Have you seen the new MardiGrasNewOrleans.com?

The premier site for Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been redesigned from the ground up. You can still find the same great content for history and shopping, and the schedule and map system has been recreated to help you keep up with all of the krewes.

Use the site on the go with our mobile-friendly version, and get to your parade routes on time!

MardiGrasNewOrleans.com was the first site to broadcast Mardi Gras live on the internet in 1996, and the site has continued to be a mainstay of information ever since.

MardiGrasNewOrleans.com also features extensive information on Mardi Gras Indians. Thanks to the HBO program Treme, the Indians have gained more exposure in popular culture. Learn about their traditions and watch exclusive videos of their parades.

The parades are coming soon! Be sure that you’re ready to enjoy them.

Enter the sweepstakes for your chance to win free tickets to the New Orleans Comic Con.

Geek enthusiasts, the end of January marks one of my favorite times of the year: The New Orleans Comic Con. Back for its second year, the convention will feature stars from science fiction and fantasy movies and television series, WWE superstars, and comic book artists and writers.

How big are these stars? Check this out. William Shatner, the icon of Star Trek, will be there. Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk himself will be there. Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor (the comic book / movie version), the Fantastic Four, Daredevil and many more, will be there.

Not enough? How about these stars?

• James Marsters (from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”)
• Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca from the Star Wars films)
• Mary McDonnell (from “Battlestar Galactica”)
• Adam Baldwin (from “Full Metal Jacket” and “Serenity”)
• Boondock Saints stars Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery
• Chandler Riggs an Madison Lintz (from AMC’s hit series “The Walking Dead”)
• Carlos Pacheco (Artist for “X-Men” and “Green Lantern”)
• George Perez (Legendary Artist for “Superman” and “JSA”)
• WWE Superstars Zack Ryder and Diva Kelly Kelly

Great Deals and Exclusive Content

Comic conventions provide two unique opportunities for shopping. First, people can find great deals on books, movies and memorabilia. Several of the comic book booths have a bargain bin where people can find discounted items. I know I’ve discovered several great books through the bargain bin.

Second, collectors have the opportunity to pick up those hard to find items from statues to rare issues to all sorts of other memorabilia. Even if people aren’t looking for a specific book, they can commission artists to create an original sketch of their favorite characters. Artists charge different amounts depending on their schedule and their popularity, but sketches are one of the ways that fans can connect directly with the people who create their favorite books.

Costume Contest

I had the chance to visit Comic Con last year, and one of the absolute coolest parts of the experience was the costumes. Fans compete in a contest for adults and a contest for children to determine who has the most innovative costuming skills. Whole families were decked out in homage to the X-Men, and several went to great lengths to produce realistic representations of their favorite characters.

Costuming is definitely the portion of the weekend that takes the experience from just being a trade show and turning it into a celebration of geek culture. Whether you feel like putting on your Superman cape or just showing up as your alter-ego, you’ll have a great time.

Sessions with Creators

During the convention, Comic Con hosts sessions with several of the top stars on subjects as varied as a “meet and greet” for some of the biggest names like William Shatner and Stan Lee to Jedi Lightsaber classes where fans can take a class from Nick Gillard, fight choreographer of three of the Star Wars films. A full listing of programming is available at http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/programming-neworleans.html.

How to Get There

The convention will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Hours are Saturday, January 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, January 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are available for pre-purchase online at http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/neworleans.html at discounted rates. Single day passes are $25 online ($30 at the door) and weekend passes are $40 ($45 at the door).

Experience New Orleans Comic Con Contest

We want you to have the chance to go to the Comic Con! We have four pairs of weekend passes to give away to some lucky winners. Get over to http://www.experienceneworleans.com/contest-comic-con.html to enter.

See you there!

- by staff writer Michael W. Roberts

Baby New Year – Image Courtesy of Frank Stansbury

The evening will kick off with live entertainment on the City Stage in front of Jackson Square and keep rocking all the way up to midnight when Baby New Year takes over. Set up on top of Jax Brewery, the Saints-and-LSU-Tigers-clad Baby will help us count down the seconds to 2012.

Hope to see you there! For more info, visit Crescent City Countdown.

Now is a good time to be a football fan in New Orleans. Even if you aren’t a fan of the soon-to-be national champion LSU Tigers (undefeated so far!), the Crescent City will soon play host to two fantastic games. Both the Sugar Bowl and the BCS Championship are scheduled in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at the beginning of January. So, between the playoff-bound Saints and the two college bowl games, the Superdome will host three major games in the course of two weeks!

New Orleans will be a busy place at the beginning of January, with fans flying or driving in from Michigan, Virginia and Alabama. If you’re hoping to come down to the city, be sure to get your reservations in for your favorite hotel and restaurants. Rooms are still available, but hotels book up quickly in this city.

New Year’s Eve also deserves a mention, as festivities will once again return to Jackson Square. Live entertainment will keep the city rocking right up until midnight when Baby New Year will drop at the top of Jax Brewery. 15 minutes of fireworks will light up the night sky over the Mississippi River for a full evening of celebration.

Check out available hotels on BestNewOrleans.com and restaurants on NewOrleansRestaurants.com.

This Saturday, December 10th, Copeland’s Restaurant in Kenner is hosting a Holiday Fun Kids Camp from 11:00 .m. to 1:00 p.m. Special guests include Gumbo, Sir Saint and the Saintsations!

Check out all of the great perks for kids:

• Free Kids Meal! - with the purchase of an adult entree.
• Enter Your Child to Have a Chance to be a Saints Jr. Tee Retriever – Watch the game from the sidelines with Saints players and retrieve the tee with every Saints kick off.
• Saints Kids Club Tent – Register to win a Saints VIP Experience! Winner will receive an autographed WR Marques Colston (#12) football. Also, the winner plus 3 guests will receive a tour of the New Orleans Saints practice facility and have lunch in the Saints cafeteria.
• Quarterback Challenge Inflatable – Practice completing a pass!
• 3-in-1 Bounce, Climb, Slide Inflatable – Just for fun!
• Madden Video Game Kiosk – Compete against your friends!
• Obstacle Course
• Copeland’s Goodie Bag – Come get yours!

The Kids Camp will only be offered at the Kenner location at 1319 West Esplanade Avenue from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Candle-lit carolers lift their voices in front of the St. Louis Cathedral in a celebration of the season.

Candles and song sheets are provided.

Below is a letter from French Quarter Festivals, Inc.

Dear Volunteers,

As a second step to the 2012 Musician Sponsorship Fundraising Mailer, volunteers are needed to work the phones. Can you spare a few hours to help?

3 hour shifts are available as follows:

Monday-Friday 12/5-12/9: 10am-1pm & 1pm-4pm

Calling will take place at the French Quarter Festival, Inc. office:
400 N. Peters
Suite 205
New Orleans, LA 70117

If you are interested in helping with this very important effort, please contact Erin Stover to sign up for a shift (please include your name and phone number in your email/message):

erin@fqfi.org
504-227-3120

The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival is this Sunday, November 20th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of Carrollton and Oak Street. Whether you walk, bike or drive, the festival can accommodate you.

You will not believe the variation that the food vendors are bringing to the po-boy. You can find all of the standards: sausage, roast beef, shrimp, and turkey. But you may be surprised at what else you can find. Try the Thanksgiving po-boy, the garlic shrimp po-boy, the pork chop po-boy, the Cochon de Lait po-boy, the roasted pork belly po-boy, Oyster Rockefeller po-boy, or the fried lobster po-boy!

With that much variety, it’s safe to assume you’ll be able to find something new to try.

The festival will feature three stages’ worth of music and dozens of artists.

Get out on Sunday and enjoy yourself a po-boy at the Po-Boy Festival.

The Renaissance Festival runs from November 5 through December 11 in Hammond, Louisiana.

One of the great New Orleans events this season kicks off this weekend as the 2011 Renaissance Festival is finally upon us. The faire will be highlighted by a theme park-like setup that celebrates European Renaissance in Hammond, LA through teaching, shopping and entertainment. Over 50 shows will highlight month long festival with themes of drama, action and comedy.

The educational portion of the faire is rooted in different historic figures such as nobles, merchants, knights and Queens (Elizabeth I). The festival will provide an excellent opportunity for children and teenagers to have a hands-on experience that is both enjoyable and educational. Being around historic exhibits and shows are a great way to educate children while still bringing some excitement at the same time.

The festival will take visitors back in time to a much different place. Instead of the modern day New Orleans apartments and homes, the festival will be lined with houses and vendors that are modeled heavily after the times of the European Renaissance. On top of the full dedication to showing off what a Renaissance style neighborhood would mirror, the event will include over 300 people involved in the cast and crew for the festival, helping to provide a suitable tribute.

The festival can include a lot of walking, thus good shoes are strongly recommended. Even though the cast and crew will be dressing the part, attendees of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival are not required to wear any type of costumes. Normal attire will allow you to enjoy the festivities just as much as dressing up would – though era-appropriate costumes are always welcome!

One of the great parts of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival is the wide variety of shopping and retail opportunities on hand. There will be over 100 merchants selling all different kinds of products throughout the festival’s grounds. Some of the common items for sale include games, jewelry, pottery, glass, art, as well as a number of different kinds of original crafts.

The festival will also be highlighted by a number of different events and themes throughout the month-long celebration. This includes weddings, parties and weekly themes during the month of November and early December. One of the popular events of the festival is the “Queen’s Tea,” where an afternoon tea gathering celebrates “Queen Elizabeth” in a limited seating attraction. This one-hour-long occasion features multiple courses of food, along with a special gift for every attendee. This attraction is only $25 and a spot can be reserved in advance to ensure a chance to enjoy some great food and tea.

The 2011 Louisiana Renaissance Festival will be a great occasion for the whole family, particularly because of the excellent mix of entertainment, food, shopping and informational events. Taking place from November 5 through December 11, the festival will be a great weekend activity for visitors from all over the state.