Plenty to do at the Vieux-To-Do!

BestofNewOrleans.com (News and Classifieds by Gambit)’s newsletter sent Flipside Florida a reminder of the collective festival known as Vieux-To-Do:

The annual Louisiana Seafood Festival returns this weekend to the Old U.S. Mint, part of a three-festival lineup known collectively as the Vieux-To-Do. The Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival  provides the tunes with a lineup of bands from south Louisiana while the adjacent French Market holds its popular Creole Tomato Festival. w

Flipside Florida now reminds itself that it published a couple of articles about the 2nd annual Vieux-To-Do festival last year here and here.  And also wrote about the inaugural festival the year before that (but the Jacksonville Business Journal doesn’t allow other sites to publish their articles even if you wrote the story).

Anyway,  the YatPundit’s blog is on Gambit‘s  blogroll (scroll all the way down because it’s in alphabetical order). Flipside Florida had mentioned Mr. and Mrs. YatPundit’s opinion about Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Red Pepper sauce in an article about Disney World and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation‘s Jazz Fest which is here.

Incidentally, the NOJHFF coordinates the music for The Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival so the musical talent is very talented.

Veiux To Do is Friday June 11 through Sunday June 13th

Come on down!   The weather’s fine …

Lea Sinclair, the director of communications  for New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation wants everyone to know that New Orleans has not been affected by the tragedy in the Gulf. (In terms of tourism, that is). She said the biggest problem that New Orleans tourism is having is that  tourists are afraid to come to New Orleans (but the oil spill isn’t anywhere near the Crescent City).

And the greatest seafood in the world is still found in New Orleans!

Bon Appetit!

Anyone with any sense knows the Gentilly Stage is the best stage, except on Saturday when there may be a conflict with the Acura [American Honda Motor Co., Inc] Stage. Although Flipside Florida won’t be attending the festival, it still wouldn’t be a conflict. One-time Grammy Award winning Pearl Jam, a Seattle Grunge band, plays at 5 p.m on the Acura stage.

Jeff Beck courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

And then 40 minutes later,  five-time Grammy Award winning Jeff Beck, an English rock guitarist,  will mesmerize his legion of fans with his haunting genre of  blues-rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion and most recently an additional blend of guitar-rock and electronica. Also, Jeff Beck  was inducted into the Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2009 ~his first anniversary!

But on Friday night, the Acura Stage is definitely the best stage at 5:35 p.m. because 20-time Grammy Award winning Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, takes the stage (probably without the gray hat with the big bow that she wore at President Obama’s January 2009 inauguration in Washington, D.C.)

Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience already played on Sunday, April 25th, so that stage is now history, but Flipside Florida congratulates them none the less for being in 2008 the  first recipients of the newly established Grammy Award for the Best Zydeco or Cagun Album!

Terrance Simien courtesy of New Orleans Jazz Festival and Foundation

The 41st annual Jazz and Heritage Festival ends Sunday, May 2nd with the Neville Brothers, The Radiators, B.B. King and Richie Havens all playing on different stages at the same time.  Everything to know about the festival is linked here.

Five ways JazzFest and DisneyWorld are alike

My twitter friend @YatPundit [A.K.A. Edward Branley] is a New Orleans pundit, as indicated by his twitter moniker.  His main website is YatBazaar – An Online Community for New Orleans and the World and he maintains several blogs from that sight. One blog entry, linked above as the subtitle, compares JazzFest to DisneyWorld. In Flipside Florida’s opinion, the most important similarity is  ”Phony parades.” His YatTravel  blog is going to feature several articles about his and Mrs. YatPundit’s impressions of Walt Disney World. His YatCuisine’s latest blog entry is his Quick Thoughts – Prudhomme’s Louisiana Red Pepper Sauce. Mrs. YatPundit didn’t like it at all.

Mrs. YatPundit doesn't like it

The New York Time’s critic Sam Sifton also wrote an April 28th travelogue about New Orleans: In New Orleans – The Taste of A Comeback.

And for a critic on the prowl for an authentic taste of the city in full springtime bloom, surprises abounded. One of the most purely joyful and purely New Orleans restaurants of the moment is Emeril’s, a place run by a television chef who was born in Fall River, Mass., and lives mostly in New York City.

Sifton also wrote a nice paragraph about the New Orlean Jazz and Heritage Festival. (Hat Tip: RT @johnmcquaid NYT’s Sam Sifton explores the current renaissance of New Orleans cuisine)

Flipside Florida looking forward to reading YatPundit’s impressions of Walt Disney World.

2008 1st Vieux to do. Somebody needs to check progress.

Scott Aiges,  Director of Programs, Marketing & Communications, (very busy man with all of  those titles) of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation said all jazz  and Cajun Zydeco aficionados should peruse this year’s LINE-UP.

“Two stages will feature the best of southwest Louisiana dance music, including the Grammy-award winning BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Rosie Ledet, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, the Pine Leaf Boys and many others.”

Hey now!

Another UPDATE:

June 13-14   11am – 7pm

–Louisiana Cajun Zydeco Festival

Riverfront Streetcar courtesy of frenchquarter.com

–The 24th annual Creole Tomato Festival

The French Market  –  1008 N. Peters St.

–Louisiana Seafood Festival

The Old Mint,  400 Esplanade Avenue

LAST STOP on the RIVERFRONT STREETCAR LINE!!

-k. a. gardner

A "Vieux" from the Vieux Carre .

The 2nd annual Vieux-To-Do festival (actually, three festivals in one) is held in the French Quarter, on the banks of the Mississippi river.  Plenty of Cajun-Creole cooking  and Louisiana Seafood!

FREE music on  two stages - 

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation

is coordinating the entertainment.

Although Express Jet no longer flies directly out  of Jacksonville International Airport to New Orleans, it is possible to charter a flight direct!

Of course, it might easier  to connect through  (annoying)  Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

Who thinks JIA needs more DIRECT destination flights?

-k.a. gardner