New Orleans neighborhoods:  you’ve walked around in them, you’ve marveled at their crooked streets, their sometimes lopsided houses, their towering magnolias, and the one guy walking his fawn-colored pit bull in pajamas. This weekend: celebrate them.

The Marigny, Broadmoor and Mid-City, are all celebrating their revitalization efforts and giving folks a reason to come out and meet the neighbors with weekend festivals.   

From 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday, Fete Marginy harks back to our French influences with French inspired food, drinks, French-themed art and French activities like petanque (lawn-bowling) in Washington Square Park (Elysian Fields Ave. and Royal St.).  Surrounded by French and Spanish architecture, one might think they are in some lost European city. One false step outside the Marigny, though, and you’ll find yourself thrust right back in the U.S.    

The French fest features a silent auction and raffle to help raise funds for the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association, which works to keep the historic Marigny at its best.  Festival goers can also enjoy live music, activities for children and special guest appearances. 

Across town and down, there's Broadmoor Fest, brought to you by the Broadmoor Improvement Association. This neighborhood may be below sea level, but it also knows how to get down. Musical offerings include Charmaine Neville, Sharon Martin, Carl Leblanc, Judy Spellman and plenty of others.

And if French food isn’t your style, check out the delicious Dat Dog hot dogs, Cane River Meat Pies, Woody’s Fish Tacos and more festival food at 4300 South Broad St.(Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center).  Also look for rows of vendors from Magnolia Physical Therapy to Bunny’s Beads and everything in between. The Fest runs 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Before all that, get into the Halloween spirit at the Mid-City Porch Crawl on Friday night, benefiting the Mid-City Neighborhood Association. The crawl starts at Mick's (4801 Bienville), then move from porch to porch on City Park Avenue, tasting food and drinks from restaurants around the neighborhood. Crawlers are also encouraged to wear costumes. Tickets are $55 for non-neighborhood association members, and can be purchased here.

If you didn’t get your Halloween fill on Friday head over to the Healing Center on Saint Claude Saturday for Anba Dlo IV, celebrating the water and the watery realm of the underworld.  

“It’s a celebration about water and it’s importance, scarcity and how we need it for life, sustenance and support,” says administrator Donn Peabody. 

There is a symposium in the afternoon, concerning the current state of water.  

“It’s from a conservation stand point and the number of countries that have difficulty providing clean water and the fact that there’s a scarcity,” says Peabody.  

Along with a costume parade that kicks off the night at 5:30 pm there will be music by everyone’s favorite Papa Grows Funk, George Porter Jr., 101 Runners, Zion Trinity and others.  Interpretive dance, an arts and crafts bazaar, a silent auction, featuring hyperbolic treatments, and psychic readings (a necessarily with every good Halloween party) are only some of the night’s highlights.   

“The party starts at 6 with 13 different bands and 5 different stages,” says Peabody.  

Along with all of that, the Treme will continue to celebrate its 200th birthday all week long with a huge second line featuring all Social Aide and Pleasure Clubs, a block party under the N. Claiborne Bridge and much more. Read this NoDef article about for complete details on the bicentennial event.