OK, northshore. Christmas is over. The tree is down and out of the house and all the ornaments and decorations are neatly tucked away in the attic. Now what? Playoffs and parades! That’s what!
In southern Louisiana, a celebration is hardly over and we are already planning our next party. This year there is no time to spare! With a Fat Tuesday date of February 16 in 2010, it is time to finalize your game plan for fun and festivities!
The Covington/Mandeville area will have to wait until February to see any real parade action; however, the City of Slidell gets things rolling right away with the four parades in January.
The Krewe of Claude kicks off the carnival season in Slidell on Sunday, January 17 at 1:00 pm. The following weekend the fun continues with the Krewe of Slidellians on Sunday, January 24 at 1:00. The Krewe of Bilge Boat Parade will be parading in 2010 for its 31st year throughout the waterways of St Tammany Parish. This year’s theme is “Music To My Ears”. The parade is Saturday, January 30 and begins at noon. It’s a fun one to catch at one of the watering holes along the route. Good details are available at www.kreweofbilge.com. On Sunday, January 31, you can catch Slidell’s oldest, most traditional krewe, the Krewe of Perseus, when they roll at 1:00.
The Krewe of Eve rolls on Friday, February 5 at 7:00 (with a rain date of Monday, February 8 – just in case). The Krewe of Olympia in Covington will roll Saturday, February 6 at 6:00. And the Original Krewe of Orpheus is Saturday, February 12 beginning at 7:00. In addition, the Coronation Ball for the Krewe of Orpheus is in Mandeville on February 6. It is open to the public and at the Castine Center at 7:00. Tickets are available at Lowe’s Jewelers.
For a different kind of parade and one with a quirky, satirical, twist come to Abita Springs on February 6 at 11:00 for the Krewe of Push Mow Parade. This year’s theme, “What Were You Thinking?” will certainly allow participants, once again, to embrace the comedy and whimsy of carnival and absolutely entertain parade-goers. To be in the parade (anyone can be!) or get more details about the after party with Benny Grunch and the Bunch, go to www.townofabitasprings.com
In between all the parading - and probably meriting its own parade - is the New Orleans Saints appearance this year in the NFL 2009 season playoffs. Since the majority of Saints fans everywhere will not be able to be in that number in attendance at the game, the decision of where to watch the game is a very important one. If you like to be out & about and anywhere but home for the game, there are a few northshore spots that have become favorites among the locals to watch and cheer on the team.
City Sports Bar & Grill in Mandeville is fairly new to the area but has become a quick favorite. It’s a sports bar (but ladies, it doesn’t really feel like one!). Beautifully decorated with a New Orleans flair, City Sports features an interesting menu with game day specials, popular bar foods to snack on and good salads and steaks, too. In addition, the place is kid-friendly so you can bring the whole family to watch the game if you like. Serious sports fans will be impressed with the nineteen flat screen TV’s and Sound Dog audio boxes at each table for multi-channel viewing and listening. Bar patrons will love the drink specials, particularly the $3.00 draft! You can get more details at www.citysportsgrill.com.
If you are in Slidell, the “Saints Sundays” are very popular at Southside Café on Ponchartrain Drive. They offer a full menu and happy hour all day. Plenty of seating and a good view of the TV make it a prime place for game watching. Also in Slidell, on Brownswitch Rd and with a location in Hammond too, is Buffalo Wild Wings, another fun and lively place to watch the game.
Playoffs start January 9 and 10 with the Wild-Card Round, continue January 16-17 for the Divisional Round, Sunday, January 24 for the Championship Round and February 7 for the Super Bowl! Parades start January 17 and continue until February 16! All this partying, playoffs and parades will take expert planning to optimize time and have as much fun as possible, but I think I can do it! 2010 is starting off with a blast. Happy New Year northshore, Happy Mardi Gras and Who Dat!