Greek Fest and Memorial Day events coming up, and more community news (2024)

GREEK FEST NEW ORLEANS: The festival hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 12 Allen Toussaint Blvd. in New Orleans, will be held on the banks of Bayou St. John May 24-26. It includes a run/walk on Saturday at 8:30 a.m., Hellenic dancers and cathedral tours on all three days, food, music and vendors. Hours are 5-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10, children under 12 free. www.gfno.com

MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY: Jefferson Parish officials will host a ceremony on May 24 at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Square on Veterans Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard on the neutral ground in front of Lakeside Shopping Center. The ceremony will be streamed live on JPTV (Cox channel 6, AT&T Uverse channel 99), the Jefferson Parish Facebook page and www.jeffparish.tv/pages/live.

MEMORIAL DAY COMMEMORATION:The National WWII Museum will hold a remembrance of military service members on May 27, 11 a.m.-noon, at the U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, 945 Magazine St. in New Orleans. Activities will include remarks from a Gold Star Family member and performances by the Victory Belles and the American Legion Post 377 band. Free; registration encouraged.www.nationalww2museum.org.

OLDER AMERICANS MONTH CELEBRATION: The St. Charles Parish annual celebration will be May 23, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center, 274 Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway in Luling. All St. Charles Parish senior citizens and adults 55 and older are invited for games, a DJ and local health and fitness providers (9:30-10:30 a.m.) Reservations required; transportation is available. (985) 783-8907.

SPIRIT OF LOUISIANA JAZZ FUNERAL AND SECOND LINE:The Krewe of Black & Gold hosts the event in memory of those who perished during the pandemic and in honor of the front-line pandemic and disaster recovery workers May 25, 4-5:30 p.m., at the City Park Festival Grounds at Reunion Shelter, 4 Freidrichs Ave. in New Orleans. kreweofblackandgold.com

LGBTLOL QUEER COMEDY FEST: The annual festival headlined by queer-identifying comedians will be held at various locations in New Orleans May 30-June 2. Single show, daily and full-fest passes are available. www.lgbtlol.com

LOUISIANA CAJUN-ZYDECO FESTIVAL:The music festival will be held May 31-June 1 at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, 1225 N. Rampart Street in New Orleans. Friday’s music starts at 7 p.m. with Sheryl Cormier & the Cajun Sounds and other bands performing inside. Tickets are $10 via Eventbrite. Saturday’s performances, including Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., begin at 3 p.m. outdoors; free.www.jazzandheritage.org

BALLOON GLOW & LASER SHOW:NOLA Motorsports Park, 11075 Nicolle Blvd. in Avondale, will host the event May 31-June 1, beginning at 5 p.m. with a kids zone with games and rides, food vendors and a chance to take a hot-air balloon ride. Each night concludes with a laser show after dusk. Attendees can bring blankets, chairs and umbrellas. Tickets start at $10. Locals get a discount on adult tickets with NOLA5 promo code.nolamotor.com/events/the-balloon-glow-laser-show

ORCHID SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE: The event will be held May 31-June 2 at Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd. in Metairie. Hours for Friday and Saturday are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday noon-4:30 p.m. Nine orchid vendors will have plants and supplies available. neworleansorchidsociety.org.

SYMPHONY BOOK FAIR: The annual book sale will be held May 31-June 2 at UNO Lakefront Arena, 6801 Franklin Ave. in New Orleans. The sale will include more than 80,000 gently used titles of classic and contemporary literature, plus framed art, rare collections, vinyls, CDs, DVDs and more. Hours on Friday are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. with $20 tickets before 3 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., free; and Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., free.lpovolunteers.org.

ORMOND SPRAY PARK:The park at 1901 Ormond Blvd. in Destrehan, is open in May, Saturday and Sunday only, 1-6 p.m. After May 28, the park will open for summer hours, Tuesday through Sunday, 1-6 p.m. From Aug. 26 through Sept. 30, the park will revert to weekend-only operations.www.scpparksandrec.com.

CULTURE AND CONCERTS

THURSDAYS AT TWILIGHT: The City Park concert series continues in May, with A Taste of New Orleans on May 23 and Paul Soniat Band on May 30 at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, 1 Victory Ave. in New Orleans. Doors open at 5 p.m., with performances 6-8 p.m. Admission is $15. neworleanscitypark.org.

DOUBLE WHISKY: The New Orleans Jazz Museum and Jazz Foundation of America presents a free music program on May 29, 2-3 p.m., at the third-floor Performance Center listening room of the New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave. in New Orleans. nolajazzmuseum.org

ORGAN CONCERT: Paul Weber will present a program of concert music for the organ, featuring Hindemith’s “Sonata No. 1” and Bach’s “Prelude & Fugue in E Minor” (“Wedge”) on May 31, 7 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave. in New Orleans. trinitynola.com/

BOOKS

“GUMBO WEATHER”: Author Mary Beth Broussard will sign her book at ZukaBaby, 701 Metairie Road, in Metairie, May 25, 1 p.m. www.zukababy.com

FUNDRAISERS/GALAS

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: Junior League of New Orleans will celebrate a century of service on May 31 at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way in New Orleans. The 1920s-themed event, to be held 6-11 p.m., will include food and live music, along with an after-party. Tickets start at $100. www.jlno.org.

SCHOLARSHIPS

ETHEL SCHOEFFNER SCHOLARSHIP: Applications are being accepted through June 1 for the scholarship, worth $500 per semester up to a maximum of $2,500. Students must have graduated from either Destrehan High School or Hahnville High School, and be enrolled full-time in nursing or education programs. www.stcharles.k12.la.us/scpps.

CLASS REUNIONS

CLASS OF 1974 COMBINED REUNION: Tickets are on sale for the joint 50-year reunion of the class of 1974 at Riverdale, Grace King, Bonnabel and East Jefferson high schools. The event will be held on June 22, 7 p.m. to midnight, at the Clarion Airport Hotel, 2829 Williams Blvd. in Kenner. Tickets are $110 April 1-May 31. 50th-high-school-reunion.cheddarup.com.

HIGGINS AND WEST JEFFERSON 50TH REUNION: Tickets are on sale for the combined reunion of the class of 1974 of L.W. Higgins and West Jefferson high schools. The event will be held June 8, 7-11 p.m., at The Four Columns, 3711 Westbank Expressway in Harvey. Tickets are $75. Lwhwj1974@gmail.com.

CLASSES

PEOPLE PROGRAM NOLA: Registration is open online and in person for upcoming summer and fall classes. Summer semester runs June 18-July 24 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Lakeshore Campus, 2240 Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans. Fee is $80 for in-person or $60 for Zoom only. Fall semester runs Monday-Thursday, Aug. 26-Dec. 13 on the east bank and Tuesday-Thursday at the west bank, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 6201 Stratford Place in New Orleans. Fall fees are $200 for in-person and $150 for Zoom only.

MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP: The Helis Foundation John Scott Center will sponsor a free workshop on May 25, 1 p.m., at the center, 938 Lafayette St. in New Orleans. Participants will create their own mixed media assemblage and collage “placemats” sculptures. Supplies provided. Registration is required. leh.org/our-work/the-helis-foundation-john-scott-center

SUMMER CAMPS

CRUSADER CAMP: Registration is open for the summer program for boys ages 6-12 at Brother Martin High School, 4401 Elysian Fields Ave. in New Orleans. Camp runs from May 27-July 3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with complimentary morning care starting at 7:30 a.m. and aftercare available for a fee, 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. The cost is $160 per week or $800 for all six weeks. See www.brothermartin.com for details.

NUNEZ STEAM CAMPS: Registration is open for camps through Nunez Community College’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Division for grades kindergarten through high school. Camps take place on campus at 3710 Paris Road in Chalmette. One-day camps are $60. Weeklong camps are $300. For details, go to www.nunez.edu/STEAM.

JONES ACADEMY CAMP: Registration is open for the Jones Academy for Girls Summer Camp, June 10-July 19, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at 1020 N. Prieur St. in New Orleans. The camp, for children 5 to 12, provides specialized instruction from industry professionals in various career fields, including prosecution, judicial, jurisprudence, law enforcement, investigative journalism, financial literacy and culinary. The fee is $15 per week. nordc.org/summer/camp/.

FALL SPORTS: Registration is open for fall baseball (6-13), fall softball (6-13), fall tennis (8-16), tackle football (7-12), co-ed flag football (5-15), volleyball (5-15) and cheerleading (5-12) through the St. Charles Parish Department of Parks and Recreation through June 10. Late registration will take place with an additional fee from June 11-15. Register at individual participant’s affiliated booster club except fall baseball, fall softball and fall tennis. www.scpparksandrec.com