran Bynum dances to music by the Secret Six Jazz Band during the 22nd annual Satchmo Summerfest in 2022. This year’s festival kicks off on Aug. 5 at the Old U.S. Mint.
Staff photo by Scott Threlkeld
Satchmo Summer Fest focuses on local music and academic talks celebrating the legacy of Louis Armstrong. On August 5 and 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., the free festival features musical performances on two outdoor stages and a piano performance inside the New Orleans Jazz Museum in the Old U.S. Mint (400 Esplanade Ave.).
Performers include Kermit Ruffins, Rivers Brass Band, Delfeayo Marsalis, Uptown Jazz Orchestra (featuring Corey Henry and Tonya Boyd Cannon), John Boutte, Charmaine Neville, Preservation Brass, and more.
Speakers will include Ricky Riccardi, Armstrong biographer and director of research collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and Sam Irwin, author of “The Hidden History of Louisiana’s Jazz Age.” Other events include a jazz mass and second lines. For more information, visit satchmosummerfest.org.