You can’t start pinching people yet, but St. Pat’s is almost here! Celebrate with the folks from Molly’s, or wear your kilt to the Irish House for a free cocktail. Support New Orleans students and grub out at Casa Borrega, and more. On this day in 1767, Andrew Jackson was born. Now, more to do to kickoff your St. Patrick’s Day weekend. 

Claiborne Avenue has made life easier for drivers in New Orleans, but many residents along the thoroughfare are paying for that convenience. The first batch of Livable Claiborne community meetings saw over 400 people, and participants brought issues ranging from blight, to food access, to crime to the table. Coming up on March 16 and 18, the study continues with two more opportunities to get involved.

Tonight, celebrate women in jazz, enjoy some country at House of Blues, gobble and wobble for Catch the Wall, and more. On March 2, 1988, Professor Longhair and Wynton Marsalis both won Grammy Awards at the 1987 Grammys. Now, more to do this Saturday. 

This morning, bring the whole family to the Ogden for a lesson on our city’s cultural roots. Later on, head to Ashe for “Redd Linen Night,” see live theatre in Mid City, and more. On this day in 1983, local artists Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Queen Ida, and Toto all won Grammy awards. Now, it’s time to plan your Saturday.

The Ashe Cultural Arts Center paints the town redd this Saturday. From 6 pm to 10 pm, the Central City culture hub hosts their second Redd Linen Night: A Visual Arts Event With a Twist. Offering a full spectrum of the arts from visual to performance art, the event pays homage to one of the Center’s late founders, Douglas Redd and returns his favor with a fundraiser.  

by M.D. Dupuy

The last eleven days of Christmas are nonevents, but the 46th annual Kwanzaa celebration has just begun. The first of the seven-day observance begins on December 26 and lasts until January 1, and Central City's Ashe Cultural Arts Center is offering Kwanzaa-centered educational programming until December 29.

Close out your weekend with Cajun Fais Do Do, brass on Tchoupitoulas, funk on Frenchmen, and a holiday celebration in Central City. On this day in 1872, P.B.S. Pinchback became the first and only African-American governor of Louisiana.

The holidays are here, and there’s plenty of stuff to do to start your weekend off with some festive fun. Enjoy art and music in Central City all weekend, Allen Toussaint at the Mint, and Anders Osborne and friends at Tip’s. Happy Birthday to Big Chief Joseph “Monk” Boudreaux. The leader of the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indian tribe turns 71 today. Now, more to do this Friday. 

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

It’s Essence Fest weekend, a time for people from all over the country to come down to the Big Easy and enjoy the contributions of hip-hop, R&B, and soul to the local and national music scene, as well as get inspired at the Empowerment series. The people at the Ashé Cultural Arts Center, organizers of this year’s Maafa observance, want New Orleanians to remember that, while many African-Americans are headlining at the Dome, many still face injustice head-on every day.

Today, a lecture on James Brown at Octavia Books, Kermit holds it down at Bullet’s, the second season of the web documentary Black Folk Don’t screens at Ashe Cultural Arts Center, Van Halen ends their tour in New Orleans, and Rory Danger & the Danger Dangers do rockabilly at Allways Lounge. On this day in history, soul singer Brenton Wood was born in Shreveport, LA (1941), funk singer Eldridge Holmes was born in Violet, LA (1941), and fans began leaving the Celebration of Life Festival in Point Coupee Parish, LA, due to heat and a lack of facilities, food, water and music (1971).